I’m sure most of you have read that statement by Joseph Smith that “There are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death till Christ comes.”

I had an interesting thought relating to this statement that I’d never considered before.  Bruce R. McKonkie states “it is not unreasonable to suppose that many young men had babies at the time of this prophecy and also had other children as much as 50 or 75 years later, assuming for instance that they were married again to younger women. This very probable assumption would bring the date up to, say, the 2nd decade in the 20th century — and the children so born would be members of that same rising generation of which the Prophet spoke. Now if these children lived to the normal age of men generally they would be alive well past the year 2000 A.D.” (Mormon Doctrine pp. 692-693)

While that may be true, it doesn’t make sense to me that Joseph would say “there ARE those”  not “there WILL be” seeming to indicate those that were then alive.  Then again, I can see how it can be construed the way Bruce R. McConkie states.  Anyway, the thought that came to me was the possibility that Joseph was saying that there were those of the rising generation who, like the 3 nephites and John the baptist, would have a change wrought upon them because of their faithfulness that would make them “not taste death till Christ comes.”  When you search the scriptures for the phrase “not taste of death” you find that in every case except one it has reference to translated beings.  The one exception is D&C 42:46 which says, “And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them”  which could also be an explanation.

Anyway, just thought it was interesting and thought I would share.

Gmail – Joseph’s prophecy on second coming.. – mbrinson@gmail.com.

Tags: joseph smith, Last Days, prophecy, second coming