The Rainbow Connection
Today in my Creative Writing class, my teacher touched on the hurricanes since there’s a rather tender poem published in our school newspaper about Katrina. The classroom slowly took on it’s own conversation. “That…so bites…” said one girl (Marcie Glad). “What a nightmare!” another said. But then one dramatic voice kinda sent us all into a stunned moment of silence.
“It’s the end of the world, people.”
The depressed quiet only lasted a second or two, but it was a tangible horror that hung in the room. But only for a moment. The girl in front of me said something (she acts and dresses like a skate punk and has too much makeup and all that, so I never would’ve expected this).
She suddenly cried out, “No it’s not! I saw a rainbow yesterday!!”
Everyone broke into a relieved laugh. And I remembered that yeah, there was a double rainbow yesterday. Naturally followed by a beautiful sunset.
First of all, I had just explained this to my friend Skyler Mann and my entire church seminary class a week or so ago. Second, I remembered how annoyed I was that my little brother Caleb made such a big deal out of the rainbows the previous evening. I remarked aloud, “Now that I know how a rainbow is made, the magic is gone.” It was just annoying how he had burst into the kitchen, going, “Mami, Mami! Come outside—there’s a rainbow!!! Come onnnnnn!!”
But to fully understand the rainbow connection you’ve gotta be Mormon. It’s kinda the folklore that if there’s no rainbow for a year, the Second Coming is near. Or, that the Second Coming is in a year if there’s no rainbow. (Hey, rainbow connection…anybody got a banjo? C’m here, Kermit…)
Here’s the truth straight from Joseph Smith: “The Lord hath set the bow in the cloud for a sign that while it shall be seen, seed time and harvest, summer and winter shall not fail; but when it shall disappear, woe to that generation, for behold the end cometh quickly (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 305).”
A later, fuller treatment of the matter by the prophet reads: “I have asked the Lord concerning His coming; and while asking the Lord, he gave a sign and said, ‘In the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come; but there should be seed time and harvest during that year: but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant.’
“But I will take the responsibility upon myself to prophesy in the name of the Lord, that Christ will not come this year…for we have seen the bow…Brethren, when you go home, write it down, that it may be remembered (Teachings, pg. 340-41).”
What hope it gives me to know the Sign of the Rainbow, and that everything will turn out okay and according to the will of the Father. I am thankful for the Lord’s servant, Joseph Smith. In the same sermon, he humbly remarks to the people that he was their unworthy servant. Brothers and sisters, he was worthy. And I say that in the name of the Messiah that shall come again, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
“It’s the end of the world, people.”
The depressed quiet only lasted a second or two, but it was a tangible horror that hung in the room. But only for a moment. The girl in front of me said something (she acts and dresses like a skate punk and has too much makeup and all that, so I never would’ve expected this).
She suddenly cried out, “No it’s not! I saw a rainbow yesterday!!”
Everyone broke into a relieved laugh. And I remembered that yeah, there was a double rainbow yesterday. Naturally followed by a beautiful sunset.
First of all, I had just explained this to my friend Skyler Mann and my entire church seminary class a week or so ago. Second, I remembered how annoyed I was that my little brother Caleb made such a big deal out of the rainbows the previous evening. I remarked aloud, “Now that I know how a rainbow is made, the magic is gone.” It was just annoying how he had burst into the kitchen, going, “Mami, Mami! Come outside—there’s a rainbow!!! Come onnnnnn!!”
But to fully understand the rainbow connection you’ve gotta be Mormon. It’s kinda the folklore that if there’s no rainbow for a year, the Second Coming is near. Or, that the Second Coming is in a year if there’s no rainbow. (Hey, rainbow connection…anybody got a banjo? C’m here, Kermit…)
Here’s the truth straight from Joseph Smith: “The Lord hath set the bow in the cloud for a sign that while it shall be seen, seed time and harvest, summer and winter shall not fail; but when it shall disappear, woe to that generation, for behold the end cometh quickly (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 305).”
A later, fuller treatment of the matter by the prophet reads: “I have asked the Lord concerning His coming; and while asking the Lord, he gave a sign and said, ‘In the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come; but there should be seed time and harvest during that year: but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant.’
“But I will take the responsibility upon myself to prophesy in the name of the Lord, that Christ will not come this year…for we have seen the bow…Brethren, when you go home, write it down, that it may be remembered (Teachings, pg. 340-41).”
What hope it gives me to know the Sign of the Rainbow, and that everything will turn out okay and according to the will of the Father. I am thankful for the Lord’s servant, Joseph Smith. In the same sermon, he humbly remarks to the people that he was their unworthy servant. Brothers and sisters, he was worthy. And I say that in the name of the Messiah that shall come again, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
posted by Alexander at 3:13 PM
1 Comments:
Dude that is so totally cool!!! I'm glad someone knows Joseph's teachings, cuz i was worried about it being the end of the world too. I mean the scripture say many disasters and stuff will happen and lots of it is coming true. Gotta love our church and the connections to everything in life. Thanx Marcus for the testimony.
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