Today was a full solar eclipse of the sun. It could be seen across the United States, and its pass made a swath from Oregon to South Carolina. The last total solar eclipse was in 1979, and I remember it well in High School. Naturally, there has been a high degree of interest throughout the country about it. Many sets of special glasses were sold in order to view the eclipse without getting eye damage. But most interesting to me has been the exodus of people hurrying to the line of small towns through the center of the states in order to see 100% coverage of the sun by the moon. People have flooded the small towns along the 70 mile wide pathway of the moon, and many towns have reported shortages of food and gasoline. But it is all in fun, and I’m certain the world will go back to normal starting tomorrow. Interestingly, in The Book of Mormon, there was another exciting exodus to see the Son. It was one that took place right after Jesus’ first appearance in the New World. While a smaller number saw Him when I first descended, there was an exciting dash throughout the next night to be in the land of Bountiful in order to see Him in full view the next day.
3 Nephi 19:2 And it was noised abroad among the people immediately, before it was yet dark, that the multitude had seen Jesus, and that he had ministered unto them, and that he would also show himself on the morrow unto the multitude.
3 Yea, and even all the night it was noised abroad concerning Jesus; and insomuch did they send forth unto the people that there were many, yea, an exceedingly great number, did labor exceedingly all that night, that they might be on the morrow in the place where Jesus should show himself unto the multitude.
LESSON LEARNED: Temporal phenomena are short-lived, but the excitement created by the appearance of Jesus Christ in The Book of Mormon was explosive and carried on for generations.
FEEDBACK: WHAT WOULD BE YOUR RESPONSE IF YOU HEARD THAT JESUS HAD JUST APPEARED AND WOULD BE REAPPEARING IN THE SAME PLACE TOMORROW?
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