The Fate of the United States is Different from Europe and Asia

When approaching Revelations and other latter-day prophecy, keep in mind that the fate of the Americas is different from that of Europe or Asia. This is not to say that there won't be any commonality (for instance, global natural disasters that will impact both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres), but that the tools of judgment prior to the Second Coming will vary, and the timing may be different.

In his book Prophecy and Modern Times (3rd ed.), Cleon Skousen notes that if the Gentiles in America do not repent, they will be driven and scattered by the "remnant of Jacob," i.e., the Lamanites--the descendants of the Native American peoples. (Skousen p. 38). Conversely, "the destruction of the gentiles in Europe and Asia will not be by 'a remnant of Jacob,' but by a sudden showing forth of the power of the Lord in the elements of the earth." (Skousen p. 38 n. 80; see also 3 Nephi 21).

Perhaps relevant to the events happening right now around us, Skousen writes:

In connection with this prophecy the Savior forewarned of a complete political and economic collapse for the gentiles of this land if they became a wicked and degenerate nation. The Lord said they would be deprived of their means of transportation, their chariots would be destroyed, their strongholds and fortresses would be torn to pieces and their mighty cities would be made a desolation.

He said that the destruction of the gentiles would be so complete that every aspect of the wickedness that characterized their civilization would be done away with, and that they would be cut out from among the people of the Lord.

(Skousen pp. 38-39).

Natural disasters will also play a role. Skousen quotes Joseph Smith as saying:

And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the Unites States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country.

(Skousen pp. 40-41). In his book, Prophecy -- Key to the Future, Duane S. Crowther sets out specific prophecies indicating that New York will be destroyed by an earthquake, that Boston will be swept out to sea (undoubtedly as a result of a tsunami, perhaps from the same earthquake), and Albany will be destroyed by fire. (Crowther pp. 44-45).

Other prophecies indicate that there will be a great civil war, not "of two opposing factions like the Civil War, but it will be many local wars characterized by mob rule and strife between families, cities, and states." (See Crowther, p. 49). The strife will be so great that the no manufacturing will be possible, and farmers will be forced to flee their land, leaving the land uncultivated. (Crowther, p. 50). It appears that the internal wars in the United States will lead to wars spreading to other nations, like a contagion, and eventually bringing down the European powers. (Crowther, pp. 54-55).

Of course, the history of mankind is, to a large extent, a history of warfare. However, we are at a critical time in history as to warfare. In December 1832, Joseph Smith received the following prophecy (the Prophecy on War):

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls;

2 And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place.

3 For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.

4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.

5 And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation.

6 And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations;

7 That the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.

8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

While many naysayers contend that this was merely a reference to the Nullification Crises of 1832-33 involving South Carolina, the language of the prophecy does not support this. The Nullification Crises had nothing to do with slavery, yet the verses above appear to pertain, in part, to slaves overthrowing their masters. More conclusively, the prophecy went on to state that the Southern States would call on other nations to assist them, including Great Britain, which is a clear reference to the events of the Civil War. While Great Britain did not openly enter the Civil War on the side of the South, the Southern states did seek aid from Great Britain and Great Britain was sympathetic to the Confederacy.

In any event, the prophecy goes beyond the Civil War--that was merely the beginning. The prophecy goes on to state that "they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations." The antecedent to "they" is "Great Britain and other nations." In other words, Great Britain would call upon other nations to defend itself from other nations--just as occurred in WWI and, later, in WWII.

Then the prophecy further states that war shall be poured out upon all nations and that, subsequently, slaves would rise up against their masters. The beginning of WWI was the time when war would be poured out upon all nations (as appropriate with a world war). Crowther has suggested in his book that the slaves rising up against their masters has reference not only to the American Civil War, but the various wars of independence that followed WWII where the various colonies threw off the rule of the European powers. (See Crowther, p. 3-4). (While the British were fairly benign in their rule, there is no doubt that other European powers such as the Dutch and the Belgians literally treated their colonies as sources of slave labor). I would go further and suggest that these wars would include wars against the various Communist and Middle-Eastern tyrannies we have seen and continue to see today, and will include wars against the tyrannies that have arisen in supposedly democratic nations.

After this, the prophecy indicates that "the remnants" shall vex the gentiles--a reference to the Lamanites destroying the gentiles in the Americas. As for the rest of the world, the prophecy indicates that then there would be natural disasters "until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations."

Crowther suggests in his book that the Prophecy on War speaks of two periods of warfare: preparatory wars (i.e., wars that are intended to change the political and cultural dynamics to allow the preaching of the Gospel) and wars of complete destruction (i.e., wars that are intended to rid the world of the wicked). (See Crowther pp. 5-10). WWII did, in fact, result in opening up many parts of Europe and Asia that had previously been closed to missionary work. The end of the Cold War opened areas of Eastern Europe and Russian that had previously been closed to missionary work.

Missionary work and the spread of the Church continues into Africa, spreading faster, as I understand it, than the Church can provide missionaries. The Church is growing in Mongolia. While the Church has been established and grows in Hong Kong, China as a whole still represents a great opportunity to preach the Gospel. The Church is growing in India, as well.

We are still in the period of preparatory wars, during which the Gospel is being preached to the World. It is not clear how much more time we have before the missionaries are called home, the Saints gathered, and the wars of complete destruction and the events at the end of the sixth seal and beginning of the seventh seal take place.