Vol. 19, Number 2, May/Jun/Jul/Aug 2018 Issue No. 75
As we are all aware, the title for the Remnant Church's official publication is The Hastening Times. That title derives its name from several references in the Doctrine and Covenants. The first reference comes from the first revelation given to the church by Frederick M. Smith in section 132:3a-b: "I admonish the church, and particularly those of the priesthood, that the hastening time being upon us there is great necessity for confidence in the men of the church chosen for positions of great responsibility, and all should consecrate of their talents, abilities, and substance for the prosecution of the great work intrusted to us." Sound counsel for us today, even over 100 years later.
Almost 10 years later, President Smith was to counsel the church in section 135:2b-c: "The hastening time is here and greater unity than ever before is necessary if the forces of opposition are to be met; and such unity will prevail if those holding the priesthood will remember their commission to preach the gospel, and each officer will strive to discharge his own duty and magnify his calling." Again, President Smith is conveying a degree of urgency for the church to be about establishing the cause of Zion, in which he believed so strongly.
Further, after President Frederick M, Smith's passing in 1946, his brother, Israel A. Smith, took his place as President/Prophet of the Reorganized Church. Two years later, he brought revelatory guidance to the church in section 141:5: "The hastening time is upon us; the period until the next General Conference, as already provided, must be one of unusual preparation for my church as an organization, for my people, and especially for my priesthood..."; another expression of the importance of the work wherewith we have been called.
The term "hasten" implies a time function and can be described by other words or phrases such as – make haste, hurry up, go fast, speed up, move faster, go quickly, urge on, etc. It should be obvious that, for us today, we are on that journey to a specific goal of building up the kingdom of God on earth. We have a vision to that kingdom, and God is leading us on that path. Just how fast we can move on that path is up to each one of us individually. However, as one can see by perusing our publication, The Hastening Times, we as a church are moving along at a good pace. Can we speed up; move faster toward that goal of a condition of righteousness that will precipitate the return of our Lord to claim his own? I believe we can!
