The Dangers of Dismissing the Signs

Something I have pondered quite a bit lately is the parable of the ten virgins. The parable was based

on the ancient Hebrew wedding. The bride and her maidens would wait for the groom, not knowing exactly when he would come for his bride, and they kept their lamps oiled because it usually happened at night. In the parable, five of the virgins were not prepared, and as a result, missed the opportunity to go in to the feast.
Of course, we know this is a crucial end-time parable, and a warning to keep ourselves prepared for the coming of our Lord.
Something that has saddened me lately is seeing the way so many disregard the signs in the earth and the heavens that signify the approaching return of the Lord. Many of these signs are dismissed. Stubbornly, people spout, "These things happen all the time, it doesn't mean anything special." Or, "Yeah, we had a solar eclipse, blood moons, earthquakes and hurricanes, war and violence. But so what? Stuff happens all the time, it doesn't mean anything." And sadly, these same people procrastinate not just temporal preparation, but more importantly, spiritual preparation, telling themselves that the Savior's return is decades away and there is still plenty of time. And that could be true.

But what if it isn't?

What if the bridegroom did come today? Or tomorrow even? Would your lamp be trimmed? Would you have enough oil to keep your light burning bright until you heard His knock?

Yes, people have been looking for the Savior's return for centuries, and believers in the past dispensations thought He would appear in their day. Some were prepared while they waited, living each day to the fullest and carrying out their duties in faith and righteousness, while others were not. It is the same today, only we are FAR, FAR closer and have been gifted with warning signs and wake-up calls that the people in other dispensations could only dream about.

It is time to stop disregarding the Lord's signs and wonders, and time to start paying strict attention to them. It is also time to make a choice.
May we become a prepared and watchful people. May we keep our lamps filled by regularly studying the Lord's words and implementing them into our lives. May we strive to fully live the gospel of Jesus Christ, that our eyes, ears, and hearts will always be open and receptive to the warnings and promptings of the Lord, that we will never be deceived to throw off or discount the things of God.
Then, and only then, will we truly be on our way to becoming an obedient covenant people.