'The Day of Your Visitation'

MORMON 9:2

Moroni speaks in these verses about the wicked receiving a day of "your visitation", meaning when Christ will appear unto them it will be when the earth is in great commotion. That wording makes it sound like it is 'their turn'. 'Your visitation' could have been worded as simple as 'the day of visitation' to give a blanket statement, but that is not the point Moroni is trying to make.

For example, the following quote from Bruce R. McConkie is instructive:

"Men will know God in the millennial day because they see him. He will teach them face to face. They will know the mysteries of his kingdom because they are caught up to the third heaven, as was Paul. They will receive the Second Comforter. The millennial day is the day of the Second Comforter, and whereas but few have been blessed with this divine association in times past, great hosts will be so blessed in times to come.
What, then, will be the nature of worship during the Millennium? It will be pure and perfect, and through it men will become inheritors of eternal life. And in this connection, be it known that it is the privilege of the saints today to separate themselves from the world and to receive millennial blessings in their lives. And any person who today abides the laws that will be kept during the Millennium will receive, here and now, the spirit and blessings of the Millennium in his life, even though he is surrounded by a world of sin and evil." (The Millennial Messiah, p. 683)

It gives greater context to a President Kimball quote I shared a few days ago:

"When Satan is bound in a single home—when Satan is bound in a single life—the Millennium has already begun in that home, in that life." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 172)

What can be inferred from McConkie's words is that the day of visitation is here and now for the righteous. Conversely, the wicked's day of visitation will be a collective one and his appearing will be hot and terrible.

This begs the following questions though. How attainable is 'our day of visitation'. Are we expected to wait until the wicked receive theres? If today is 'the day of the second comforter' then are we expected to attain that blessing?

The answer is a short one:

"In a coming day, only those men who have taken their priesthood seriously, by diligently seeking to be taught by the Lord Himself, will be able to bless, guide, protect, strengthen, and heal others. Only a man who has paid the price for priesthood power will be able to bring miracles to those he loves and keep his marriage and family safe, now and throughout eternity." - Russell M. Nelson (The Price of Priesthood Power, April 2016 General Conference)

The risk here is to get all bent out of shape if we live beneath this privilege right now. It is available right now, but, for most, it is meant to be a drop by drop process (line upon line).

The hope for this short insight is that we will transform how we talk about and view 'the second coming'. That event in the scriptures is really used to introduce two things: the destruction of the wicked and the introduction of the millennial day. While the second should be looked forward too, it ought to be seen that when we speak of it in some far future distant day we might be limiting our gospel privileges in the here and now unintentionally.