“An Army of Elders” (Heber C. Kimball’s Prophecy of the Last Days)
A prophecy by Heber C. Kimball regarding the tests the Saints would face in the last days—counterfeit religions, financial bondage through speculation, the decline of Salt Lake City into wickedness, and severe persecution that would test every member to the limit. After many apostatize and the gospel is taken from the Gentiles, the most righteous will cry to the Lord for deliverance — at which point Joseph Smith and others will appear, and the faithful will be chosen to return to Jackson County to build the New Jerusalem.
“An army of Elders will be sent to the four quarters of the earth to search out the righteous and warn the wicked of what is coming. All kinds of religions will be started and miracles performed that will deceive the very elect if that were possible. Our sons and daughters must live pure lives so as to be prepared for what is coming.
After a while the Gentiles will gather by the thousands to this place, and Salt Lake City will be classed among the wicked cities of the world. A spirit of speculation and extravagance will take possession of the Saints, and the results will be financial bondage.
Persecution comes next and all true Latter-day Saints will be tested to the limit. Many will apostatize and others will be still not knowing what to do. Darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people. The judgments of God will be poured out on the wicked to the extent that our Elders from far and near will be called home, or in other words the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles and later on carried to the Jews.
The western boundary of the State of Missouri will be swept so clean of its inhabitants that as President Young tells us, when you return to that place, there will not be left so much as a yellow dog to wag his tail.
Before that day comes, however, the Saints will be put to a test that will try the integrity of the best of them. The pressure will become so great that the more righteous among them will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes.
Then the Prophet Joseph and others will make their appearance and those who have remained faithful will be selected to return to Jackson County, Missouri and take part in the building of that beautiful city, the New Jerusalem.1
Heber C. Kimball, May 1868, in Deseret News, May 23, 1931; see also Conference Report, October 1930, 58–59.
Associated Locations: Windsor, Connecticut Associated Dates: November 20, 1726 – Born Christ-like Character Sketch Character Sketch from Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, B.J. Lossing, the 1848 original.
Asael Smith Born 7 Mar. 1743/4, Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts Died 31 Oct. 1830 Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, New York Spouse Mary Duty (1767) Father Samuel Smith, Jr. Mother Priscilla
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