Source Report Card
Chapter 12: The Beginning of Sorrows: Wars, Quakes, Famines, and Plagues
| Source | Who | When | Chain | Rung | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 24:6-8 ("be not troubled"; "beginning of sorrows") | Jesus Christ | c. AD 30-33 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| Mark 13:8 (parallel) | Jesus Christ | c. AD 30-33 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 1:35-36 (peace taken; Lord with His saints) | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | 1 Nov 1831 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 5:19 (scourge "from time to time") | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | Mar 1829 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 45:26 ("the whole earth shall be in commotion") | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | 7 Mar 1831 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 45:31 ("desolating sickness") | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | 7 Mar 1831 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 61:14-23 ("safe upon the waters"; "these waters") | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | 12 Aug 1831 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 63:33-35 ("hardly escape") | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | 30 Aug 1831 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 87:1-2, 6 (South Carolina; war on all nations) | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | 25 Dec 1832 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 88:88-91 ("after your testimony") | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | 27-28 Dec 1832 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| D&C 89:18, 21 (Word of Wisdom promises) | The Lord, through Joseph Smith | 27 Feb 1833 | 1st-hand | 1: Scripture | A+ |
| First Presidency urges COVID-19 vaccination (paraphrased) | First Presidency | Aug 2021 | 1st-hand | 2: Official Church | A |
| "The Times in Which We Live" ("prophet of doom") | Gordon B. Hinckley (then Church President) | Oct 2001 | 1st-hand | 3: Prophet, official | A |
| "Preparation for the Second Coming" ("prophesied time"; "seem to be increasing"; "reporting criteria") | Dallin H. Oaks (then Quorum of the Twelve) | Apr 2004 | 1st-hand | 3: Apostle, official | A |
| "Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always" (pandemic; prayer "will influence scientists") | M. Russell Ballard (then Acting President of the Twelve) | Oct 2020 | 1st-hand | 3: Apostle, official | A |
| "Stand Independent above All Other Creatures" ("surely shall be"; "Peace has been taken") | Bruce R. McConkie (then Quorum of the Twelve) | Apr 1979 | 1st-hand | 3: Apostle, official (one man's forecast) | A |
| JD 8:318, declines to prophesy famine | Brigham Young (then Church President; reported by G. D. Watt) | 6 Oct 1860 | 2nd-hand, single report | 4: Prophet, unofficial | C |
| Scarier famine quotes | Attributed to Brigham Young / Heber C. Kimball | unknown | Untraceable | 6: Folk | F |
| PRIO "Conflict Trends: A Global Overview" (61 conflicts, 2024) | Peace Research Institute Oslo | 2025 | Data | Not graded (data) | n/a |
| USGS earthquake FAQ (more instruments; ~16 major quakes/yr since 1900), paraphrased | U.S. Geological Survey | current | Data | Not graded (data) | n/a |
| Webster's American Dictionary, "hardly" ("with difficulty," then "scarcely") | Noah Webster | 1828 | Data | Not graded (dictionary) | n/a |
| IPC famine confirmations, Sudan (2024), Gaza (2025) | Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (UN-backed) | 2024-2025 | Data | Not graded (data) | n/a |