Signs Of The Second Coming - Are You Watching or Working on Becoming Holy?

The world feels like it’s accelerating, and not always in a good way. Wars flare up, families strain, truth gets treated like a preference, and technology races ahead faster than our ability to process it. When you feel that tension, it’s easy to ask, “Are these the signs of the Second Coming?” I take that question head-on, and I frame the signs the way the Savior does: not as a code to crack for a date, but as an invitation to prepare with faith.

I walk through several major “signs of the times” with a gospel lens, including the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the gathering of Israel through missionary work and the covenant path, increasing wickedness and the rising cost of standing for eternal truth, and “wars and rumors of wars” that show up both in nations and inside our own souls. We also talk about natural disasters, the earth “groaning,” and why crisis can either harden us or turn us toward Christ. And because we live in an age of information overload and AI-generated confusion, I highlight spiritual deception and why personal revelation and discernment aren’t optional anymore.

Finally, I share one of the most hopeful signs happening quietly across the world: temples. Temples aren’t just buildings, they’re a call to become a covenant people ready to meet the Lord. If you’ve been watching headlines more than you’ve been watching your heart, this is your reset. Subscribe, share this with a friend who feels anxious about the future, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway: what helps you feel spiritually ready today?

Transcript

Welcome Back And Why Signs Matter

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Good morning, friends. Welcome to Todd Talks. Welcome back. This is Todd Talks Spirit by Design. And sorry I missed Tuesday's episode, but I decided that one, I wasn't ready to submit one at that time. And two, I had my granddaughter, so granddaughter won out. We we spent three weeks with our granddaughter at our house, and it was awesome. It was exhausting, totally worth it. And she took priority over even this. So welcome back to Todd Talks, Spirit by Design, where I help you plan and prepare and get ready for the Lord's second coming. So in preparation for that, I'm gonna be diving into that topic, the second coming of Jesus Christ. Signs of the Times. Every generation looks around the world and says, could it be soon? Two thousand years, people have been saying, oh yeah, it's it's right around the corner. What do we see? We see wars rage, nations tremble, families struggle. Truth is definitely being questioned right now. Technology is advancing at an incredible rate, and the world feels unstable, increasingly unstable. So naturally, many people begin asking: are these the signs of the second coming? The purpose of the signs of the second coming is not to help us to predict the date. Christ said that no one knows the exact day of his coming except for his father and himself. So the purpose of the signs are not to predict a date, they're to help us prepare as a people. Because his people will receive the how shall we put it, the cleansing first. So the Lord didn't intend these signs to create fear, he intended them to create faith so that we can strengthen and not be cleansed from his people, from among his people. He intended them to create urgency so that you desire to look ahead to his coming. And he intended it to help you wake up spiritually. Me too. Because ultimately, the greatest sign of the second coming isn't found in headlines, it's found in what is happening inside our hearts. So let's talk about it.

Runway Lights Not Date Predictions

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First, why did he give signs at all? Imagine you're flying across the country, and I've done that many, many, many times. Before learning to fly on instruments, we learned to recognize the signs. To fly IFR, meaning I follow roads. You recognize the signs of your destination, the signs along the way, the different mountains, the different trees, the different radar towers, the different there are signs pointing the direction that you can follow to get you where you want to go. You don't have to have instrumentation to get you there. And that was 2,000 years ago. President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly taught that we are living in the latter days and that the restoration itself is preparing the earth for the Savior's return. The question isn't can we predict his coming? The

Restoration And Gathering Israel

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question is, am I becoming the kind of disciple who will welcome him and who will recognize when he is about to return? So the first great sign, as I just alluded to, is the restoration. If we ask modern prophets what sign matters most, they often point to the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For nearly 1800 years after the death of the apostles, priesthood authority was absent from the earth. Believe what you will, this is what I know to be true. It was absent from the earth. Then a young farm boy entered a grove of trees, and heaven opened, the father and the son appeared, the priesthood was restored, scripture was revealed, the church was organized, temples are dotting the earth, they're spreading across the earth. This wasn't just another religious movement, this was the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. Daniel saw it, Isaiah saw it, John sought. A kingdom established in the last days that would never be destroyed. When you see the restoration, you're seeing one of the greatest evidences that the Lord is preparing the earth for his return. Without the restoration, many of the prophecies that he and the signs that he gave would not be fulfilled. Then there's the gathering of Israel. President Nelson has called this the most important work on the earth today. Think about that statement. Not politics, economics, or technology, but the gathering of Israel. Missionaries now serve across the globe. In fact, with the change in the age to the missionaries to 18 for all men and women, the church is moving to a, at least here in the U.S., 50% elders and 50% sisters in all the missions. Currently, there were 87,000 missionaries world serving worldwide. And that number is about to explode and go higher as the first wave of uh 18-year-old sisters hit the mission field. That number is going to increase exponentially. The gathering of Israel is in progress. Scriptures are trans have been translated into hundreds of languages. Temples dot the continents. The gospels reaching places unimaginable even decades ago. The gathering isn't just merely geographic, it's spiritual. Every time someone enters into the covenant path, Israel is gathered. Every baptism, every ceiling, every family history discovery, every temple ordinance, the Lord is assembling his people. Preparation is underway. As we like to say, the runway lights are coming into view as they're coming out of the clouds. The gathering is happening. Literally, Israel was regathered into a nation after World War II. And the Israelites are back in their homeland.

Wickedness And Wars In The World

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Four, increasing wickedness. One of the signs that people notice most often is the scriptures teach that wickedness will increase. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Paul warned, in the last days perilous times shall come. That's Second Timothy three. He described a world filled with pride, selfishness, disobedience, lack of natural affection, pleasure seeking. That sound familiar. Stated that at that time the earth was already as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah. And it's only gotten worse since then. One of the most significant signs isn't merely that people sin, humans have always sinned. The sign is that societies begin celebrating the sin. They celebrate what God condemns. Is Isaiah warned, woe unto them that call evil good and good evil. When truth becomes negotiable, morality becomes personal preference, feelings replace eternal principles, and standing for truth becomes increasingly costly, that is the world going down a very negative path. I'm sure you felt it, the pressure to remain silent, to compromise, to soften eternal truths. Many churches have done that, and they've stepped away from eternal truths. Not because God changed, but because they changed. The political climate changed because they didn't want to be seen as racist or bigoted or transphobic or homophobic or whatever the slander title is that they didn't want to be called by the mainstream media. So they changed. They compromised and they gave up on the eternal truth. God hasn't changed, but the contrast between light and dark is becoming increasingly clear. Five, wars and rumors of wars. Jesus specifically identified this sign as wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. We live in a world of constant conflict. There have been wars constantly throughout history. Military, economic, political, cultural, spiritual. Here's something important though. The greatest war isn't happening on battlefields, it's happening in your soul. The adversary understands that his time is limited, and so his efforts have intensified. President Ezra Taff Benson often warned that the battle between good and evil would increase in the last days, and we're witnessing that battle now. We're also seeing an increase in actual wars and rumors of wars. Even though President Trump has successfully stopped multiple wars, look what's going on in Africa and other parts of the world. Christians are being killed by the thousands and tens of thousands. The media doesn't talk about it. But there's a war between Islam and Christianity going on. And I know you're not supposed to talk about it here. That's Islamophobic to talk about it. But there is a war going on between Islam and Christianity. And the West has been giving up its sovereignty. It's the West was founded as Christian nations, and they have been slowly eroding into secularism, and now they've been giving into Islamism, which is literally destroying their societies. It's sad to witness.

Disasters Deception And Discernment

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Six, natural disasters and the earth groaning. Earthquakes, famines, pestilence, disease, environmental turmoil, hurricanes, I've seen a lot of them. Tornadoes. The scriptures describe the earth as groaning under the weight of wickedness. These events remind us of something crucial. The world is not our permanent home. The Lord intends to renew the earth, to cleanse it, to prepare it for a millennial rain. Every storm reminds us that mortal life is temporary. Every disaster reminds us where our true security lies. Not in earthly systems, but in Christ. Where do you turn when the world has turned chaotic, when nature has turned against you? Do you curse God or do you turn to Christ? Seven, the great apostasy of the last days. One of the less disgust signs is spiritual deception. Jesus warned that many false prophets shall arise. The danger isn't merely wickedness, it's counterfeit righteousness. Counterfeit truth, counterfeit spirituality, counterfeit revelation. We live in an age where information is abundant, and AI is only making that even more so. But now, discernment is required. Discernment is scarce. We are told by President Nelson that we will need the spirit to be able to identify truth in the latter days. Why? Because truth can be manipulated just like that. With the click of a switch. Many voices claim authority, many voices claim truth, but only one voice leads safely home, and that's Jesus. This is why personal revelation becomes increasingly essential. Without personal revelation, it will be impossible to survive spiritually in the last days. Think about President Nelson's statement. It is necessary to be able to survive.

Temples And Jerusalem Prophecy

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Number eight, temples will cover the earth. One of the most beautiful signs of the second coming is happening quietly. Temples. They're everywhere. When I was younger, there were relatively few, like maybe 10, 15 temples. And today they're spreading across the globe. I think I remember, don't quote me on this, but I think it was 154 or 174 operating temples with something like 256 in the works. That there are temples that are sprouting up like wildflowers, and it's awesome. Each temple represents a declaration from heaven, prepare to meet God. Section number nine. Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. So future events still lie ahead. Scripture teaches that Jerusalem will face tremendous turmoil. Nations will gather against her. Conflict will intensify, then the Savior Himself will intervene. There will be a 200 million man army fighting a 200 million man army. That's big. And it will congregate in Israel. The Jews will look to Christ and they will see his wounds and they will ask, What are the wounds in thy hands? And he will respond, these wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. An entire people will finally recognize the Messiah. But that will happen when they're at their most desperate.

Stop Sign Watching Start Preparing

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So most people focus on external signs, wars, earthquakes, politics, economics. But one of the signs that matters more than the others is the preparation of a covenant people. The Lord isn't merely preparing events, he's preparing disciples because a people have to be ready to meet him. He's preparing people who hear revelation, keep covenants, serve others, stand in holy places, and refuse to compromise truth. The greatest miracle of the latter days isn't technological advancement, it's spiritual transformation. The Lord is creating the people capable of receiving him and the divide between those who are capable of receiving him and the world is getting bigger and bigger. So there are sign watchers, and can I offer a caution? Don't just don't be a don't become obsessed with the signs. Every earthquake, every conflict, every headline, every rumor, every conspiracy, every prediction, all of those can lead you to go, oh, it's gonna happen today. It's gonna happen tomorrow. I've seen so many predictions on Instagram and Facebook of the Lord's coming on in 2012. It was a Mayan conviction. The Lord's coming on this date. Somebody said that the Lord's coming on this date. The people that are propagating that are missing the whole point. Jesus never said study signs until you're terrified. He said, be ready. He said, fear not. That was one of the things he said. Fear not. Those that believe in me have nothing to fear. Doesn't mean that bad things can't happen, but they don't need to fear. Preparation is the message. Don't panic. Be prepared. Don't fear. Have faith. Don't speculate. Become a disciple. Modern prophets are emphasizing us to listen. Think celestial. Do temple work. Keep your covenants. Repent. Become spiritually and physically, financially, fiscally self-reliant. Strengthen families. Endure. Why? Because these are the things that actually help you to prepare to be as a disciple. The Savior is not coming back for people who perfectly interpreted current events. He's not coming back for people that are perfect. He's coming back to the people that have chosen him. So coming back to aviation analogy, I believe the signs of the times are like runway lights. You see them in the distance, you know you're almost there, and it gives you a sense of confidence that you're going to make it. Okay. Some of the signs of the time are alarming, some are going to be difficult. Some remind us that the world is increasingly unstable. And they keep trying to choose communism and socialism. What is up with that? But for disciples of Christ, the sign should also remind us of something glorious. That Jesus Christ is coming. The Savior is returning. Justice, peace, healing are all in the future. The millennium is coming. Not the millennium falcon, the millennium. And every sign points to that reality. So this week, instead of asking, how close are we to the second coming, ask, how close am I to Christ? Because when he finally appears in glory, the question won't be whether we interpreted every sign correctly. The question will be whether we recognized him as our Lord and Savior, as our master. Did we trust him? Did we follow him? Have we been trying to become like him? And if we do that, it regardless of when he comes, we'll be ready. The new Jerusalem will be set up. And I barely scratch the surface on the number of signs there are. I may do another episode talking about them.

Closing Invitation To Draw Closer

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But until next time, thank you for joining me on Todd Talk Spirit by Design. Follow along and help strengthen you as you prepare for the Lord's second coming. The signs are not meant to frighten the faithful. They're meant to invite you to prepare, to gather, and to draw closer to Jesus Christ, because He truly is coming for a second time. As always, have a blessed day.