Get Ready: The Final Prophecy Before the Rapture Is About to Begin (PART THREE)

January 29, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde

(The following writings are my own opinions, and believes, not statements of fact, which I have obtained through tremendous study of end-times prophecy as written in the bible. I have prayerfully included God in my studies to remain on-track for seeking truth. I do not speak as a representative of any religion).

This topic obviously needs lots of attention because that’s all that I can think about right now… Hence part three.

Evidence of Truth Being Revealed and Deception Exposed

In the weeks and years leading up to the rapture, we are witnessing not just theological debates or shifts in culture, but a remarkable real-world phenomenon: churches are closing their doors, shrinking in attendance, or fracturing under the weight of scandal and disillusionment.

According to recent research from Lifeway, more U.S. Protestant churches closed in 2024 than opened, with roughly 4,000 closures compared to 3,800 new starts—a sign that organized institutional religion is contracting even as individual faith remains alive in many hearts.

This trend isn’t limited to small rural congregations; some of America’s most prominent churches have felt the strain. In Texas, Gateway Church—historically one of the nation’s largest megachurches—has experienced a significant decline in attendance, giving, and staff as it deals with the fallout from leadership scandals. Reports indicate tithes dropping by as much as 35–40 %, layoffs, and service cancellations at multiple campuses as the church navigates both loss of trust and loss of members.

Other churches, like The Epicenter in Burnet, Texas, have closed entirely after years of ministry, accelerating decisions to disband when crises arise. Meanwhile, across denominations, thousands of local congregations have voted to leave larger bodies or disaffiliate outright—reflecting deep disagreements over doctrine, cultural issues, and what many see as compromised teaching.

Similarly, Houston’s Lakewood Church is navigating a broader, long-term decline in area religious attendance. 

These closures, divisions, and departures can be interpreted through a biblical lens of purification and apostasy. Scripture warns of a “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and speaks of times when truth and falsehood will become unmistakably clear. In this era, God is exposing not only false doctrine but also superficial faith that depends more on tradition, popularity, or institutional identity than on the transforming power of Christ. Many are leaving because of integrity issues in leadership; others because they cannot reconcile compromised teachings with a sincere pursuit of truth.

Rather than signaling the death of faith, these seismic shifts may be part of a divine cleansing—God stripping away what is unsteady so that what remains can reflect authentic discipleship. Just as many walked away from apostate movements in the early church, so now hearts are being sifted, and true devotion is revealed. In the days before the rapture, truth is no longer hidden—what has been built on sand is exposed, and what has been founded on Christ stands firm.

What about a religion closer to home

Here’s a fact-based overview of trends in attendance and engagement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) — including evidence that ties into broader patterns of church decline and disaffiliation, especially in the U.S.:

Membership Growth vs. Engagement

• On paper, the LDS Church still reports overall membership increases globally — with membership at nearly 7 million in the U.S. and nearly 17.3 million worldwide by the end of 2023.
• However, growth in the U.S. has slowed dramatically compared with earlier decades, and some states (like Wyoming) even saw a slight net decrease in membership in 2024.

National Church Attendance Trends

• According to Gallup polling, average religious attendance nationwide has fallen sharply over the last two decades — from 42 % of U.S. adults attending weekly in early 2000s to about 30 % today.
• Within that broader decline, the LDS Church still registers the highest reported weekly attendance among major faith traditions — about two-thirds of Latter-day Saints say they attend weekly or nearly every week.
  • But that isn’t a full picture: self-reported attendance surveys often differ from observed participation and actual sacrament meeting attendance in local congregations.

Activity and Retention Challenges

• Independently analyzed survey data show that retention of people raised in the LDS Church has declined over time. For example, one analysis found that the share of childhood LDS members who still identify as adult Latter-day Saints has dropped from roughly 70 % in 2007 to about 54 % in 2023–24 in some surveys.
• Many observers note that actual weekly attendance is far below official membership totals — with activity rates in many areas commonly estimated by church members and researchers at well under 50 % of those on the rolls.
• Post-COVID and cultural shifts appear to have accentuated declines in local engagement. Anecdotal reports from individual congregations show sacrament meeting attendance dropping by as much as 25–30 % or more compared with several years ago, though these are not official denominational statistics.

Regional Shifts

• Even in Utah — historically the strongest LDS region — general church participation metrics have slipped. One recent community study found the share of all Utah residents saying they attend religious services weekly dropped from about 57 % in 2007 to near 41 % by 2024.
• While Latter-day Saints are still more engaged than most other groups, growing numbers identify as less active or non-attending despite still being counted on membership rolls.

What This Means in Context

Although the LDS Church still statistically shows higher attendance than many U.S. religions, its internal engagement and retention have weakened compared with past decades, especially among younger generations — mirroring national trends where institutional religion overall is losing traction.

I bring this up not as an attack on this or any other church. It is worth mentioning so that you can see that this revelation is actually happening, with all religions, and WHY these numbers are declining. Can’t you see this prophecy being fulfilled right before your very eyes?

FURTHERMORE, are YOU prepared for the fullness of TRUTH to be Revealed, as prophecy teaches us that it will?

A word of caution. If you believe EVERYTHING that your church teaches you, and that it is PERFECT in its doctrine, you may have some difficulty with what is going to be presented to you.

All religions are NOT perfect, even though yours might teach that. Anytime that “mankind” is involved with an organization, there is going to be some untruth, or misinterpretation. You surely haven’t forgotten that satan is also using his influences to deceive us…even through our religions.

Even the KJV of the Bible was translated with political influence from King James, however it is still the most correct translation of the bible that I have found. My point is that NOTHING is perfectly true when others are involved.

So, What Can You Do?

Perfection exists in our relationship with God. HIS teachings to us DIRECTLY from the Holy Spirit is the doctrine that you can count on. If you question something taught in your church, take it to God in prayer, and He will lead you to the truth. It’s really that simple.

When I hear my church leaders preach that we should trust THEM, and only believe what they teach, it is a clear red flag of false doctrine. Even when they go as far as to say, Trust us, even over your own personal revelation from God. DOESN’T THAT SCREAM DECEPTION to you? It is NOT showing faith by doing this as they instruct…You are being primmed for deception by following that rule.

God Himself wants you to trust HIM over any religion that is here on earth. That is the faith that He expects from us. If a church leader teaches something that pricks your conscious, take that to God and ask Him to guide you. THEN, ALWAYS do as He tells you…ALWAYS!!!

Can you imagine being on the other side, and suffering a spiritual consequence because of listening to a church leader rather than following a personal revelation that God gave to you. What would be your excuse? “I was told that he would never lead me astray”… God would reply, “BUT he did…and I even told you personally not to do what he was asking you to do. Why didn’t you listen to Me rather than him”? Can you see how embarrassing this would be?

There is no promise that trumps God. If you step back and look at that you will see that in life you always have a choice to make…Do I trust this man who is a salesman, or do I trust GOD. You are making a choice each time that you select your answer.

If a man says that He is a man of God, then EVERYTHING that He says and asks of you will match up PERFECTLY with what God is telling you. Having someone BOLDLY declare that you should always trust him even over your own Personal Revelation from God is teaching a deceptive principle of God’s gospel. To me this is the clearest deception that has occurred already. Why is He teaching that…You are about to find out, and having a relationship with Christ where you trust Him over any other person or thing is SO VERY NECESSARY!

It is my prayer that all of you will prepare for the truth to be revealed. Get ready because… HERE IT COMES! Discard any other teaching that suggests that you follow man over following God. EXPECT to learn something NEW, and you will not be caught off guard. Take your findings to God for further validation that it is the truth. Follow GOD directly, and you will never be lead astray.