In Matthew 24, verses 23-27, Jesus Christ warns against pretended Christs who would claim to be him. He said,
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
I have noticed some odd things about LDS culture (not its scriptures, which contain very strong words against such shady doings) that point to a plan in the works to fake a supposed return of a Christ "in hiding," even though Christ specifically warns us all not to be taken in by such a ruse.
First, it's a widespread notion in the LDS culture that Jesus Christ was supposedly born on April 6, based on the start of D&C 21, where Jesus said to Joseph Smith upon the organizing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Which church was organized and established in the year of your Lord eighteen hundred and thirty, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April." It's been repeatedly floated in Church culture that this means that Jesus was born exactly 1830 years before the calendar date of April 6, 1830. The text of the scripture does not require such an interpretation. Given the calendar shifts over the last 2000 years, it's bizarre to insist upon this verse meaning that Jesus was literally born on April 6.
However, it makes more sense that those seeking to discredit the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint with a false Christ ruse would want us all to focus on that date as being "special" because in 2024, there will be a long total eclipse of the sun on April 8 over Palmyra and Fayette, New York, the towns where Joseph Smith was living when he was called as a prophet and organized the Church. Big events in the sky tend to grab people's attention and make them wonder if God is using the events to send a message.
If you've ever read any Mark Twain (an 1800's American writer who is notable for using a false name and for criticizing the Book of Mormon--he called the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon "chloroform in print" which is ridiculous given its compact narrative of conspiracies, wars, betrayals, riches, slavery, and an epic journey), you might have come across his book, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The most memorable part of the novel is when a time-traveling man from Connecticut convinces the court of King Arthur that he is a wizard by foretelling a solar eclipse. Just like a time traveler to the past could known of a prior eclipse's occurrence, people 100 years ago could have calculated out when a future solar eclipse would be and planned to use it to discredit the religion founded by Joseph Smith. April 8 is only 2 days off April 6, and it happens to be the day right after the general conference of the Church that will be held on April 6-7, 2024.
How would one plan ahead to use that date and that eclipse?
One could talk up the importance of early April. Check, as anyone who has grown up in the LDS Church in the USA has likely noticed.
One could have the Church president's wife and others talk about the possibility of Christ being secretly returned to Earth. Check. See a 2016 address where Wendy Nelson said, "So, now a question as I conclude: What if you learned that the Savior had already returned to this earth—that He, as part of His Second Coming, had already met with some of His true followers in several marvelous, large gatherings—gatherings about which the world, including CNN and the blogosphere, knew nothing. If you found out that the Savior was already on the earth, what would you desperately want to do today, and what would you be willing and ready to do tomorrow?" (Online at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/article/worldwide-devotionals/2016/01/becoming-the-person-you-were-born-to-be?lang=eng) I think Wendy Nelson is a very nice person, but this kind of hypothetical is flatly contrary to Matthew 24 and should be recognized as nondoctrinal. There has also been a book or two floating around the Utah Mormon culture about a man who had a near death experience and claims to have seen visions of Christ being quietly back on Earth and directing things from a hidden location. Again, totally contrary to what Jesus himself said in Matthew 24.
One could have some notable Church members "die" but actually have them go into hiding until just after April 8, 2024, whereupon they can be presented as "resurrected" after getting a little surgery to rejuvenate their appearance. I think this has been happening. Patricia Holland, who is reported to have passed away suddenly earlier this year, is a very good candidate for such plan. I have interacted with some of her relatives personally, and they have behaved in such a way as to show membership in a secret society within the LDS Church (odd handshakes, knowledge about the usefulness of metallic rings to influence thought patterns, etc.).
Songs for the children that indicate what time of year Jesus will come back. Check. "I wonder, when he comes again, Will herald angels sing? Will earth be white with drifted snow, Or will the world know spring?" (Online at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/when-he-comes-again?lang=eng) If you've experienced a series of early Aprils in the Intermountain West, this verse perfectly describes the weather at that time of year.
I know this is a serious scenario I am outlining above. Messing with people's faith in God is not something that should be done. But because faith is such a powerful motivator for so many people, unscrupulous people do take advantage of it. There is nothing in Christ's teachings that says we have to fall for such schemes, and being prepared for the possibility of their occurrence allows us to help protect everyone else from the wolves in sheep's clothing that exist in so many societies.
