The Millennial Mission of the Church

The Millennial Mission of the Church

In the general conference that President Gordon B. Hinckley was sustatined as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he made this statement:

Now, my brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission.  (“This Is the Work of the Master,” Ensign, May 1995, p. 71).

Ten years later while giving an account of his stewardship to the Church, he began by repeating the above statement and concluded that report by saying:

I now repeat what I said 10 years ago, let us “stand a little taller, … lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Opening Remarks, April 2005 General Conference)

What is the millennial mission of the Church?  We are given insight into the millennial mission of the Church from Moroni.  In 1842, Joseph Smith wrote the following:

On the evening on the 21st of September, A.D. 1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeavoring to exercise faith in the precious promises of Scripture, on a sudden a light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious appearance and brightness, burst into the room indeed the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming fire; the appearance produced a shock that affected the whole body; in a moment a personage stood before me surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with which I was already surrounded. This messenger proclaimed himself to be an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its fullness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the Millennial reign. I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His purposes in this glorious dispensation.”  (History of the Church, Vol.4: p. 536)