The Righteous Will Be Led Out
"And the time speedily cometh, that except ye repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you." -Jacob 3:4 This may be the single most comprehensive scripture regarding a gathering. In the above verse "they" is referring to the Lamanites, but "they" could be any group. Repentance is the key. As the unrepentant increase in number, and wickedness increases, the people become ripened in iniquity. When the wicked are the majority, and most of those who might be labeled as "righteous" tolerate, and/or support iniquity, then the people are fully ripe in iniquity. From what I have been able to discern in the scriptures, this fully ripe state comes after years of warnings from the Lord. Natural disasters, famine, wars, etc. In the beginning of these warnings many of the people may return briefly to God, and repent of their wickedness. But, as the bad times become memory, the ...