A Constant Theme By President Packer

I have become much more aware of what the prophets and apostles are preaching. You might say that I try to 'read between the lines'. There is deep meaning in what they tell us, and because they don't want to sound harsh (even if it seems that they should, for the sake of those who need it served up to them that way), they speak with kind, gentle invitation. I am not so subtle, because I don't need to be. I have a priesthood duty to warn my neighbor, and if I ruffle some feathers among those who 'have ears but won't hear', then that's not going to be my problem.

I have noticed a recurring theme with President Boyd K. Packer. Dating back to last October, where he bore his testimony in a ward in Sandy, Utah the week after General Conference, President Packer has repeated the declaration that the days of comfort and leisure are over. Coming soon (if not already here) are days of hard work, sacrifice, frugality in ways we might not thought of, and a solemn picture of what is to happen in the world. He has made it clear that the time to prepare is all but past, and the time to reap the benefit of those preparations is upon us. For those who will finally give heed to counsel only when destruction or sorrow is staring them in the face, some preparation is better than nothing. You may not have the blessings that others will have, but you might make it right before the 'doors are shut for the wedding feast'.

For those who are not prepared, NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE. If you are not yet prepared and you still think you have time, then you are quite simply a 'less-active' member of the church. It may be because 1) you don't have a testimony of the prophet and take his counsel seriously enough to do something about it, and/or 2) you are not in tune with the Spirit (because of other distractions in your life) and do not feel it testifying the urgency of those prophetic declarations to you.

Again, I apologize for the harshness, but I do not apologize for the genuine concern that is behind it. Nor should I.