Vision Theme: Gathering & Call-Out

Samuel Whitney Richards, March 1846

“I went to my Seventies Quorum meeting in the Nauvoo Temple. The whole quorum being present consisting of fifteen members….Dressing ourselves in the order of the Priesthood we called upon the Lord, his spirit attended us, and the visions were opened to our view. I was, as it were, lost to myself and beheld the earth reel to and fro and was moved out of its place. Men fell to the earth and their life departed from them…. and great was the scene of destruction upon all the face of the land, and at the close thereof, there appeared a great company as it were of saints coming from the west, as I stood with my back passing to the east and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, “Come; see the desolation which the Lord hath made in the earth;” and the company of saints who had been hid as it were, from the earth; and I beheld other things which were glorious while the power of God rested down upon me. Others also beheld angels and the glory of God….The sacrament was administered. Our joy increased by the gift of tongues and prophecy by which great things were spoken and made known to us.”

 

Sarah Menet, There is No Death

As I looked upon this scene of chaos, smoke, and destruction, I noticed there were small pockets of light scattered over the US, perhaps 20 or 30 of them.  I noticed that most of the locations of light were in the western part of the US with only three of four of them being in the East.  These places of light seemed to shine brightly through the darkness and were such a contrast to the rest of the scene that they caught my full attention.  I focused on them for a moment and asked, “What is this light?”

I was then able to see these points of light were people who had gathered together and were kneeling in prayer.  The light was actually coming from the people, and I understood that it was showing forth their goodness and love for each other.  They had gathered together for safety and contrary to what I had witnessed elsewhere were caring more for each other than for themselves.  Some of the groups were small with only a hundred people or so.  Other groups consisted of what seemed to be thousands.

I realized that many, if not all, of these places of light, or “cities of light” had somehow  been established just before the biological attack and they were very organized.  In these places were relative peace and safety.  I noticed the gangs made no threats on these groups.  However, the people within had defenses and God was with them.

The Cardston Prophecy (1923)  (Cardston, Canada Temple)

I saw further on, instructions given whereby places of refuge prepared quietly but efficiently by inspired elders.  I saw Cardston and the surrounding foothills, especially north and west for miles, being prepared for your people quietly but quickly.  I saw the fuel resources of the district develop in many places and vast piles of coal and timber stored for future use and building.  I saw the territory carefully surveyed and mapped out, for the camping of a great body of the people of the church.  I saw provisions also made for a big influx of people who will not at first belong to the church , but who will gather in their tribulation.  I was these things going on practically unknown to the Gentile world.

I saw the inspired call sent forth to all the church, to gather to the refuges of Zion.  I saw the stream of your people quietly moving in the direction of their refuge.  I saw your people moving more quickly in larger numbers until all the stragglers were housed.  I saw the wireless message flashed from Zion’s refuge to Zion’s refuge in their several places that all was well with them, and then the darkness of chaos closed around the boundaries of your people, and the last days of tribulation had begun.

Anonymous (Dreams & Visions, Vol. II  p.124)

I would note that during this part of the dream, when we initially left, there  was no sense of panic or urgency.  We were hurrying to get going because we didn’t want to be left behind.  Also, I was told that some people were asked to go, but didn’t want to.  From this I infer that the conditions of the or  the US, were so based as to make it an  easy decision as whether to stay or leave.

Anyway, after a while, we all gathered together in a central area and were welcomed by President Monson and not President Hinckley there, remember this dream occurred in approximately the year 2000.

(p. 130) We were told in church to go to a meeting at the Stake House that afternoon if we had our food storage.  I remember more about the meeting and packing than any other part of the dream.  There was turmoil in the world, but life was still pretty normal, though prices were high and there was a fear of the future.   Some of the members with food storage thought it was about putting our things in a common  pot.  Some of them chose not to go to the meeting because they didn’t feel they should have to share what they had accumulated.  Other people were teasing them about having to give all of it up and share it with those who hadn’t prepared.

At the meeting, I remember being concerned about my kids on missions.  At the time we had two missionaries out, and were told they would come to the place we were going, so not to worry about them.

A semi truck came late that night, at an appointed hour.  They backed up and the door of it was a as close as it could get.  It was so close you couldn’t see from the road that things were being loaded into the truck.  There were quite a few men, none of whom I recognized, who loaded the food storage up (the hour was in the wee hours of the morning, so people around us would not see a semi was taking things from our house).   Somehow the food and other items were know that it was ours.  I don’t know how, but when we arrived at the place we got it back.

 

Patriarch Charles D. Evans,  LDS Church Archives

My vision now became extended in a marvelous manner, and the import of the past labors of the Elders was made plain to me. I saw multitudes fleeing to the place of safety in our mountain heights. The church was established in the wilderness.

 

Name Unknown, A Temporary Gathering in Texas, 2012 (Lay member)

-War had been raging outside the US and was bad, but wasn’t in the states yet
-Attends a special meeting w/ the Stake Presidency and High Council, along w/ bishops, councilors, doctors and people with military or criminal justice backgrounds.
-Meeting discussed the current breakdown of law and order and coming troubles upon the nation
-The First Presidency and Twelve asked their stake to take in members from Louisiana and Lake Charles, to travel with them to Woodville, Texas, to be organized into groups of 10, 100, 1000, and 10,000.
-Many Saints were gathering together and headed West.
-Large tent cities set up in Evadale, Texas.
-The government slowly starting to collapse, but not completely yet
-Martial Law had been declared
-State and local law enforcement agencies federalized
-Courts suspended
-Europe was in complete war, except for England. Many US troops had been deployed to help.
-Troops called back home to help with resistance from Americans against Martial Law
-Many resist doing so or become deserters
-Los Angeles, St. Louis, Washington DC, and New York City ruled by mobs and gangs
-The President forced to flee Washington DC
-San Francisco, Seattle, and Denver soon to be overthrown by mobs
-Word spreads that the Mormons are fleeing to Utah
-Travels through Arizona, and around Colorado to get to Utah.
-Some non-members join them
-Many camps of safety/refuge set up all over Utah
-Once most of the Church gathered in the mountains, the world really begins to fall apart.
-The whole world is at war, including the US

 

An Overview of the Call-Out

(Based on a synthesis of visions on the subject.)

 

• You are “invited” by the prophet through satellite at a special meeting called by the Stake President if you have food.

 

• 90% don’t go for various reasons: They didn’t store up food. They couldn’t let go of their possessions. They weren’t debt free to walk away. They didn’t want to share their food. They were not spiritually prepared to heed the call when it came. Some mocked those who were going and even tried to talk them out of it.

 

• There is gas/trucks/time to get resources to the places of refuge. There is a sense of calm. Most places are church owned properties. After this “call out” anyone trying to reach the places of refuge later is on foot, the collapse of society prevents most from ever reaching them.

 

• The tent cities are organized by stakes, but families are kept together. Missionaries are called home for a season and delivered to the families.

 

• The camps last about 18 months. They set up camp in the spring before the “poison that falls from the skies” begins mid‐summer. The camps are to survive the devastating plague, but they also survive the great earthquake, the nuclear attacks and troop invasion. Our men, using the priesthood (and the lost tribes) drive the troops out.

 

• After the saints leave the camps, there is five more years of the tribulation. Millions are coming into Utah for peace, food and safety. We are given assignments to help gather to MO or to care for those who reach Utah.

 

Note on timing of the call-out: About 1.5 years in the camps. About 5 years of tribulation remaining after we leave the camps. The saints are called out near the beginning of the 7-year tribulation. Now based on approximations of when these tribulations end, wind back the clock 7 years, and you see, this is going down soon.

 

Why a Call Out Protects the Saints? The visions give us more insight to the concept of the Saints being called out.  The more we study the mechanics of a Call Out during the cleansing period or tribulation, the more it becomes apparent that it is a divine plan to protect the Saints.  Here are the advantages:

• It separates the wheat from the tares, for the Lord’s purposes.
• It removes the obedient from the general populous thus preserving resources (food).
• It provides an atmosphere that will be conducive to the multitude of miracles promised.
• It begins the sanctification process for those who will be prepared to build New Jerusalem.
• It rewards the obedient with protection from the calamities.
• It is the Lord’s escape plan.

 

What the Call Out is and is Not: There are volumes of books written on the “gathering Israel to build Zion” theme, but a Call Out is NOT in the same context as the gathering of saints to build up the kingdom.  The concept of a Call Out is a temporary place of refuge where we return to our former homes.  The gathering of Zion is a permanent foundation in every nation, kindred, and tongue.  Elder Holland speaks of this permanent gathering.

 

Jeffrey R. Holland, Devotional Broadcast, 2012

You see, one of the truly exciting things about this dispensation is that it is a time of mighty, accelerated change.  And on thing that has changed is that the Church of God will never again flee…

Of course, that statement wasn’t a comment about the Salt Lake Valley only or even the Wasatch Front generally; it became a statement for members of the Church all over the world.  In these last days, in this our dispensation, we would become mature enough to stop running.  We would become mature enough to plant our feet and our families and our foundations in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people permanently.

 

Note: See also this article on the doctrinal aspects of the call-out:

http://doctrinalessays.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-doctrinal-significance-of-callout.html?spref=fb