Smiting the Earth With a Curse

[rmcmullan]

Mormons often point to this scripture in Malachi to help explain the necessity of temple work–to avoid having the earth being smitten with a curse:

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Which helps to explain why we do so much genaelogical work, it’s part of the linking of generations through the power of God’s priesthood. But it occurred to me that most other non-LDS religions read this and think “?What?”.

Any other interpretations?

 

[Semper_Fi_1]

Mormons often point to this scripture in Malachi to help explain the necessity of temple work–to avoid having the earth being smitten with a curse:

Which helps to explain why we do so much genaelogical work, it’s part of the linking of generations through the power of God’s priesthood. But it occurred to me that most other non-LDS religions read this and think “?What?”.

Any other interpretations?

I have heard that Mormons do genealogical work so that they can baptize their relatives (even deceased) via proxy into the Mormon priesthood.

 

[strngrnrth]

I always heard it interpreted as meaning that in generations when parents and kids love each other, God smiles on their nations, but when they don’t, God sends a curse on them. Thus the major social problems of modern times are sometimes a result of a lack of parent-child love.

 

[rmcmullan]

I have heard that Mormons do genealogical work so that they can baptize their relatives (even deceased) via proxy into the Mormon priesthood

That’s not wrong but you have to understand it in context of a lay ministry. The priesthood is conferred upon all worthy men. They are also baptised and receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

I always heard it interpreted as meaning that in generations when parents and kids love each other, God smiles on their nations, but when they don’t, God sends a curse on them. Thus the major social problems of modern times are sometimes a result of a lack of parent-child love.

That’s at least reasonable but it doesn’t account for the “great and dreadful day of the LORD” part of the scripture. It seems particularly keyed to some impending event Possibly the last days?