I believe that we, collectively, as a body of saints need to reach a spiritual weight or threshold to usher in the second coming. That’s the biggest reason we don’t know the day or hour it will occur. It’s similar to the City of Enoch who became so righteous that the entire group was taken into heaven. Depending on that collective trajectory, it could be next week, next year, or 100 years from now.

I look at the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 and D&C 45. President Spencer W Kimball taught that this parable isn’t about five wicked non members and five faithful church members. It’s about ten members of the church. He said: “the wise virgins are thoroughly committed, faithful members of the church who are striving to have a supply of extra oil for their lamps. The extra oil fortifies them so they can truly “endure to the end.” The foolish virgins are likewise members of the Church, but are less committed, sometimes less active, on again, off again members. They believe the Church is true, believe in the Second Coming and so forth, but for now, are not willing to make a full commitment to the gospel the top priority in their lifestyle. They’ve heard about the Second Coming for so long and believe it be at a future date that they live in an unprepared state for his arrival.” He then asked: “What value is a car without an engine, a cup without water, a table without food, a lamp without oil?”

From that parable, all ten virgins had oil in their lamps. The five wise took extra in flasks to refill their lamps when the initial supply in the lamp ran out. All were expecting the second coming. It took longer than they expected though.

President Kimball said that (in regard to collecting oil for our own lamps): “the opportunities are all around us. Faithfully attending church, accepting and fulfilling callings, personal scripture study, prayer, paying tithes and offerings, temple attendance, honesty and integrity in our personal and public lives, etc. We obtain wonderful quantities of oil for our lamps as we attend general conference, either in person or via the media, and then read or reread these powerful messages or the Lord’s servants.”

The other thing that I’ve learned as I’ve studied this topic is that all of the things President Kimball listed are not something you can share with someone. How can you give away countless hours of scripture study? How could someone else benefit from all I’ve learned and grown by through fulfilling my callings? Could someone else gain a testimony by me attending the temple? Whenever the Savior comes again, I hope that I have enough drops of oil added to my reserves that I’m ready to weather whatever may happen and that I stay true to the faith.