“Prophets Prophesy of the Future,” Friend, Nov. 2001, 44

Prophets Prophesy of the Future

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).

There are different kinds of prophecies—those that tell of things that will happen in the future and those that tell us what the Lord wants us to know and do in our lives. Jeremiah and Lehi told the people in Jerusalem that it would be destroyed if they didn’t repent of their wickedness. The people didn’t repent, and Jerusalem was destroyed.

Some prophecies have to do with our own day, even with us! Here are a few examples:

In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel said that the Lord told him, “Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel … : then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel. …

“I will take the stick of Joseph … and will put [it] … with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick.”

We know that the stick of Judah is the Bible and the stick of Joseph is the Book of Mormon, both testaments of Jesus Christ and His gospel.* How the Lord would put the sticks together was prophesied in the Book of Mormon by Nephi:

“I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, … and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land. …

“And I beheld a book. …

“And the angel … said: … The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel.”

The man was Christopher Columbus, and those who came after him to the Americas brought the Bible, which was “put with” the Book of Mormon when the Church of Jesus Christ was again upon the earth.†

In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter foretold that Jesus Christ was to be in “heaven … until the times of restitution [restoration] of all things.”

And at that time, the Savior Himself foretold, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”‡

At the beginning of the Restoration, the Prophet Joseph Smith began the fulfilling of the Savior’s prophecy by giving His commandment that the gospel be preached—by full-time missionaries and, by example, “member” missionaries (us)—to “all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.”**

Prophecy Lift-and-See Book

Remove page 45 from the magazine and mount on lightweight cardboard. Cut out the pictures on the broken lines and punch holes where marked.
Cut out the prophecies on the broken lines and put each on top of the picture of the prophet who foretold it so that it hides the picture, then staple it at the top.
To make the book, put all the prophecies together with the holes lined up, then thread a piece of string or yarn through each set of holes, and tie it in a bow.

The Prophet Ezekiel by Lyle Beddes; painting of Nephi by Arnold Friberg; Peter by Marilee Campbell; The Second Coming by Harry Anderson; painting by Del Parson; photo by Matt Reier

The Lord told me, “Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel [Bible] … : then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel [Book of Mormon]. … I will … make them one stick” (Ezek. 37:15–16, 19).

“I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles [Columbus], … and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land. … And I beheld a book [the Bible]” (1 Ne. 13:12, 20).

“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution [restoration] of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:20–21).

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24:14).