Watch and Be Ready

I really enjoyed the book Watch and Be Ready by Brent L. Top. The message of the book is how to prepare spiritually for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Too often we might find ourselves so absorbed with the Signs of the Times that we neglect to focus on being ready for "the time." Even less productive is trying to calculate the day of the Savior's return based on signs and interpretation of scripture.

Top compares us in many ways to children on a road trip to Disneyland who keep asking how much farther they have to go. The driver can answer with the exact number of miles, but small children will not be able to comprehend the answer and so keep asking how much further. In that sense, we are like little children who keep asking when the Second Coming is. The author points out that between Matthew 24 and 25, the verses on the Savior's discourse on preparation outnumbers his discourse on signs four to one! This gives us an idea of where our attention should be when it comes to preparing for the Second Coming.

The fact is, many of the "signs of the times" have been present in every generation since the Savior first gave the warnings. The author points out that there is a purpose for this--to make sure we are always spiritually ready. In fact, in the Doctrine and Covenants, we are taught to live as if he is coming tomorrow. The signs aren't given to help us know the exact date the Savior is returning; they are meant to be a reminder to us to be spiritually prepared.

So what do we do to spiritually prepare? We need to be like the Savior. We need to develop charity. This includes having attributes such as forgiveness, kindness and compassion. There are certainly very troubling times ahead. The scriptures warn that if it is possible, even the very elect will be deceived. Only the most faithful and the most believing will abide the day of the Lord's Second Coming. With this in mind, how important it is to be spiritually ready!