We live in troubling times. One of my frequent readers, John Paul at e4Unity recently posted about the worries of the Judeo-Christian community regarding the crumbling fabric of our society, the loss of freedoms and spirituality we are experiencing, and the natural contemplation that ensues of signs of the last days and second coming of Christ.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share these deep concerns and feel the urgency of preparing for the second coming. We believe that Satan is very real, and that he is diligently running a war campaign against the children of God. His victories come from the destruction and enslaving of as many souls as possible before the Son of Man returns in Glory to once and for all "crush his head". The following is an excerpt from an article written by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 2004 which I find particularly pertinent:

"We are living in the prophesied time “when peace shall be taken from the earth” (D&C 1:35), when “all things shall be in commotion” and “men’s hearts shall fail them” (D&C 88:91). There are many temporal causes of commotion, including wars and natural disasters, but an even greater cause of current “commotion” is spiritual."

Viewing our surroundings through the lens of faith and with an eternal perspective, we see all around us a fulfillment of the prophecy that “the devil shall have power over his own dominion” (D&C 1:35). Our hymn describes “the foe in countless numbers, / Marshaled in the ranks of sin” (“Hope of Israel,” Hymns, no. 259), and so it is."

Evil that used to be localized and covered like a boil is now legalized and paraded like a banner. The most fundamental roots and bulwarks of civilization are questioned or attacked. Nations disavow their religious heritage. Marriage and family responsibilities are discarded as impediments to personal indulgence. The movies and magazines and television that shape our attitudes are filled with stories or image