The Lord will not come to reign over the righteous… Until everything for the Bridegroom is ready

What needs to be made ready?
In our own earthly experience, as we prepare for a wedding party, the first things we women would do would be to clean house, wouldn't we? Everything must be in perfect order. I remember preparing for Brittney's wedding, I even cleaned behind the washer and dryer, and what guest would have ever looked behind there? No one, but it sure felt good when it was done.

Well, the earth must be cleansed also, thus we see wars, and rumors of wars, vapors of smoke, famines, pestilence and earthquakes in diverse places. The earths way of cleaning house. Its part of what must happen. We also need to be cleaning our homes, our hearts and our minds.

What must the bride do to be ready? In the Joseph Smith manual it states: “Brother Joseph arose and said, to receive revelation and the blessings of heaven it was necessary to

1. Have our minds on God and
   
2. Exercise faith and or be Faithful
   
3. become of one heart and of one mind.
4. Therefore he recommended all present to pray separately and vocally to the Lord for [Him] to reveal His will unto us concerning the upbuilding of Zion and for the benefit of the Saints.” Each high priest “bowed down before the Lord” and then spoke of his feelings and
   
5. determination to keep the commandments of God.3

After all present at this meeting described above, Joseph Smith then received what is Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

If we look at each directive and apply to ourselves preparing to meet our Bridegroom, we can also find deeper meaning in preparing ourselves to receive Him.

1. Every bride has her mind on her bridegroom. You can see it in her eyes. They convey love, and adoration. She seems somewhat oblivious to the preparations going on around her, as she keeps her mind on Him. That we must do also, to be able to make it through the cleansing process. We ourselves may get scrubbed in the washing, but we are ok, because our eyes are on Him.
2. She is faithful to him. No one comes before Him. Does anyone or anything come before Him in our lives? Are we distracted by the glitter and the noise of the world?
3. Become One. If ye are not one ye are not mine. As we become one with our Savior, we will become more one as a husband and wife, as a family, as a ward, and as a neighborhood. There is power in One. And it takes great individual exertion. Joseph Smith said “Let the Saints remember that great things depend on their individual exertion, and that they are called to be co-workers with us and the Holy Spirit in accomplishing the great work of the last days; and in consideration of the extent, the blessings and glories of the same, let every selfish feeling be not only buried, but annihilated; and let love to God and man predominate, and reign triumphant in every mind, that their hearts may become like unto Enoch’s of old, and comprehend all things, present, past and future, and come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Let us pray to God without ceasing that we may know personally the things we need to do to prepare ourselves and our families for His coming. Elder Bednar spoke of Prayer in this last general conference and how to improve our prayers. Please read it.
5. As we submit ourselves to the will of the Savior, and keep His commandments what happens to us? Are we beaten down and abused. No, not with him who is the perfect bridegroom. He raises us up. We become as he is and we receive all that he has. He receives us into His mansion, prepared by His hand. DC 81:6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansion which I have prepared in the house of my Father.

As we think of the bridegroom, the other parable that comes to mind is that of the 10 virgins. Let us be like the five wise virgins and fill our lamps with oil that we may LIGHT our way. DC 45: 56, 57 They took the Holy Spirit as their guide and they were not deceived. The Lord will not come to them as a thief in the Night, for they are children of the light, and he will come as the light of the morning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth.
Fill yourselves with light that you might dispel the darkness around us. DC 50: 24 That which is of God is light and he that receiveth light and continueth in God receiveth more light and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

And then we shall say:
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

DC 33:17 Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your lamps timmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom--

DC 101:16 Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion, all flesh is in my hands, be still and know that I am God