Summary:  A few days before his death, as he sat on the mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem, his disciples asked him what would be the sign of his coming in the last days and his parable of the ten virgins was meant to tell them what the conditions would be like at that time. Part of what he told them was that half the members of his church would not be prepared to meet him when he comes. This article examines the reason why. 

We’re all familiar with the parable of the ten virgins, where they were all waiting for the bridegroom to come, and when his arrival was announced, five of the virgins had to quickly leave to get oil for their lamps. Jesus gave this parable to his closest disciples just a few days before his death as he sat on the mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem. They had asked him what would be the sign of his coming in the last days and this parable was meant to tell them what the conditions would be like at that time.

This parable is talking about the members of Christ’s church who are anxiously waiting for him to come so they can be with him when he descends from heaven in great glory, however, what the parable tells us is that when that day approaches, half of the members of the church will not be ready to be with him.  But why? What will cause them to be unprepared at his coming?

The answer goes back to our pre-mortal life when we fought a war in heaven. This was not a war fought with swords and knives, or even guns and bullets. It was a war of words. It was a conflict of ideas and the weapons used were thoughts and ideas. People were not yelling and screaming at one another. Rather it was the use of powerful arguments meant to conquer the minds of men by convincing them to see and accept a particular viewpoint.

Lucifer’s argument went something like this:

“Our Father has presented us with a way to inherit all that he has, but he admits that his plan will not work without a savior, and my brother Jehovah says he’s willing to do whatever it takes to save us. Father’s plan calls for Jehovah to face every temptation there is and not give into even one of them in order to pay the penalty for our sins. But what if he fails in doing that? Then, instead of you and I and all the rest of Father’s children coming back home, every single one of us will end up living in outer darkness forever! Are you willing to take that chance? Or would you rather put your trust in a savior who will guarantee that everyone can return home and that not one single person will be lost?

“You answer, But, what if Jehovah is able to pay the penalty for our sins? Does that guarantee that all of us will come back home? No! Father’s plan allows us to decide for ourselves what we want to do, and what happens to those who choose not to put their faith in Jehovah? Listen to what Father says. He says they won’t make it home but will go live in some other kingdom for all of eternity. Is that what you want?

“That’s what’s going to happen to you if you follow Father’s plan but what I’m proposing will guarantee that everyone will return home with immortality. We will all have physical bodies like Father and be just like him! That’s what Father wants for us, what you want, and what I want for every one of us. Father loves you, Jehovah loves you, and I love you. So, it isn’t a matter of disobeying Father. It’s a matter of deciding which plan is best for you, and has not Father allowed us to make that decision for ourselves?’

That argument is not only logical but everything in it is the truth. But that’s not what the problem is. The problem came when our Father in heaven rejected Lucifer’s plan and those who accepted it couldn’t bring themselves to accept any other way of thinking. That then led to a hardening of their attitudes which caused them to rebel against God, rather than change their minds, and that’s what caused them to be expelled from heaven.

But the war that started in heaven is still being waged here on earth.

In the days of Jesus, the religious leaders rejected his message, saying that it violated the law of Moses. They said there was no scripture saying that a prophet would come out of Nazareth, and they accused him of doing miracles by the power of the devil.

In the days of the apostles, there were Jewish members of Christ’s church who said that if a Gentile accepted Jesus as their Messiah, they had to be circumcised and follow the Jewish laws. When Paul disagreed with them, they tried to have him put to death.

In 1830, Jesus Christ restored his church on the earth, but it wasn’t long before some of the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were accusing Joseph Smith of being a fallen prophet and tried to remove him from the church. When that didn’t work, they plotted to have him put to death.

In our day, there are a number of active members of Christ’s restored church who are using the power of persuasion to convince other members that the church’s position on homosexuality and other doctrinal beliefs is wrong, and THEY seek to put pressure on the church leaders to change their teachings.

It was during that conversation while sitting on the Mount of Olives that Jesus told his disciples, “For in those [last] days, there shall also arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant. (Matthew 24:23).

In a recent General Conference, there were a number of comments posted on a youtube channel by members of the church expressing their feeling about it. Here is a sampling of what some of them said:

“It’s hard to listen to GC if I’m being honest.”

“I gotta be honest. I was underwhelmed by conference. We went from “take your vitamins”, etc, to “nothin’ to see here, folks.” In an age where we’re supposed to have our “clean-up batters” at the plate, it sure feels like everything is over-choreographed. I guess I’ll just go back to reading my own scriptures.”

“I never watched it, because it’s so clean and polished, the way they talk is very methodical,  they really only teach personal experiences and liken them unto the scriptures. We can all read the words in the scriptures ourselves.”

“I could swear we were hearing from the same 5 speakers/prayers/hymns even, we have heard from the last two or three times in a row.  Particularly when it comes to women speakers.  What’s up?  If I could attach a theme slogan to it, it would probably say it was, “Keep it Safe, Keep it Apolitical, and Don’t Give Anyone Anything To Talk About or to Turn Into a Negative Meme”.

“The only things we really need are the scriptures! The other stuff is interesting but does it really help my eternal salvation?!”

“I am wondering why, in nearly every talk, they quoted current apostles. I don’t remember that happening as much in prior conferences? It kinda became a family game how many were quoted in a given talk.  A little unsettling.”

“We like to talk constantly about the covenant path; this conference was no exception. The covenant path is NOT in the scriptures. Jesus Christ taught us to seek to get on the straight and narrow path. There are no scriptures that teach us to seek to get on the covenant path.

“Prophets of old…did not run churches or corporations.  Please members read the scriptures and liken them to today.  History is repeating!!!!!!!!!  They give beautiful words, they are built up and sit in benches above us, highly educated, in beautiful clothing and are paid handsomely. King Benjamin would be appalled. The Church right now is 2 Nephi chapter 28. We have the pride, the false teachers, rob the poor because of our fine sanctuaries. There is wickedness, abominations within the church and its leaders. Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion. Wo, and to him that cry all is well!  BECAUSE ITS NOT WELL!”

Another person said they liked what Elder Uchtdorf said and then commented, “Can’t wait for him to be prophet and clean up the Church and prepare it for Christ’s return!”

These comments were not made by non-members or even former members who have left the church, but by active Latter-day Saints who consider themselves as having a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet all these comments (and many more that could have been cited) express the feeling that our church leaders are not divinely inspired and are leading the people astray.

The apostle Peter likens such people as those who “speak great swelling words of vanity” who are presumptuous and selfwilled” and who “are not afraid to speak evil of dignities” (2 Peter 2:18,10). In this chapter Peter is specifically talking about members of the church who speak out against the church, its teachings, and church authorities.

It’s certain there are other members of the church whose testimonies are weakened when they read or hear comments like these. The apostle Paul counseled bishop Titus about members who disparage the church when he said, “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not” (Titus 1:10,11).

One of the questions asked during a temple interview is, “Do you sustain the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators? Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local leaders of the Church?” The online comments that were just cited clearly show a lack of support for the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as being inspired by God, with some going so far as to calling them corrupt.

But if that were true, then Christ’s restored church has fallen into apostasy and is no longer “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively.” (D&C 1:30).

There are members of Christ’s church who point out that prophets are fallible and that they make mistakes. They quote Brigham Young as saying, “I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful that they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God,” as evidence that we shouldn’t believe everything the Lord’s prophets tell us.

However, they rarely quote the rest of what Brigham Young said, which is “Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not.” If we wonder if something a prophet has said is the word of God or not, it is incumbent upon us to “ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:4,5).

However, instead of sincerely asking God to know the truth, those who complain depend on their own wisdom to decide if what the prophet says is from God. If they agree with what he says, then they consider it as having come from God, but if they disagree with what the prophet says, then they feel no obligation to follow his counsel. President Joseph F. Smith referred to such people as being guided by the lamp of other own conceit.

There are members of the church who believe in the Bible and the Book of Mormon as being the word of God, but don’t believe that the words modern-day apostles speak are the words of God unless they agree with what is found in the scriptures. In fact, one person complained that modern apostles quote each other instead of the scriptures, as though there’s something wrong with doing that.

When Stephen was talking with the high priest he said, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?” (Acts 7:51,52). Just as in the past, people revere the dead prophets, but persecute the living prophets. But it was living prophets who wrote the Old Testament, it was living prophets who wrote the New Testament, it was living prophets who wrote the Book of Mormon, and it was a living prophet who wrote the Doctrine and Covenants.

The dead prophets were not infallible either yet we never question whether or not their words were “given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Peter 3:16).

If the First Presidency and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are truly prophets, seers, and revelators, then they are living prophets and their words are just as inspired by God as anything found in scriptures. On the other hand, if they are not who they say they are, then the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not what it says it is, namely “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.”

If it was the true church in the days of Joseph Smith, then it is still the true church today because it is not being led by men but by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Therefore, those who disparage the Lord’s anointed and appointed leaders will not be with him when he comes again because they are actually disparaging Jesus himself.

Similar articles can be found at The Nature of Man