The Fall of the House

3 Nephi 14:27

“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

 

I first wrote about this verse back in October 2004, wrestling with what it meant that “the fall” was great.

If those who stray will still have a chance to accept the Savior after this life, why such final language? I remember thinking, Maybe I misunderstand—but I don’t think so. It was one of those questions I had to place gently on a mental shelf, trusting that someday I’d understand and that, as I often remind myself, “it will all work out.”

 

By December 2021, I revisited that question with a little more light. I was nearly finished reading The Second Coming of the Lord by Gerald Lund, and his words helped me see things differently.
This life truly is our time to prepare to meet God, but the Millennium—those thousand years of peace—will continue that refining process. Those who love the Lord will remain faithful without the pull of worldly distractions. The final test, however, will come after the Millennium, when Satan is loosed one last time.

 

That thought stopped me cold.
After a thousand years of peace and harmony, how could anyone choose otherwise? And yet, scripture tells us that many will. It will be the greatest and most terrible war ever fought—not with swords or bombs, but between good and evil, between loyalty and rebellion. My imagination ran wild that night, but my conclusion was simple: when that fall comes, it truly will be great.

 

Now, here I am in October 2025.
Last night, we watched a movie that was deeply unsettling—one of those “what if” stories about the moments before World War III. As the screen faded to black, I felt a familiar chill at the idea of a world destroyed by its own power. But then came peace—the kind that only faith can bring.

 

Because I know how the story ends.
Yes, there will be a great and dreadful day of the Lord. The earth will burn and shake, but then it will receive its paradisiacal glory. I looked up that word again—paradisiacal means “ideal, idyllic, heavenly.” That’s what the Lord has promised.

 

President Nelson has been so clear in his counsel to prepare for that day—and to prepare now. His list is simple but soul-deep:

• Attend the temple regularly and with purpose
• Pray and study the scriptures individually and as families
• Gather Israel on both sides of the veil
• Keep the commandments
• Live the law of the gospel—be decent, Christlike people
• Sacrifice our time and talents in the service of God

 

These aren’t emergency measures—they’re daily habits of discipleship.
And when the winds blow and the floods come, those are the things that will keep our spiritual houses standing.