Elder Bednar on Hearing the Trumpets

The following is excerpts from Elder Bednar's talk in last month's General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints entitled "Watching with all Perseverance." Elder Bednar a modern day Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ opens his talk by reviewing a list of temporal and spiritual warnings in everyday life and in the scriptures. He tells of Lehi in the Book of Mormon being warned by the Spirit to leave Jerusalem and Noah to build the Ark. Elder Bedar invites us to 1. read and talk about the Book of Mormon 2. spontaneously share testimony of the truth 3. learn to act and not be acted upon.

Elder Bednar then says:

"Consider the language of the Lord in the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom: “In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation” (D&C 89:4)." Spiritual warnings should lead to increasingly vigilant watching. You and I live in “a day of warning” (D&C 63:58). And because we have been and will be warned, we need to be, as the Apostle Paul admonished, “watching . . . with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18 )."

Elder Bednar closes his remarks by testifying and inviting:

"I bear witness that parents who consistently read and talk about the Book of Mormon with their children, who share testimony spontaneously with their children, and who invite children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon will be blessed with eyes that can see afar off (see Moses 6:27) and with ears that can hear the sound of the trumpet (see Ezekiel 33:2–16). The spiritual discernment and inspiration you will receive from the combination of these three holy habits will enable you to stand as watchmen on the tower for your families—“watching . . . with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18)—to the blessing of your immediate family and your future posterity. I so promise and testify in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."

For me the trumpets are sounding. With all the calamities that are now and very shortly to occur I have doubled by food storage, and put extra effort into my garden this year. II have some savings set aside and I am diversifying the sources of my income. I am also switching job locations so I don't have to cross state lines. When all the tribulation and wrath gets poured out, I hope I will have acted before hand and will not merely be acted upon or react. I hope many of us will not end up being statistics.

I hope many of us can be like the people at the waters of Mormon who were warned ahead of time about the armies of King Noah who were sent out against them to slay them. I hope many of us can be like the people of Alma in the city of Helam that although great hardships and labors were placed upon their backs, they turned to the Lord Jesus Christ who made those burdens light unto them such that they didn't feel them. i hope that many of us can be like the people of Alma that put their faith in Jesus Christ such that not long afterwards, the Lord delivered them out of bondage.

Elder Packer seems to be hearing the sound of the trumpet when he said in April Conference: " We have this priesthood power, and we should all be prepared to use it properly. Current increases in natural disasters and financial challenges show that we will need this power even more in the future than in the past. Many scriptures teach that the servants of the Lord “shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18). Miracles happen when the authority of the priesthood is used to bless the sick. I have experienced these miracles."

Trumpets and Conflict

The Following is not LDS Doctrine:

When the Bible and Revelation talks about the 7 Trumpets and 7 Vials of Wrath, some people believe that these prophecies have had multiple fulfillment throughout history. The 7 Trumpets had to do with what corrupt government did to the people, and the 7 Vials of Wrath had to do with what God did in repayment. I was hoping that 1/2 hour of silence would give us 21 years. But God seems to be hastening things maybe.

For example. One fulfillment or type of the antichrist, tribulation, and wrath in Matt 24 is Titus. General Titus (little horn) was the son of the 10th Emperor (10 horns) of the Roman Empire (4th Beast). General Titus destroyed the temple, and crucified tens of thousands of Jews on the walls of the city of Jerusalem. When Titus became Emperor, he continued the persecution of the Christians and outlawed the daily sacrifice in the Roman Empire. Not long after, Rome was hit by several natural disasters. Mount Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, there was another fire in Rome, a plague, and a drought. Finally Titus suffered a mysterious death; probably being poisoned by his brother Domitian.

Another possible fulfillment of the 7 Trumpets has to do with the fall of the Roman Empire. In addition to declining morals and corruption, Rome was economically bankrupt. They had sent much of their gold over to the orient in exchange for luxuries. Low on gold, Rome didn't have enough to put into their own currency. This led to a devaluation and contraction of the money supply. Contraction of the money supply and cheap slave labor led to greater unemployment. Greater unemployment led to more and more people relying upon government welfare. Rome put what money they had to fund the games to keep the unemployed mobs amused and pacified. In this weakened economic condition, the Roman Empire was vulnerable to attack.

The first trumpet had to do with hail fire and destruction burning up all the green grass and 1/3 of the trees. Some associate hail with war as Job does in Job 38:22 and the invasion of Rome by Alaric the Visigoth and the Goths by land. The second trumpet speaks of a burning mountain falling into the sea and the water turning to blood, 1/3 fish dying, and 1/3 shipping being destroyed. Some associate this with the attack of the Vandals by sea by way of Carthage. The 3rd Trumpet speaks of a star falling from heaven and poisoning 1/3 part of the rivers and streams. Some associate this with Attila the Hun's attack of the Roman Empire. Attila the Hun conquered by following the river valleys. The 4th Trumpet speaks of darkening the 1/3 part of the sun, moon, and stars. These same people associate this with the insurrection of German Barbarians who infiltrated and lived in the Roman Empire led by Odoacer who was an agent of Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno. The consequence of Odoacer's insurrection was a fracturing of the entire Western Empire into separate tribes.

The 5th Trumpet speaks of locusts which many believe speaks of the rise of the Arab Muslims which conquered Sephardic Jews and Arian Christians in Spain, North Africa, and destroyed the Christian capital of Alexandria and Heliopolis. I am told the Hebrew word for locust and Arab are very similar. Arab Muslims did not kill civilian Christians and Jews outright. They gave them a choice to convert to Islam or be a slave. If they choose slavery, their wives were taken and placed in harems. The 6th Trumpet speaks of the Euphrates overflowing and an Eastern Army killing 1/3 of men. Some believe this refers to the transfer of the Muslim Caliphate to Iraq and the rise of the Ottoman Turks. Dressed in fire, Jacinthe, and brimstone matches the Turkish uniform colors of red, blue and yellow-orange. The horses with mouths like lions that spew fire and brimstone with the power being in their tails refers to the Ottoman Turks use of gunpower, artillery,and cannons. The power in the tail was John likely describing the fuse and gunpowder. The Turks were successful in destroying the other Christian capitals of Jerusalem, Antioch and finally Constantinople leaving Rome the supreme ruler over all Christianity.

The 7 vials of wrath the occur during the sounding of the 7th Trumpet, likely refer to the many judgments of God that were poured during the Dark Ages.

Now what about the Last Days? I am not the only one who is asking if this BP Gulf Oil Spill is not a modern fulfillment of the 2nd Trumpet spoken of in Revelations. Since the American Empire is an Empire of Economy and not Land, some think that the 1st Trumpet would refer to the recent economic war which has brought upon the western world a great Economic Depression, banking failures, unempoloyment, and a dollar on the verge of collapse. The second trumpet refers to a mountain of fire being thrust into the sea turning the sea to blood, and killing 1/3 of the creatures of the sea, and 1/3 the ships or shipping. I am not the only one watching the 200,000 barrels/day of oil leak into the gulf and the toxic Corexit being sprayed thinking this accident is going to have major negative impacts. Who knows how a couple of hurricanes this summer will mix things up. The limit on off-shore drilling was 22,000ft and that BP well was deliberately drilled to at least 30,000ft.

If the first and second trumpets are sounding, then what about the third, fourth and fifth? The third trumpet has to do with a star falling from heaven and poisoning 1/3 the rivers and streams. I learned on the playground in 1986 that "Chernobyl" was the Russian word for "Wormwood." Could the next trumpet have to do with something nuclear? The Federal Government and Pres Obama himself at the UN nuclear summit warned us about the possibility of nuclear devices being set off in several US cities. This scenario has already been featured in a made for TV movie called "The Day After" where Kansas City gets obliterated. Were the globalists who own ABC and who produced the movie trying to tell us something? Kansas City just so happens to be the major North American Hub for the NAFTA superhighway. They had a very difficult time in Texas imposing imminent domain. If a nuclear device or dirty bomb was set off anywhere in the Missouri/Mississippi watershed, all the water downstream would be contaminated. Being LDS, we shouldn't forget Joseph Smith's warning to Alexander Donovan nor the "Yellow Dog" prophecy concerning Missouri. (Graham W. Doxey, “Missouri Myths,” Ensign, Apr 1979, 64). By the way, the movie depicts Kansas City getting nuked on Saturday the 16th. That would be in October this year.

Did I mention that FEMA has purchased 500,000 plastic grave liners which are sitting in fields in Madison and Conyers, GA as well as additional liners in Indiana. The US government is also building several enormous graveyards in Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Southern California, and Indiana. In each of these locations are huge fields that have been filled with rows and rows of rectangular concrete boxes, just bigger than the plastic liners in Georgia, that are being placed side-by-side and then buried. That begs the question of what kind of catastrophe or war our government is preparing for.

The fourth trumpet may have to do with the fulfillment of Christ's warning to the Gentiles in 3 Nephi 20:16. Could there be a similar insurrection in this country like there was in the Roman Empire with Odoacer? As far as the fifth and sixth trumpets go, and the 7 vials of wrath following, I have no idea who the locusts will be this time.

But I am concerned that Pres. Obama has appointed himself to chair the UN security council without Senate approval which is against the Constitution Article 1, section 9. I am concerned about the recent escalation in rhetoric and violence between North and South Korea and between Israel and Iran and Venezuela and the US. Hugo Chavez together with Iran has been selling oil in Euros and Yuan directly to China without China first having to buy dollars according to the Petro-Dollar system. The Petro-Dollar System which is supported by Saudi Arabia is the only thing that supports the huge US deficits and debt. If China can buy oil in Yuan, it will have no need to purchase US T-Bills. Currently, the only people buying US T-Bills are banks, the FED. This was exactly the reason the US went to war against Iran. Because the US Dollar is off the gold standard, if China and India can get oil without buying dollars, the dollar and the country will go bust.

The world is being set up to enter into WW3. If you read Albert Pike letter on WW3, the 3 Catholic Secrets of Fatima, and the Muslim prophecies about the coming of the Dijjal and the Mahdi, they all seem to be coming about. And all thats bad because all these bring the nations into conflict.

The Tribulation and The Republic

Eph. 6: 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Titus 3: 1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, and magistrates but we are warned against spiritual wickedness in high places (occultism) as well as conspiring men.

D&C 88: 77-81 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand; Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms— That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you. Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.

God calls us to understand the true doctrine of Christ but also wars and the perplexities of the nations.


D&C 29: 8 Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked.

D&C 54: 10 And again, be patient in tribulation until I come; and, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, and they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls. Even so. Amen.

D&C 78: 14 That through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you, that the church may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world;

Christians need to be patient in affliction, stand in holy places, and independent and free from indebtedness which is bondage.

D&C 23-26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face. Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

The Tribulation will begin in America and upon the American Empire which the Lord calls "His house."

2 Ne. 25: 1,7-8 Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. . . But behold, I proceed with mine own prophecy, according to my plainness; in the which I know that no man can err; nevertheless, in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass. for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.

Christians will understand the prophecies of Isaiah and also John in the day that they are fulfilled.

D&C 132: 13 And everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of men, by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord your God.

The Constitution and government by a constitutional republic is ordained and inspired by God and will remain upon the land forever. But titles of aristocracy will not remain. The United States is not a democracy. Democracy is tyranny by the majority. Democracy is two wolves and one sheep voting on what's for dinner. And the majority can be easily swayed by propaganda. But America isn't a monarchy, oligarchy, or ruled by an aristocracy. Laman and Lemuel believed that the right to rule was theirs based solely on who they were (the oldest). That is how aristocrats think. But in a constitutional republic, the people choose leaders who have demonstrated lives of virtue like Nephi. And if power corrupts our leaders, they can be replaced without the shedding of blood.

Possible Modern Fulfillment of the 7 Trumpets

The following is not LDS Doctrine. See Brainbender.blogspot.com for more information and links on the BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. Is the Gulf Oil Spill the 2nd Trumpet?

Seven Seals
Joseph Smith asked God the meaning of the 7 Seals in Revelation. God explained that the 7 Seals represented the things revealed during each 1000 year period since the world's existence or since the creation of man on the Earth. Seal 1 had to do with conquest as humans spread out over the Earth. Seal 2 involved war as humans fought over contested lands. While there was still free land available it was probably easier to just move into unclaimed areas than go to war over land. Seal 3 involved the invention of money which probably refers to the Phoenician invention of the Silver Shekel of Tyre. Seal 4 speaks of plague. Money enabled man to live in cities. However, city living leads to poor sanitation and more risk of disease. Seal 5 refers to the Christian Martyrs and the death of Christ. Seal 6 mentions the Sun, Moon, and Stars being darkened which refers to the Dark Ages and the Great Apostasy. It also mentions earthquakes. Earthquakes have always occurred but became more terrible after the discovery of concrete. Seal 7 opens with silence for a 1/2 hour and then describes the sounding of 7 Trumpets. If Adam lived 4000 BC then Seal 7 would have opened around 2000 AD. we are in the days of the 7th Seal and the Trumpets maybe beginning to sound.

Seven Trumpets
What are the Trumpets. The Trumpets represent the tribulation that the corrupt political, economic and religious system of the world inflicts upon the people. Types of the tribulation are the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by Titus who burned the temple and crucified thousands of Jews on the walls of the city. The wrath would refer to the judgments of God upon Titus and Rome thereafter which involved the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, fire, drought, plague, and an early death just 2 years after becoming Emperor.

Another fulfillment of the 7 trumpets could refer to the fall of the Roman Empire. In addition to declining morals and corruption, Rome was economically bankrupt. They had sent much of their gold over to the orient in exchange for luxuries. Low on gold, Rome didn't have enough to put into their own currency. This led to a devaluation and contraction of the money supply. Contraction of the money supply and cheap slave labor led to greater unemployment. Greater unemployment led to more and more people relying upon government welfare. Rome put what money they had to fund the games to keep the unemployed mobs amused and pacified.

Rome was first invaded by the Goths by land, and then the Vandals by sea. Then they were hit by Attila the Hun who conquered following the river valleys. Next the Arab Muslims arose and slaughtered millions of non-Roman Catholic Christians and Sephardic Jews. The Ottoman Turks and Arab Muslims continued their conquest of Christian and Jews until all the rival Christians capitals of Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Constantinople were destroyed. God's judgment and wrath upon Europe and Rome were the Plagues associated with the Dark Ages.

Today, in the Last Days the prophecy of the 7 Trumpets will be fulfilled yet again. History repeats itself. That is what makes the Bible so universal is that themes repeat themselves over and over again on both the global as well as the individual scale. Today, I was thinking upon the difficulty that our nation is already experiencing and I was wondering if the Trumpets are not already sounding.

First Trumpet - Hail and Fire Destruction of all the grass and 1/3 of trees (Rev 8:7).
Job speaks of treasures of hail and snow and then equates that with the day of battle and war (Job 38:22). The first trumpet in the fall of the Roman Empire was invasion by land by the Goths. Because the American Empire is an Economic empire, our first trumpet would involve an economic war designed to devaluate currencies and bankrupt nations. Trees and grass refer to rich and poor nations.
First Trumpet = Financial Crisis?

Second Trumpet - Meteor falls into the Ocean destroying 1/3 of ships and sea life (Rev :8-9).
The second trumpet in the Fall of the Pax Romana involved invasion by sea by the Vandals. We have just likely been attacked by sea as millions of gallons of crude oil are currently gushing from a sabotaged oil drilling platform into the Gulf of Mexico. I will not be surprised when we are told the spill is much worse then previously reported. Time will only tell the consequences of that much oil spilled in the Gulf which affects 1/3 part of the US coastline. All that oil in the water is consuming all the oxygen which will destroy all sea life in the Gulf of Mexico. I have no idea what kind of an impact this much oil will have on the US coastline when all this oil reaches shore. Could this spill be so big that it affects the food chain, migratory birds, etc.
Second Trumpet = Gulf Oil Spill?

Third Trumpet - Wormwood falls from the Heavens causing fresh water to become bitter (Rev 8:10-11).
We have been warned by our government about the potential threat of Iran or some other terrorist group of detonating a nuclear bomb on US soil. President Obama warned us during his UN nuclear summit earlier this year. The US government is currently conducting drills this month (NLE 2o10) to prepare for just such a scenario. Alex Jones, a talk radio host from Austin TX, has also taken note of the warnings by our government. Alex Jones is concerned with the possibility of several simultaneous devices being detonated in several US cities as a pretext to go to war with Iran. Alex Jones and Bill Cooper in TX both warned of 911 as well. William Cooper was mysteriously killed after being first to warn of a 911-style attack (see 3Ne 6:23).

We know that some involved with the monolithic conspiracy want the US to go to war with Iran. According to the prophecy in Dan 8 that the goat with the single horn will strike and kill the ram with the two horns which represent Media (Iraq) and Persia (Iran). Then Daniel says the horn of the goat will be cut down. Now this prophecy we are told specifically by Daniel applies to Alexander the Great. After Alexander the Great's death, the Greek Empire was divided into four parts. Some people believe this prophecy foretells that America will eventually be drawn into war against Iran. The trigger as Alex Jones and other have said, would be some kind of 911 false flag event on US soil. Just like Iraq, if Iran seeks to trade oil in Euros, then the US will feel compelled to prevent Iran from violating the Petro-Dollar system which is the only thing holding up the US dollar. Most people don't understand that if any country desires to import any oil from any other country, they can only buy that oil using US Dollars. Now that the US Dollar is off the gold standard, the Petro-Dollar System is the only thing holding up the near bankrupt US Economy.

Many Bible Christians are aware that "wormwood" in Russian is "Chernobyl." Therefore, many Bible readers have associated this trumpet with a nuclear bomb being detonated within the US. The main candidate site for this is Kansas City, MO. This is to be the hub of the the NAFTA superhighway from Canada to Mexico. Such an event would clear the way for the completion of this NWO project. The US has at least 500,000 FEMA grave liners sitting in fields in both Madison and Conyers, GA as well as other sites in Indiana that have been identified on Google Earth. Also, the US has finished several mass grave sites in California, Indian, Arizona, and Texas. I don't believe our government builds anything that big that it doesn't eventually plan on using.

But another correlation with scripture would be the events effect on fresh water in America. If a nuclear device or dirty bomb were detonated anywhere in the Missouri/Mississippi River watershed areas, all waters downstream would be contaminated with radioactivity. Farmers who depend on that water would not be able to use it for farming.

Could there be another fulfillment of prophecy by Joseph Smith about the land of Missouri? (Graham W. Doxey, “Missouri Myths,” Ensign, Apr 1979, 64). Joseph Smith was visiting a great friend to the LDS church, Gen. Alexander Donovan, at his office when a man came to repay a legal bill with a deed to land in Jackson County. Joseph Smith told Donovan not to accept the deed because, "God’s wrath hangs over Jackson County … and you will live to see the day when it will be visited by fire and sword. The fields and farms and houses will be destroyed, and only the chimneys will be left to mark the desolation." That prophecy was fulfilled following the Civil War (See Comprehensive History of the Church, 1:538–59).

Heber C. Kimball may have also made a statement with regard to Missouri. Amanda H. Wilcox in Salt Lake City in May 1868 reported him as saying, "The western boundries of the State of Missouri will be swept so clean of its inhabitants that, as President Young tells us, when we return to that place, ‘There will not be left so much as a yellow dog to wag his tail.’ ” (Prophetic Sayings of Heber C. Kimball to Sister Amanda H. Wilcox, n.p., n.d., p. 6.)

Fourth Trumpet - Darkening of a third of the sun, moon, and stars (Rev. 8:12).
If this has any relation to what happened in Rome, then this might refer to Martial Law being imposed in the US and the fracturing of the US into regions. During Roman times Germanic Barbarians were allowed to infiltrate and then they were used by a faction in the government to break up the Empire.

Fifth Trumpet - (Woe #1) Locusts from the Bottomless Pit (Rev 9:1-10).
I am not sure who will be the locusts this time. In the Roman Times, this may have referred to the Arabs and Ottomans that conquered Non-Catholic Christians and Sephardic Jews in Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East. Christ warns in The Book of Mormon about the remnant of the seed of Jacob being among us. Could this refer to the large Hispanic population in America that if incited could simply walk off the job and cause a breakdown of society?

3 Ne 20:15-16 And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blesssing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people—Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

Sixth Trumpet - (Woe #2) Eastern army of 200,000,000 men kill 1/3 of mankind
This likely refers to Armageddon and most of us are familiar with what will happen there. 2 Witnesses who prophecy will call down Moses in Egypt type plagues to protect the city of Jerusalem from being taken by the invading armies. The 2 witnesses will finally be overcome, but resurrect on the 3rd day. Christ will split the Mount of Olives and save the remnant of Jews who will convert to Christianity when they behold their Savior and Redeemer and recognize that He is Jesus Christ.

Christ in the Begats

We often joke sarcastically about having a difficult time reading the Old Testament because of all the genealogy and "Begat" verses. I was watching a YouTube video that other day that explained a wonderful hidden message and prophecy about the coming of Christ and His mission. It turns out that the Begats are not so boring after all. Genesis lists the genealogy of Noah this way:

Adam = man
Seth = appointed, placed, set
Enosh = mortal, human
Kenan = sorrow, low, humble
Mahalalel = blessed God, praise of god
Jared = descent, shall come down, descending
Enoch = dedicated, teaching
Methuselah = his death shall bring
Lamech = despairing
Noah = comfort, rest

Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest."