Continuing a message from Gerald Lund, a previous post (see The Gathering of Israel in the Latter Days), (He was referring to President Russell M. Nelson) I remember thinking, “He’s talking to the youth of the church about the gathering of Israel? That’s a pretty mature topic for adults, let alone for youth as young as twelve and thirteen.” I pushed those thoughts aside and listened intently as he went on and asked them if they would like to be part of the work of the gathering. As he concluded his remarks he emphasized again the importance of this topic: “My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence, Absolutely nothing.
My mind was reeling as he finished. I knew that the gathering of Israel was important, but nothing matches it in magnitude, importance, majesty, and consequence. What about the Atonement? What about missionary work? What about temples and temple ordinance work? Aren’t they all more important than the gathering of Israel?
But then came the teaching moment as I asked myself again, “More important than the Atonement?” Of course not—not in the eternal scope of things. President Nelson didn’t say that. He said that the gathering of Israel was the most important thing happening on earth right now. And why is it more important than anything else happening? Because only as people gather to the covenant does the Atonement become a reality in their lives. More important than missionary work? Of course. The whole purpose of missionary work is to invite people to come into the covenant. And that’s true on both sides of the veil. When we consider it, every doctrine, every principle, every part of the organization of the Church, every blessing of the gospel won’t do the people of the world one bit of good until they are gathered to the Church where they will find those doctrines, where they will have access to those ordinances, and where they can become the Lords true covenant people.
That night was a marvelous teaching moment for me. I learned something profound that I had not considered before. The gathering of Israel is of prime importance to our task to prepare the Church and the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ precisely because that is how we get people into to the covenant so they can enjoy all the blessings of the gospel. ~Gerald Lund, The Second Coming of the Lord (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 2020), 46-47
