As Mormons, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that all of us are children of God. Not just Mormons, but everyone who has lived, now lives, and will yet live on the earth. Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits. We are all brothers and sisters as spirits and Jesus Christ is our older brother. Just as we can grow and follow in our earthly parents' footsteps, we can grow and become like our Heavenly Father, a god. That makes each of us special. But if we are all children of God, all born to become gods, what makes each of us unique? How can we all be alike and all be different?

This past weekend, I hosted an all day writing retreat for my writing group. I had to clean my husband's office beforehand and I prepared and bought food. I looked forward all month to spending time with my fellow writers. We critiqued each others chapters, discussed strong writing, chatted about non-writing topics, ate, and read and wrote. You might think that sounds like an ideal way to spend a day. You might also think you'd rather have your toenails pulled out than write and discuss writing all day. With the support and critiques of these writers, I'm able to learn and improve my writing.

Sunday night I attended a performance called "Hymns of Thanksgiving." This is a community event where local talent comes together to sing in a choir and play in an orchestra. The pieces are chosen to support the theme of gratitude. I marveled at the bass player, the beautiful blend of the choir, the swift hands of the piano soloist. Those who participated in the choir and orchestra created in me a greater appreciation for music and the beauty around me.

Tonight my friend, Monelle Smith, sang six songs that she wrote at a local lounge. She played the acoustic and then the bass guitar. While she sang, she shined with her love for music. I have no desire to perform on a stage or sing into a microphone, but her soulful voice touched me and I marveled at her talent and the time and effort she's put into developing that talent. Other musicians performed before and after her.

There is a need within each of us to communicate and connect with each other. We do that in different ways. Some of us prefer writing, others singing or writing music. There isn't just one person who does each of those things. In that way, the people who express themselves in the same medium are similar. But as I saw with the many different artists at the lounge tonight, not one of those performers was exactly the same.

We each have gifts to contribute. Talents or abilities that help us communicate, connect, and bless lives. In the church we call those spiritual gifts. Marvin J. Ashton a deceased modern-day apostle said, "One of the great tragedies of life, it seems to me, is when a person classifies himself as someone who has no talents or gifts. When, in disgust or discouragement, we allow ourselves to reach depressive levels of despair because of our demeaning self-appraisal, it is a sad day for us and a sad day in the eyes of God. For us to conclude that we have no gifts when we judge ourselves by stature, intelligence, grade-point average, wealth, power, position, or external appearance is not only unfair but unreasonable" (October 1987, There Are Many Gifts"). He reminds us that God has given us each a gift, maybe more than one, and each of us must search for and develop those gifts with the help of our loving Heavenly Father.

When I'm in a big city or at a concert or a new place, I'm amazed at all the people that exist whom I've never met. I don't know how our Heavenly Father keeps track of or loves each of us. But I know He does. I know that I am like every one of you because I am a child of God. I also know that I am unique. I know that because when I pray, Heavenly Father speaks to my heart that he knows me, that I am His daughter, and that He wants me to succeed.

​A friend asked me if Mormons or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in the Rapture. The short answer is that Mormons do not believe in the Rapture as defined by many Protestant faiths, but we do believe that there will be a succession of events before Christ's Second Coming. We also believe that the righteous will be caught up and changed in the twinkling of an eye. As I've researched this topic a bit today, I'm grateful for modern revelation which helps me understand ancient scripture.

Before Christ comes again we know that certain things must happen. There will be wickedness, war, and turmoil. The gospel will be restored. The Book of Mormon will come forth. The gospel will be preached to all the world. Elijah will return. Lehi's descendants will become a great people. (Lehi is the father of the people in The Book of Mormon. Those descended from him are the native American people and peoples of Latin America). The New Jerusalem will be built.  This list and references are found in Gospel Principles, Chapter 43: Signs of the Second Coming. Many of these have occurred or are occurring. We hear about wickedness, war, and turmoil every day. The gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. He then translated The Book of Mormon. Missionaries are in most countries of the world now preaching the gospel. When I was younger, I could not imagine that missionaries would be in Russia. They are now.  Lehi's descendants are a great people. Look at all the countries of Latin America. Elijah returned to the earth in April 1836 and appeared to Joseph Smith. Elijah restored the sealing powers. Now families can be sealed together in temples. The New Jerusalem has not been built yet.

We do not know when Jesus Christ will come again. In Doctrine and Covenants 49:7, the Lord said, "The hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven." When He does come again, He will cleanse the earth, judge His people, usher in the Millennium (a thousand years when Jesus will reign on the earth), complete the First Resurrection (the beginning of the First Resurrection was when other righteous people were resurrected after Jesus Christ. The rest of the righteous will be resurrected during this period), and Christ will take His rightful place as King of heaven and earth. This list and references can be found in Gospel Principles, Chapter 44: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

As far as the righteous being taken up to heaven, in the millennium, there will be no death. From modern revelations given to Joseph Smith which are contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, we learn, "Wherefore, children shall grow up until they become old; old men shall die; but they shall not sleep in the dust, but they shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye" (Doctrine and Covenants 63:51). We also learn from the Doctrine and Covenants, that "the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:96).

In my book, Not of This World, Marti's parents believe the world will end because of an asteroid. I based the events leading up to the anticipated asteroid on the calamities, wars, and natural disasters which will occur before the Savior comes again. From Isaiah 13 we learn, "How ye for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty...For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine" (Isaiah 13:6, 10). We don't know if He will come immediately or which destructions will signify "the end." In my book, I include a great calamity, but the whole world doesn't change in an instant. The righteous are not all caught up and changed in the twinkling of an eye at that time. They are left to help put the world back together. I don't know what will really happen. This book is a work of fiction.

There is much we do know and do not know about the Second Coming of Christ. While we have been given signs to know that Christ will come soon, we don't know Christ's definition of "soon." We don't need to be fearful. We need to repent, follow Christ, be converted, and serve one another. If we follow Christ, that does not mean we will avoid all the trials that will happen in the last days. It does mean that we can have peace through all trials if we follow Christ's teaching. We are blessed to have modern revelation or words of Christ through His prophets on the earth today, to guide us through times of trial and turmoil. For example, we have been counseled for years to store food. Before the year 2000, I worried that the world might end then and decided I better store food for our family. I wasn't disappointed when the world didn't end on January 1, 2000. I learned later why we needed that food. My husband lost his job soon after and we used our food storage. Following the counsel of a modern prophet helped us through a time of trial.

One of my favorite songs our children learn is "When He Comes Again." The last line is "Then, when that blessed day is here, He'll love me and he'll say, 'You've served me well, my little child; Come unto my arms to stay.'" I want to be that little child.