This is a quick response to the idea that the timing of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is not known by anyone on earth. Most people believe that nobody knows, nor could know, when Christ will return. That belief stems from the following verses in Matthew 24:
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
…
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 ¶ Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
(Matthew 34:3-4, 36-44)
Clearly there have been several statements to the effect that ‘ye know not’ and ‘no man knoweth’ the day nor the hour Christ will come. But notice what the prophet Joseph Smith says about this:
Christ says, “No man knoweth the day or the hour when the Son of Man cometh.” . . . Did Christ speak this as a general principle throughout all generations? Oh, no, He spoke in the present tense. No man that was then living upon the footstool of God knew the day or the hour. But He did not say that there was no man throughout all generations that should not know the day or the hour. No, for this would be in flat contradiction with other scripture. For the prophet says that God will do nothing but what He will reveal unto His servants the prophets. Consequently, if it is not made known to the prophets, it will not come to pass.
(Joseph Smith’s Commentary on the Bible,112)
Joseph Smith said that to withhold this information would violate other scripture, most likely referencing Amos:
7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
(Amos 3:7)
This should really matter to us. This should cause us to take prophetic counsel a little more seriously, knowing that God must reveal his timeline to the prophets so that we can adequately prepare. It wasn’t necessary to reveal the timing of His coming to previous dispensations because they weren’t the ones responsible for ushering in the Millennium. Our mission is different.
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