Signs of Our Times by Tim Adams
And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land. (Helaman 13:2) And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name. And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day. Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born. (Helaman 14:2-4)
But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead. (Helaman 14:20)
So, who was Helaman? And how did he know of the signs that accompanied the birth of Christ and of his death? Ponder these questions for now, we do not have time in this paper to answer all the questions about the Saviors birth. I will tell you it is one of the most wonderful stories that few people know. You can learn all about the star of Bethlehem by listening to an earlier Book of Mormon Conference where I included a movie [Watch Below] clip of what exactly happened in the night sky that could be seen in both the Americas and in the Middle East so many years ago. The Star of Bethlehem event at the meridian of time started near an important star by the name of Regulus.
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Regulus is the bright star at the upper left paw of Leo the Lion, or if you believe as I do that the constellations were organized from the beginning of time; then Leo matches Old and New Testament scriptures pertaining to the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This star Regulus is an Arabic word where we in the English get the word “Regal” from. Or also known as the King star of Judah. If one goes to Jerusalem today, they will see the symbol of the lion almost everywhere including on every concrete trash bin. It represents the lion of Judah, the messiah on whom they wait for. As you can imagine this star is a sign in the heavens.
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. (Numbers 24:17)
The “star of Bethlehem” happened in this constellation of the zodiac sign Leo the Lion, (or as the scriptures testify ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’) which matches Judah a son of Jacob; but would take many pages to describe. For our purposes we only need to talk about this part (the star Regulus) to “see” the importance of the latter-day signs in the Heavens. We are going to talk about and compare the two solar eclipses and other signs of 2017 and the next one coming up in 2024. Recall back to where some of you were during that 2017 solar eclipse. Also before you do, realize scriptures speak of so much more. For instance: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. (Joel 2: 31) And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; (Revelation 6:12) 
How does the moon turn to blood? When the earth passes between the Sun and the moon, the edge of the sun’s light wraps around the earth and projects itself onto the Moon and creates this red color. In 2014 and in 2015 there were four lunar signs that preceded the 2017 solar eclipse. The ancients used their imagination when they saw signs in the heavens that were not common. A lunar eclipse happens more frequently than a solar eclipse. It was believed that a reddish lunar moon portended war or bloodshed, even disease. It was frightening to observe. These four Lunar eclipses fell exactly on four Jewish holidays. Two years in a row they fell on the two Passovers. And of the other two, one fell on Rosh Hashanah and the other at Yom Kippur. We Latter-day Saints celebrate our Conferences nearly at the same time of year as the tribe of Judah (the Jews) keep theirs. If we consider ourselves of the House of Israel, we should pay attention to these four signs that, by the way are almost never clustered as these were then. These four signs were not seen over Israel, but over America. Let’s pay attention; are we not of the House of Israel? Our Christian friends of other faithful denominations looked at these “signs” and concluded that the Lord was
returning. They had just forgot one important part of the scripture, the part about the sun turning to darkness. So, lets now talk about the August 21st, 2017, Solar eclipse. A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes in front of the sun blocking the light of the sun plunging the earth in a sort of eerie twilight. My wife and daughter Jacqueline and I live in Beaverton Oregon and traveled down to Dallas Oregon to “see” the full eclipse. We were at a park in the middle of the town with our new t-shirts and solar glasses. It was a magical day! We went to “see” what most people saw, but the experience was stunning. At the onset, under the canopy of the trees as the sun was waning tiny rays of light came through the leaves of the trees and projected the light of the sun into thousands of crescents, as you can see on my friend Rick’s back. You may also see in the picture that even the lawn was covered with them. This area in which we live is in the flight path of commercial jets that fly from California cities north to Portland and Seattle. When the time of totality 
came, we saw two planes that turned from side to side so that their passengers could “see” the eclipse from their side of the plane. But that did not distract me from what I was “looking” for. There was something else happening up in that sky that nearly no one else was looking for that day. I had been “looking” forward to that day for about five years. I found on my astronomy program those years ago that a star might be seen with the naked eye. At totality I took off my solar glasses as my daughter did with me and we saw the Star next to the eclipse. The natural star Regulus could be seen at the brightest time of day with the naked eye because of the darkened sun. Regulus is a brighter magnitude star than those around it.
Imagine that! The King Star! The royal star of the lion of Judah! And if you saw this eclipse wherever your viewing place across the United States in its path was then you might have seen it and not known what it was. Of all the places beyond the sun in the Heavens for the solar eclipse to happen; it happened here, like it showed up at the Saviors first arrival. And I testify of it because we saw it. But wait there’s more! If one follows the path of the shadow 2017 solar eclipse, they will notice that it started way out over the Pacific Ocean, and it reaches over the center of the country exiting well out into the Atlantic Ocean. The longest duration occurs in the NW end of Kentucky, with the closest large cities being St Lois Missouri which it just misses and later Nashville Tennessee. What is even more important is to see that the line of demarcation if followed westward crosses through the center between Independence Missouri and Adam-Ondi-Ahman to the North. Which means the area of the Latter-day Temple corner stone where the city of the New Jerusalem is to be built and the Land where our Father Adam blessed the residue of his posterity; the sign of the Lion of Judah and the King Star had nearly the longest duration over that blessed land!
[Editor’s Note: In my study and research this 2017 eclipse also went over the ancient City Lehi-Nephi at Chattanooga, TN and over the plausible ancient Waters of Mormon near Catoosa Springs, GA. Especially a significant crossing over the important Book of Mormon area at the Head of the River Sidon, which is where the Mississippi River is joined by the Ohio River, near Paducah, KY. You see that Lehi’s Landing was near Tallahassee, FL and Nephi’s escape from his brothers is Unicoi Gap GA that I call Nephi’s Valley. Nashville is near Hopewell’s Pinson Mounds which is a possible Helam in the Book of Mormon, just south east of Nashville is Book of Mormon City Amulon.]
Tim continues, “If these are signs in the heavens, what could they mean? We do not know for certain; but we can speculate the return of the King is near at hand. When Jesus came the first time at his birth in the meridian of time; the Star of Bethlehem showed but almost nobody, or perhaps nobody in Jerusalem saw it. If you will recall King Herod hadn’t seen it, nor any of his wise-men according to the record. He had to ask the wise men when the star had made its appearance. And then after the sign no one knew that they had a great Rabbi/ Messiah in their midst until 33 years later when Jesus began his ministry. Just because a sign shows, does not mean the answer to it is immediate. Sometimes we people must wait until it gets there. When I was a boy, my family drove from St George Utah to Salt Lake City. We saw the signs way before arrival. And like the ten-year-old boy that I was way back then, still I had to ask: “Are we there yet?”. So, it is with signs of the times. 
I must mention Joseph who was sold into Egypt for twenty pieces of silver. I spent my longest chapter writing about him in my new book “Similitudes”, which can only be downloaded onto a reader device here: (“typology/ Similitudes/ Tim Adams). Joseph is in similitude as the Savior, meaning the life of Jesus matches that of Joseph. When Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream you will recall there is a period of seven years of plenty and seven years of drought. The question I propose is there a context for two sets of sevens in the latter days? The answer is well, sort of. Daniel who prophecies of the last days, and John the revelator, both mention a period of two sets of three and ½ years for a total of one set of seven. Seven as a number representing perfection, or completion, as in the story of the creation where God labored seven days and rested on the sabbath. He did this twice, first the spiritual creation, and next the temporal creation, as is taught in the Pearl of Great Price, and alluded to in Genesis. In speaking of the Latter days, the Savior taught in Matthew: “unless those days are not shortened there will be no flesh left alive” (Matthew 24:22). In Joseph Smith Matthew 1:21 it says no Jews will be left alive. Regardless, if we shorten this type of Joseph in Egypt to the double times of plenty and famine, with the two sets of three ½ years we have a total of 7. See Book of Mormon Evidence Blog here. I took a long time to explain that from the time of the 2017 solar eclipse to the one in 2024 is 7 years. Actually, we our four months short of seven years, and the next eclipse is April 8th, 2024, at about 3:20 pm to be precise. We will mention the reasoning for this shortly. This 2024 eclipse happens in front of the constellation of Pisces where the center of the eclipse appears to be breaking the bands of death that hold the two fishes tied to Cetus the sea monster. This imagery of the Leviathan is a depiction of the adversary, and the two fishes of Pisces represent the Church. Born again Christians are right in identifying Christians as the fish symbol. It is God who breaks the bands of sin/death that tie us, the church, to the monster Cetus or Satan. This astronomy program depicts the 2024 solar eclipse and arranged my viewing area both at Cleveland Ohio (closest to Kirtland) and Rochester New York (closest to Hill Cumorah) at the very bands.
This map view has Kirtland Ohio at the edge by the interstate 90 north of Cleveland, and the hill Cumorah very little east of Rochester, New York. Now the Kirtland Temple is the first Temple of this dispensation. Does the Temple not help break those bonds of death? The Hill Cumorah is where the Book of Mormon sprang from. Does the Book of Mormon help release our ties to the adversary? I think the answer to both questions are a definite yes!
Editors Note: In the maps below I have added additional points that may be important as we view this next Country wide eclipse. I think these two eclipse’s are very significant that they are criss-crossing the entire land of the United States of America which is the Promised Land of the Book of Mormon. It’s very hard to deny this to not be true. Along with Tim’s comments about the importance of Kirtland and Cumorah I make a few other observations. What happened at Fayette, NY with the completion of the Book of Mormon and the organization of the True Church of Christ? Are these important markers? I must also include the First Mission to the Lamanites. Read about them in D&C 28, 30, and 32. The first two tribes taught were from the Iroquois Nations, the Seneca’s or Cattaraugus of Buffalo, NY and the Wyandot’s of Sandusky, OH. The next mission to the Lamanites was in and near Independence, MO to the Algonquin Nations of the Delaware and the Shawnee Tribes. Also have you noticed the center point or the point the two eclipse’s meet? I believe there may be a significance here. The X point is near Cedar Lake, Illinois near Makanda. You can read more at a blog that Tim and I did earlier titled, 2017 & 2024 Solar Eclipses. I share below a small portion of that blog.
Anticipating the Aug 2024 Eclipse! Center of the Land. X marks the spot?
Notice that the eclipse of 2024 will be going directly over Kirtland, Ohio and the Hill Cumorah. The eclipse of 2017 went right over Adam-Ondi-Ahman and Independence, Missouri. These are probably not just coincidences.
In year 16-18 AD, Lachoneus gathered all the people to the center of the land to fight a significant battle. 3 Nep 3:21-24. This significant battle we are facing today may be a parallel sign the Lord is sharing with us. We believe the center of the land to be at the southern tip of Illinois. There is perfect protection with the Mississippi River on the west and the Ohio River or the Wabash River on the East. In the tip of Illinois is an escarpment and remains of old fortifications and walls all the way across. The article below talks all about those stone walls and fortifications of southern Illinois.
See Blog here about Makanda, Illinois Stone Walls https://www.bofm.blog/stone-walls-of-southern-illinois/
Tim Continues, “What does it mean? Who knows for sure; but I think this would be good timing for a revelation to build the New Jerusalem on this the American continent? In the Book of Mormon, we also have this verse: That these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed. Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed. (Nephi 5:18-19) Would this not also be good timing if the Saints were ready enough to receive additional records that were promised the Saints to spring from that hill, or one west of there, so that the Brass Plates to come forth, so that their plates would never be dimmed by time? And would it not be another powerful witness to our Hebrew friends who may hear of things that only a Hebrew would know from the Genealogies of Joseph (father of Ephraim and Manasseh) and details that only these plates could show? Let’s go back a bit to the April 8th day, just a little over four 1/2 months short of making the 7 year spread between these two eclipses. Let’s also use the Biblical story of Joseph as the model. Joseph receives a new name from Pharaoh: “Zaphnath-paaneah”, which being interpreted means “The [God of the Hebrews] speaks, and he lives”, or simply “God speaks, and he lives”! You may also recall that Joseph revealed himself to his brethren before the end of the famine. Is there a famine in our day? Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: (Amos 8:11) If there is a famine in our day, who is facilitating the saving of the people by feeding them like Joseph did in his day? His sons Ephraim and Manasseh, our latter-day missionaries are going to the four corners of the earth to feed all nations, and to save their brethren by gathering in the House of Israel. President Nelson said in the October 2020 conference: “Anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.” Joseph’s sons are doing the same work that Joseph did in the Old Testament. It was Joseph who saved his brethren, indeed his whole family from the severe famine of his day. Likewise, it is the Joseph of the restoration that will save his brethren from today’s famine.
Not a famine of pestilence and dearth, but rather a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. This scripture sees its fulfilment in our day! Our Missionaries indeed go to the ends of the earth and are gathering.
Now let’s remember that Joseph of Old was a type of the savior, and as such, when Joseph reveals himself to his brethren it is a type of the Saviors return. When Joseph revealed himself, two years of the famine had gone by and there were yet five years remaining. If we think to follow this analogy, then we would guess the Savior would return before the end of the seven years between eclipses, or the three ½ latter day years. One more thing to mention about the timing of his coming. I think it is clear, that the timing of his coming will happen in the Fall of the Year, for several reasons.
- It is safe to assume that Adam was created and given the breath of life at Passover time, the time of our April Conferences. The same time when our Savior was born, and when Moses took the children of Israel out of Egypt. Eve created shortly thereafter. They wandered the garden thru the temperate season of Summer, where the latest leaf to open, (fig leaf) which doesn’t mature until the Fall. Meaning it is not large enough to cover one’s nakedness until the fall.
- Once again, the sign of falling leaves happens in the Fall when the Fall of Man most likely occurred. The sign of plants and flowers springing from the ground represent new beginning, but at the Springtime of Passover.
- Rosh Hashanah, meaning “Head of Year” According to Jewish tradition commemorates the creation of the world. Also in the fall. Differences exist as to whether their belief is that it is the beginning, or end of creation. Yet Moses is instructed at Passover time that that month Nissan was the beginning month and year for them. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This Month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. (Exodus 12:1-2)
- Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is 8 days after Rosh Hashanah. This was a day for God’s people to confess sins, repent, make atonement, and seek forgiveness.
- Feast of Tabernacles five days later. A time from the past and in the future when Jehovah/ Christ will dwell among his people
So which is the true beginning of the year? It appears that the beginning of years corresponds to the creation of Adam, and birth of Jesus. And that the Fall of man corresponds to the Temporal man at the Fall of Adam, so that the beginning of years is measured from actual years of man’s probation that begins in the Fall season. Therefore, this time from April 8th, 2024, solar Eclipse allows time for us to at the last minute prepare. I do believe that this story of Joseph matches our latter-day scenario; but I am happy to wait and see. We are somewhere at the 7 years of famine, where Joseph’s brothers will come seeking nourishment and find that their younger brother with sacks of grain and corn, that will provide nourishment in a world of trouble. Perhaps that meeting will take place in Adam-Ondi-Ahman, what an astonishing meeting that will be as history once again repeats itself! In essence, Joseph is doing today what he did anciently, distributing food to the hungry and bringing them nourishment in a starving world. The most important thing we can do is repent and come unto Him with full purpose of heart and blessing ourselves with the Harvest of the House of Israel.” Signs of Our Times Tim Adams Red text was highlighted by editor for emphasis.
See the Blog by Tim Adams and Rian Nelson shared last year here:
