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News of one of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history in Chile is amazing to me. What does this group think? Does it make you think this has to do with getting closer to the end of the world…or just earth business as usual?
Business as usual, in my opinion. Chile has historically had terrible earthquakes, and the tsunami affect usually goes with it. That history is part of the reason there were so few deaths: their buildings have a high standard (remember 250,000 people died in Haiti with a 7.0 and only 200 or so have died so far in the Chile count). I think that if we had records that went back centuries, that wouldn’t be the highest recorded quake. I think that is just a result of our only recently (few decades??) having the technology to record earthquake ratings with accuracy.
But then again, I’m not even sure I believe a second coming will happen at this point in my faith. That should definitely be taken into account when taking my opinion!
I don’t know – and I agree with Herodotus that these types of events might appear to be accelerating mostly because we now are made aware of ALL of them. I do care – to a degree and in my own way, but I just don’t know. I am certain, however, that the location had NOTHING to do with the Chilean people’s general righteousness – that the location was not chosen by God as a punishment of any kind.
Before seeing this poll, I asked myself the same question. In addition to the earth quake in Haiti and Chili, with its Tsunami, there is a extremely dry summer followed by an extremly cold winter in Mongolia that is devastation this land’s primary industry which is cattle. The industry is being devastated by starving, freezing cattle, driving many poor ranchers out of buisness and reducing the country’s already meager food supply for people. But I don’t think that 3 or 4 disasters in a row can be interpreted as being statistically significant. And I agree it’s absurd to say any of these people were being punished by God for some supposed wickedness.
As for the end of times coming soon, I see great wickedness in this country–its corruption of leaders in the financial industries resulting in our economic meltdown, the filth, porn, and hate on the internet, public values devoid of most any reasonable standard of morality and ethics, our political system that has devolved into name calling and promoting self interest over general welfare. And I see Iran getting the bomb as a viable build-up to Armageddon. And I do know, for whatever it’s worth. that the preliminary engineering plans for the prophesied temple on Adam-Ondi-Ahman were recently drawn up and are sitting in some vault somewhere in SLC.
Will it happen in my lifetime? Maybe, maybe not. But I don’t think I want to be around to find out.
Dash: “… the preliminary engineering plans for the prophesied temple on Adam-Ondi-Ahman were recently drawn up and are sitting in some vault somewhere in SLC.”
Dash, forgive but I have to ask, is that the same vault the documents Mr. Hoffman sold to the church ended up in for safe keeping? I’m not against calling our faith community, “Latter-day Saints.” As one old and gray, there is a certain pleasure (nix that word), “security” in knowing the ending up scene is not far off. One might just live to see it
I have lived in California for seventy years. In that time, I have experienced five major earthquakes, from 5.9 to 7.6 on the Richter scale. All scared me somewhat, especially as a child. Worst damage to home, less than a thousand dollars in the Whittier quake. I wasn’t born when my dad & siblings went through the Long Beach disaster of March 1933. Poor building conditions brought down every school in town. My aunt was on lunch break in downtown LB when a stranger, a sailor, grabbed her and pulled into the center of Pine Avenue. She was ready to kick him hard, when she realized she could no long stand, as windows exploded & buildings collapsed (120 died). Quakes have been around for a long time. I think they will continue to give us to something to tell our grandkids about… but that’s just me.
I doubt it. For over 2000 years the end has been near but it never comes. It would be a better world if everyone of different religions stopped acting like the world was ending and worked to make the world we have better I’m surprised at the number of “I don’t care” votes! How can someone not care about the end of the world? I too think the Chile quake is nothing more than natural processes within the earth, and not a sign, but surely the question should draw some kind of opinion and not apathy! 
I voted “No,” but I can understand also the “I don’t care” position. Actually, I understand “yes” too but that’s not my point. I think the end of the world and the second coming don’t really matter on some level. Even from a more literal and traditional perspective, I don’t think it raises to a high priority. We are told we will not know when it happens (beyond a rough idea). And the main point is this: wanting to know the exact time is deeply rooted in fear of not being ready to die, or feeling like we are not worthy (IMO). So the answer isn’t to guess more exactly when the end will come in order to make it just in time with that death-bed repentance/salvation. The answer is to have more faith.
For me though, I see the scriptures on a very personal and individual level these days. I think the “end of the world” and “second coming” metaphors” are talking about an event that happens inside individuals. They are stories about dealing with
OURworld ending some day (because we all die), and looking towards Jesus Christ coming again to us personally. I think nature is often taken out of context in this regard. The earthquake is definitelya sign — that the earth’s crust is unstable! 
I don’t necessarily see “the end of the world” as a physical end, and for that matter I don’t think that’s what we’re taught in church (will it not continue on in the millennium?). It’s really more of a new beginning, a time of transformation, a time when “Christ will come in power and glory.” Personally, I can’t say for sure (obviously) whether that will be a literal physical coming of Christ in body – or if it will be the power of his teachings finally transforming the world (with the “great destruction” of selfishness and hate). Sometimes it takes physical disasters to help unite people, so I don’t doubt in the least that these types of events help prepare the way for his coming.
I voted yes. I believe the teachings that it is a sign, I just don’t clearly understand the details of what that actually means. My “yes” probably doesn’t mean to me what most people would assume it’s supposed to mean, but that’s okay. It’s still a yes to me.
I just got an email from my TBM brother, that loosely falls under the category of “faith promoting rumor”. I don’t know whether the story is true or not as presented. The article strikes me as arrogant because it takes for granted God would protect the missionaries while ignoring the members. Or alternatitively, is God protecting the missionaries but ignoring the local members? Any thoughts? Here’s the link
What Brian said. Oh, and I voted yes. So I guess Brian can have half of my yes vote if he will give me half of his no vote. Mmm. Hmm. Some original thoughts? OK, I think all of life is a sign. We go through life “as a dream” far too readily. Earthquakes, all disasters, vacations, births, and deaths are all signs to us to awaken us from our sleep and really
live! I continue to agree with Brother McConkie that, for the faithful, the Second Coming of Christ is always within their lifetime. To me, that’s a potentially powerful thought to ponder.
Fwiw, I love the following thought: Quote:I try to live so that I may be the second coming of the Lord for someone else.
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