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The Day of the LORD

Are you sure you want to know?

“Behold, the day of the LORD comes— cruel, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.”

For the day of the LORD comes, for it is near at hand; a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness... there has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it... for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; who can endure it? (Joel 2:1-2, Joel 2:11)

The Bible uses the phrase “Day of the LORD” to describe times of God’s direct intervention in history. In this study, we will focus on its ultimate fulfillment — the return of Jesus Christ.

For those who want to know the specifics...

We will be specifically addressing these verses: Isaiah 2:11-12; Isaiah 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5; Ezekiel 30:3; Amos 5:18, 20; Joel 2:1-2; Joel 2:11; Joel 2:28-32; Joel 3:14; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7,14; Zechariah 14:1; Zechariah 14:1-9; Malachi 4:5-6; Acts 2:20-21; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 6:17; 16:14; Revelation 19:11-21).

Prophecies with a possible dual role (at that time period and at the end times): Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 2:1; Joel 3:14; Zephaniah 1:7; Isaiah 13:6‑22; Ezekiel 30:2‑19; Joel 1:15; Joel 3:14; Amos 5:18‑20; Zephaniah 1:14‑18.
Verses which indicate possible end times: Joel 2:30-32; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:1.

Generally, in prophetic language, the Day of the Lord is not just a single 24-hour day — it’s a time of divine judgment and intervention.

The Day of the Lord therefore may include the Great Tribulation Period of seven years and the Second Coming, the time of changeover to the Millenial Reign (consistent with Malachi 4:5-6)*
Why Elijah might not be one of the Two Witnesses: the Elijah Problem

Scripture gives a clear picture of those who will face its judgment. So who will be caught in the Day of the LORD — and why?

Who is in trouble

  • The proud and self‑exalted
    Isaiah 2:11-12 says the LORD will humble “the lofty looks of man” and bring low “the haughtiness of men.”
  • Persistent sinners
    Isaiah 13:9 speaks of destroying “the sinners” from the land.
  • False spiritual leaders
    Ezekiel 13:5 condemns those who fail to stand in the gap and protect God’s people.
  • The unprepared
    Amos 5:18-20 warns those who think the Day will be light for them, but have not truly repented.
  • The rebellious nations
    Joel 3:14 pictures “multitudes in the valley of decision” facing judgment.
  • The violent and unjust
    Obadiah 1:15 says “as you have done, it shall be done to you.”
  • The complacent
    Zephaniah 1:7, 14 warns those who ignore God’s call to be silent before Him.
  • The gathered armies against God
    Zechariah 14:1-3 and Revelation 19:19-21 show the final confrontation where the nations unite against the LORD and His Messiah.
  • The unrepentant world system
    Revelation 6:17 calls it “the great day of His wrath” from which no one can hide.
  • All who oppose God’s people
    Ezekiel 30:3-19 portrays the Day of the LORD as judgment on “all the nations,” not just one.
  • Those trusting in false security
    Malachi 4:1 warns that “all the arrogant and every evildoer” will be set ablaze.

Why they are in trouble

  • Pride and self‑reliance instead of humility before God.
  • Persistent sin without repentance.
  • Opposition to God’s purposes — actively resisting His rule or persecuting His people.
  • False security — thinking religious identity or outward appearances will shield them.
  • Violence, injustice, and exploitation of others.
  • Refusal to heed warnings — ignoring the prophetic call to turn back before it’s too late.

The LDS Jesus vs. the Jesus of the Holy Bible

Drawn entirely from Latter‑day Saint teachings and history, this reflection offers a sincere perspective meant to invite thought, not contention.
  • He will not be: a created spirit‑child of Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother — the “eldest brother” of all humanity.
    but rather: the eternal, uncreated Word who was God from the beginning, through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17)
  • He will not be: one of three separate gods united only in purpose.
    but rather: the second Person of the one true God — co‑equal and co‑eternal with the Father and the Spirit, sharing the same divine essence (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Philippians 2:6)
  • He will not be: a being who attained godhood by obedience to eternal laws.
    but rather: the self‑existent Lord who has always been fully God and does not “become” divine (Psalm 90:2; Hebrews 13:8)
  • He will not be: a savior whose atonement began in Gethsemane and was completed at the cross.
    but rather: the Lamb of God whose atonement was accomplished fully and finally on the cross, where He bore our sins in His body (John 19:30; 1 Peter 2:24)
  • He will not be: one to whom you cannot pray directly.
    but rather: the Lord who invites His people to call on His name, who hears and answers prayer (John 14:14; Acts 7:59; Romans 10:12-13)
  • He will not be: our literal elder brother in the same species of existence.
    but rather: the Creator of all, infinitely above His creation, who humbled Himself to become truly human for our salvation (Isaiah 40:28; Philippians 2:5-8)

So what does this mean for the LDS?

If that Day split the heavens open now, the question will not be, “Is the LDS Church ready?” — but “Can it endure the truth?”

The Christ who comes will not be limited to the Christ of lesson manuals, conference talks, or carefully managed narratives.

He will not be the Christ of polished campaigns, missionary videos, or correlated curriculum.

He will not be the Christ mediated only through handbooks, hierarchy, or institutional identity.

He will be the Living God — voice like rushing waters — whose presence strips away every pretense, unbound by programs, uncontained by buildings, unshaped by public relations. The Christ who walks among the lampstands needs no marketing department, and no mortal committee will control His appearing.

  • Titles will crumble into dust.
  • Ordinances, sacraments, and rituals will fall silent.
  • Buildings, charts, and plaques will vanish in His gaze.
  • Handbooks will be worthless.
  • False faiths and counterfeit religions will be unmasked as obscene.
  • Every hidden abuse, every distortion of His Word, every time His name was used to bind people to men instead of to Himself — will be brought into the open.

The works will be tested by fire. Only what is truly of Him will remain.

This will not be a matter of Are we the one true church? but of Are we truly His?

For the Lamb’s Book of Life does not list denominations — only names.

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

Are you His?
On the Day of the LORD, that will be the only question.

Woes Embraced by the LDS
Featuring all LDS sources

The evidence is before every witness: each woe founded in His Word, each charge borne into being by their own documented creed and testimony.

1. Woe to the proud and self‑exalted

— who proclaim, “I am learned, and know more than all the world put together” 1, who are sustained as Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and even acknowledged as “King” in a theocratic council 2, — who seek the highest seats of power to magnify themselves, and who put their trust in the arm of flesh, gathering armed men to secure their will34 and who declare that saving authority is vested in “one man on the earth at a time” 5.

2. Woe to the persistent sinners

— who preach chastity yet secretly institute plural marriage, including unions with women already married to other men, keeping the practice hidden from their own people 6.

3. Woe to the false spiritual leaders

— who destroy the press that dares expose their secret works 7, who teach that it is “wrong to criticize leaders… even if the criticism is true” 8, and who silence dissent through membership councils and withdrawal of fellowship 9.

4. Woe to the unprepared

— who send out missionaries trained on scripted lessons, then later must replace them with a call to teach by the Spirit and adapt to needs 10, and who must be reminded to labor diligently to strengthen and retain new converts 10.

5. Woe to the rebellious nations

— who raise up bands like the Danites in times of conflict 11, who leverage civic charters to consolidate extraordinary powers 12, and whose later folklore foretells a constitutional crisis in which Zion rises 13.

6. Woe to the violent and unjust

— whose local leaders orchestrated the slaughter at a mountain meadow and whose people wrestled for years with accountability 14, who preached of “blood atonement” from the pulpit 15.

7. Woe to the complacent

— who sit in abundance while members worldwide volunteer to clean chapels 16, who maintain vast financial reserves and investment operations 17, while urging the poor and widowed to pay tithes in faith first 18.

8. Woe to the gathered armies against God

— who mobilize members and means to influence moral legislation 19, who publicly engage governments on “moral issues” despite political neutrality claims 20, and who frame opposition as threats to religious freedom 21.

9. Woe to the unrepentant world system

— who build ever more and grander temples 22, who measure capacity by extensive real estate and managed funds 17, and who take an active seat in the public square while teaching to be “in the world, not of it” 23.

10. Woe to all who oppose God’s people

— who declare that the creeds of other churches are an abomination 24, who discipline those deemed in apostasy 9, and who teach that saving ordinances require their exclusive priesthood authority 25.

11. Woe to those trusting in false security

— who promise that the Lord will never permit their prophet to lead the people astray 26, and who teach that following the prophet is the path of safety 27.

A lament for the contradictions they hold as truth.

Sources
All LDS‑published or LDS‑archived

  1. History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 408 — “I am learned, and know more than all the world put together.” ↩
  2. Council of Fifty Minutes, Church Historian’s Press — proceedings noting Joseph Smith sustained as “King” over the Kingdom of God. ↩
  3. Times and Seasons, Feb. 1844 — announcement and platform for Joseph Smith’s presidential campaign. ↩
  4. Church History Topics: “Nauvoo Legion,” churchofjesuschrist.org — background on the Nauvoo militia and leadership. ↩
  5. Doctrine and Covenants 132:7 — sealing authority vested in “one man on the earth at a time.” ↩
  6. Gospel Topics Essays: “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo,” churchofjesuschrist.org — including instances of polyandry. ↩
  7. Church History Topics: “Nauvoo Expositor,” churchofjesuschrist.org — city council action to destroy the press. ↩
  8. Dallin H. Oaks, “Criticism,” BYU Fireside, May 4, 1986 (BYU Speeches). ↩
  9. General Handbook, “Membership Councils and Church Membership,” churchofjesuschrist.org. ↩
  10. Preach My Gospel (2004; 2023), Introduction and chapters on teaching by the Spirit and retention of converts. ↩
  11. Encyclopedia of Mormonism (BYU): “Danites.” ↩
  12. Encyclopedia of Mormonism (BYU): “Nauvoo Charter.” ↩
  13. Church History Topics: “White Horse Prophecy,” churchofjesuschrist.org (discussion of the folklore and its status). ↩
  14. Church History Topics: “Mountain Meadows Massacre,” churchofjesuschrist.org. ↩
  15. Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 219 — Brigham Young sermons referenced in discussions of “blood atonement.” ↩
  16. General Handbook: “Meetinghouses and Chapels — Care and Cleaning,” churchofjesuschrist.org. ↩
  17. Newsroom: “Church Finances” statements; Ensign Peak Advisors FAQs and official statements, churchofjesuschrist.org. ↩
  18. Gordon B. Hinckley, “Tithing: An Opportunity to Prove Our Faithfulness,” Ensign, Nov. 1982. ↩
  19. Newsroom: “The Divine Institution of Marriage” and statements on Proposition 8 involvement (2008). ↩
  20. Newsroom: “Political Neutrality” — the Church may address moral issues. ↩
  21. Newsroom: “Religious Freedom” and “Fairness for All” initiatives. ↩
  22. Newsroom: “Temples” — announcements and temple openings highlighting scope and scale. ↩
  23. Newsroom: “Political Participation and Neutrality” and teachings on discipleship in the world, churchofjesuschrist.org. ↩
  24. Joseph Smith—History 1:19 — “their creeds were an abomination.” ↩
  25. Doctrine and Covenants 1:30 — “the only true and living church”; teachings on saving ordinances requiring priesthood authority. ↩
  26. Wilford Woodruff, Official Declaration 1 — “The Lord will never permit me… to lead you astray.” ↩
  27. Ezra Taft Benson, “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet,” BYU Devotional, Feb. 26, 1980 (BYU Speeches). ↩

If these words stir questions in your heart, don’t leave them unanswered. Open the Bible for yourself — let its words speak directly to you. Search its claims with an open mind and an open heart. The God who knows you also calls you to know Him — not as one among many, but as the only God, Savior, and Lord (Isaiah 45:5; John 17:3).

Final Call: While it is called Today, search your heart for contriteness and humility; and if such be found, do not delay — come to the Lord Jesus Christ while the door yet stands open.