"We tend to focus on the here and now," he said. That means finding love, reconciliation and forgiveness now and not worrying about the future. "Any talk of a 1,000-year rule of Christ on earth in a so-called millennium is pure speculation," Pastor Goodier said.

Still, he said there's room for a diversity of opinion among United Methodist members and they will hold a variety of personal beliefs on subjects such as the millennium or second coming.

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the millennium is a return to the earth's paradisiacal glory. In other words, the earth will return to how it was during the Garden of Eden, before the fall of Adam and Eve.

From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, "Mormon Doctrine" and "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith," here's a summary of some LDS teachings regarding the millennium:

• The second coming of Jesus Christ will not usher in "the end of the world," but rather "the end of the wicked," as all persons not living at least a terrestrial law will be swept away.

(The "terrestrial" kingdom is the middle of the "Three Degrees of Glory" of LDS doctrine. "Telestial" is lowest and "celestial" is the highest kingdom.)

This means good people of all churches will be left on the earth during the millennium, though everyone must eventually join Christ's true faith or vanish.

• Satan will be bound and will not have to power to tempt.

• Life goes on for those on earth. People will build houses, plant gardens and eat of the fruit of them. However, the "First Resurrection" (of righteous Saints) ushers in the millennium.

• The number of temples will expand. Temple work will be the main activity on earth.

• There will be no weeds, thistles or sickness. All the world's land mass will be joined to one large continent

• Christ and resurrected Saints will govern the earth. However, they will probably not live here, as they are of a celestial order, but will visit often.

• Death as we know it will be gone. People will live to the age of a tree and then be changed from mortality to immortality in the twinkling of an eye.

• Animals will be changed. There will be no more meat-eating and the lamb and lion shall lie down together.

• The "Lost Ten Tribes" and the City of Enoch will return.

• Satan will be loosed at the end of the millennium. He will gather his armies and some men will again deny God before Satan and his hosts are cast out forever.

In contrast, Unitarians believe there will be no millennium, said the Rev. Tom Goldsmith of Salt Lake's First Unitarian Church.

His faith believes in the natural order and that man brings most misery on himself, with his weapons and greenhouse effect. Man may wipe himself out, but it is by his hand.

"The world will continue with other forms of life," Rev. Goldsmith said.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com