There is room for differences of emphasis even among Mormons. But I think it’s fair to say that most Latter-day Saints share a common worldview that the great sweep of human history ties together with the divine purpose of our existence, our expectations for Christ’s eventual return and our ultimate destiny.

The idea that we are living in the latter period of the world’s history is a repeated theme in Mormon doctrine. The formal name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was given in 1838, and the “latter-day” part of that name is instructive.

Latter-day Saint eschatology is distinctly millenarian, in that it looks forward to a personal rule of Christ on earth. As a practical matter, Mormons are encouraged by scripture to watch for the “signs of the times,” but there is no expectation of a specific date or time. The New Testament specifically teaches that no one knows the time, not even “the angels” (Matt. 24: 36. See also the Joseph Smith rendition of the same verses).

And yet Mormons still take out 30-year mortgages and life insurance, plant slow-growing trees in their yards and most expect to help raise their grandchildren. While the idea of a future millennial reign of Christ is a doctrinal reality for Mormons, most, I think, focus on trying to live the best lives they can without being fixated on the “end times.” Modern Mormon leaders – in a different emphasis from 150 years ago - have tended to point out that there are other major events still to occur in the world’s history before the Second Coming.

Latter-day Saint beliefs in relation to the “latter days,” drawn from the Bible and modern scriptures, can be broadly summarized like this:

- The Second Coming of Christ will be a literal return to the earth, during a time of tumultuous upheaval and unprecedented war.
- Christ’s return will be to Jerusalem, and these events will precede a thousand-year millennial reign by Him.
- After the thousand years, there will be a last great battle between the forces of good and evil, in which evil will finally be vanquished.
- After Christ’s triumph, the earth will be “celestialized” as the home for the righteous. In that sense the world will not end.

We have barely scratched the surface here of an enormously complex subject, but anyone interested in further exploring LDS beliefs on the topic can start with the scriptural links.