This Generation Is Destroyed (1830)
Joseph Smith Testimony, 1:45; “He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation; which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before.”
Jeremiah 27:12-15; “I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. 13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. 15 For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.”
Smith “wrote” this in 1838. We can see this is a false testimony and that he plagiarized part of Jeremiah. It has been 172 years at the time of this writing from the time Smith wrote the prophecy that “this generation will be destroyed”. A generation is typically seen as 40 years.
Yes, a generation is typically seen as 40 yeas, at least in the modern day.
A more accurate understanding of the term would be people (regardless of how long they lived) of a level, or generation of the family. Thus, I am of one generation, the children of another, my parents of another, and so on back through the ages.
However, in the scriptures the term frequently refers to a generation of the gospel, or a dispensation. Thus it is likely that Moroni was not referencing the 40 year generation, but the dispensation of time that began with Joseph Smith and will end with the second coming.
Also, this prophecy never states that “This generation will be destroyed.” He simply said that the great judgements of the last days would occur in that generation.
So, using the first understanding of the term, as long as there were great tribulations of famine war and such things by the year 1863 (40 years after this statement was made) then it is fulfilled. Now, in this time period there were many famines and epidemics, as well as many wars (including the beginning of the civil war in the United States).
However, if we use the second understanding than we would trace the life span of all Joseph’s brothers and sisters, as well as those of a similar age, and see how these trials and tribulations affected that time period. Considering that many of them lived to the end of the 1800’s we again see that such tribulation was prevalent throughout the world at this time.
Now, if we take the last understanding, we look at the time after the birth of Joseph Smith, which not includes the world wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf Wars, terrorism, the Great Depression, countless epidemics, and several drought seasons; all of which easily fulfill the prophecy of such tribulation occuring in this generation.
Thus we see that yet another prophecy of Joseph Smith has been fulfilled beautifully.
“Thus we see” yet again another example of how Mormons change the definition of words to suit their own agenda.
We have changed nothing. We simply acknowledge that many words have multiple meanings.
Dictionary.com (Generation)
1. the entire body of individuals born and living at about the same time: the postwar generation. (my second definition)
2. the term of years, roughly 30 among human beings, accepted as the average period between the birth of parents and the birth of their offspring. (definition given in blog, and acknowledged by me)
3. a group of individuals, most of whom are the same approximate age, having similar ideas, problems, attitudes, etc. Compare Beat Generation, Lost Generation. (Similar to my second, though more narrow in scope, as it doesn’t include all people of the age group, only those with similar lives).
Now, I will admit my error on my third definition. I have reread those passages that I believed gave this understanding, and I find that I was wrong. I do apologize.
However, this does not change the fact that the first two I have given are true definitions, and that the explanation I have offered fits perfectly with what was prophesied regardless of which of these two are used in the interpretation of it.
Joseph Smith never prophesied that that Generation would be destroyed, only that the tribulations and judgments of God would come on the Earth in that generation, and history has shown us that they did, and have been on the earth ever since.