Category Archives: Zion

And the stars shall fall from heaven

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From my gospel study this morning on Matthew 24:29

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

And from Rev 6:13 – “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”

A question from Elder Joseph Fielding to Parley P. Pratt, Preston England, January 1841. “Dear Brother Pratt, – Having a desire to know the truth of all things that are revealed from God to man, and knowing in part the importance of teaching them to mankind, I take the liberty to ask you certain questions, which if you think proper, you may answer in the Star, as I ask not for my own information alone, but for all who desire and seek after truth.”

Question #7: “How can the stars fall from heaven to earth, when they (as far as we know) are much larger than the earth?”

Answer: “We are nowhere given to understand that all the stars will fall or even many of them: but only “as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken with a mighty wind.” The stars which fall to the earth are fragments, which have been broken off from the earth from time to time, in the mighty convulsions of nature. Some in the days of Enoch, some perhaps in the days of Peleg, some with the ten tribes, and some at the crucifixion of the Messiah.

“These all must be restored again at the “times of restitution of all things.” This will restore the ten tribes to Israel; and also bring again Zion, even Enoch’s city. It will bring back the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God; that you and I may partake of it (Rev 2:7).

“When these fragments, (some of which are vastly larger than the present earth) are brought back and joined to this earth, it will cause a convulsion of all nature; the graves of the Saints will be opened, and they will rise from the dead; while the mountains will flow down, the vallies rise, the sea retire to its own place, the islands and continents will be removed, and earth will be rolled together as a scroll. The earth will be many times larger than it is now.” Source: Millennial Star Vol 1, No 10, p. 258, Feb 1841, Questions, #7, BYU online Library

Wow! Did you know this? This is not something that is taught in your gospel essentials class is it? I wonder if the High Priest’s group would even bring something like this up. Do you believe it? I do. Parley and later Orson both said that they heard this taught from Joseph Smith:

“…a portion of the Earth was by a miracle broken off…the Ten Tribes were taken away with it…in the latter days it would be restored to the Earth or be let down in the Polar regions.” Source: Letter Box of Orson Pratt, LDS Church Historian’s Office, letter to John C. Hall, December 13, 1875 (does anyone have an online reference for this?)

Are Mormons Zionists?

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I guess it all depends on what you mean by Zionist. If you define Zionism as an international political movement that supports a homeland for the Jewish People in the Land of Israel, then you will have to ask each individual member their opinion. The church does not take sides. Personally, I’m all for the state of Israel having a right to exist. Other Mormons do not feel this way.

Consider this oft-quoted statement from President Howard W. Hunter on the subject: “We do not need to apologize nor mitigate any of the prophecies concerning the Holy Land. We believe them and declare them to be true. But this does not give us justification to dogmatically pronounce that others of our Father’s children are not children of promise. … Both the Jews and the Arabs are children of our Father. They are both children of promise, and as a church we do not take sides. We have love for and an interest in each.” (Devotional speech BYU 1979)

The future of Israel

I have written previously about the future history of Israel and why Mormons are so interested in the events in that Jewish state. “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes.” (Tenth Article of Faith). But is the literal gathering of Israel defined as a gathering of the Jews to the Holy Land or a gathering of the Saints to the Stakes of Zion? Is a ‘literal gathering’ to be interpreted as a political establishment of the state of Israel?

Members of the church have long anticipated a return of the Jews to Palestine as part of Israel’s gathering. The Prophet Joseph Smith sent Orson Hyde, an apostle, to Jerusalem, where in October 1841 he dedicated the land and prayed “for the gathering together of Judah’s scattered remnants” (HC 4:456). Some members of the Church are confused as to how this prayer is to be understood. Is this evidence that we are in support of Israel’s right to exist as a nation?

Differences of opinion

Even modern apostles have expressed differences of opinion on if Zionism is the same as the ‘literal gathering’ of Israel. Elder LeGrand Richards identified Zionism and the State of Israel as the expected “return,” the physical prelude to the spiritual “gathering.” Others, such as Elder Bruce R. McConkie, wrote that the Zionist ingathering was not that “of which the scriptures speak…. It does not fulfill the ancient promises.” He saw it as a “gathering of the unconverted” but “nonetheless part of the divine plan” (Millennial Messiah, Salt Lake City, 1982, p. 229).

To read several in-depth articles from an official church source that considers the subject, read the May 1972 Ensign which is all about Israel and the Holy Land. In there you will find this: “Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ have been to the Holy Land and have dedicated that country for the return of the Jews; and we believe that in the due time of the Lord they shall be in the favor of God again. And let no Latter-day Saint be guilty of taking any part in any crusade against these people.” (President Heber J Grant, General Conference, April 1921)

Conclusion

What do you think? Is Zionism officially recognized and endorsed by the church or is support for Zionism strictly a personal matter to be left up to the individual members?