Today's Favorite Verse: Revelation 14:1
"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads."
I pondered on the 144,000 and how it would be good to be one of them. I could do the part of having the Father's name written in my forehead. Yet, I know more has been revealed through the prophet Joseph Smith on them.
"Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel—twelve thousand out of every tribe?
A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn."
(Doctrine and Covenants 77:11)
If the number is to be High Priests and not just Elders then that isn't our missionary force. Where is there a big force of high priest? Then I though of the ever growing number of General Authority Seventies and Area Seventies. There are 12 quorums of seventies. They certainly cover every nation, kindred, tongue and people. The Lord didn't say the 144,000 had to all go out at once. Nor do I know if the number is symbolic or literal. I have no idea how many Seventies have been called since the church was restored.
There is one thing that is curious about our missionaries. If it possibly included them the last stats I saw there were 72,000 of them, and the numbers are growing. Double 72,000 and in one turn over you get 144,000 who have served.
When President Nelson was first called as prophet in 2018 he held a Worldwide Youth Devotional. He invited the youth ages 12-18 to enlist in the Lord's battalion. That was 6 years ago. This year the youngest of the youth at that event are now able to enlist. I wonder how many missionaries have served in these past 6 years?
“Would you like to be a big part of the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on the earth today?” President Nelson asked. “Would you like to gather Israel during these precious latter days? Would you, who are the elect, be willing to help find the elect who have not heard the message of the restored gospel?”
“My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time — this most crucial time in the history of the world — to help gather Israel,” he said. “There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. … This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.”
“Those noble spirits — those finest players, those heroes — are you!” he said. “I testify that the gathering is now, and it is real.”
“So now, I am inviting every young woman and every young man between the ages of 12 and 18 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel.”
(Russell M. Nelson, "President Nelson invites youth to enlist in the Lord's battalion by doing 5 things", Church News, Worldwide Youth Devotional, 3 June 2018)
When you think of all that the Lord's church is doing on the earth right now to find scattered Israel it doesn't take much to feel this is literally being fulfilled today.
Hmmm, (Revelation 14:3) now exactly when are those new hymns coming out?
Day 3340
