Today, I am grateful for Indian Summer's. What is Indian Summer, you may ask? It is when, after a frost has occurred, finishing what has been growing all year and afterwards an unusually high temperature period happens. It is, for me one of the glorious happenings in Autumn. The soil may have experienced a hard frost, however it is still workable. The Indians used this for their final push of harvesting "... Ere the Winter storms begin". Harvesting and planting those plants which will sleep during the winter, to arise greeting us with Spring once again.
I can remember this was the time that my Grandmother longed to travel back to her home area (Juniata County, Pennsylvania) to see the leaves on the trees. If the earlier storms were not too devastating, the leaves would benefit from the Indian Summer by showing off their brilliant colors. I remember sitting in the back of the Rambler gazing out the window in awe of the transformation of the Pennsylvania Mountains. Yesterday, as I gazed at the Utah mountains, the peaks were snow covered. Yet through all the white I could still see the brilliant colors just as the eastern mountains of long ago. And soon the white will come down from the peaks of the mountains and envelop the rest of the valley.
I can find parallels in all of this too. Seasons come and go. We know that Spring will be followed by Summer, Fall and Winter. It is a constant reminder to me that while seasons may change we have a loving Father in Heaven who created this for our benefit and enjoyment. Indian Summer is a reminder that, while we know that the harsh Winter will be upon us soon, that Spring will come. That Summer will follow, and that Fall will happen. We know of the calamities that will occur in the last days. We have witnessed just a few of them and will probably witness more and more. Natural calamities, such as devastating typhoons and earthquakes will continue to happen. The world will remain in heightened fear as wars, and rumors of wars escalate. Nation will fight nation. The world's ideals will swing from the original God-given laws to those that justify lifestyles and self indulgence of those justifications. Government will be rocked by scandal, lies, deceit - while growing further and further from that God which gave them the original laws.
Yet, through all the "hard frost" in preparation for the "harsh Winter" that must come, our Indian Summer is the gospel. We have been given the mandate by our prophets to begin, with earnest the harvest - to find those precious souls that may wither from the Winters to be, to gather them safely into the fold. While the soil is still pliable, we must plant the word of The Lord so that it will remain there during the winters to come. That, while the gospel is being planted, and harvested we all have the hope of a glorious crop when Spring comes again.
Indian Summer is upon us and we must work while the earth still receives warmth to find those whom The Lord calls His children; our brothers and sisters . To harvest them in baptism, where they will be completely covered in the "waters that give life". To see them grow from the only true source of light - the Son. And to watch them mature and blossom into the brilliant gospel colors.
While the Winter will surely come, as been foretold by prophets. We also know that Spring will come. The Savior will return to the earth once again dressed in a robe of white and will envelop the entire earth. He will take His harvest - those that we have toiled to bring into the gospel; those have remained true and faithful, and those who have "fought the good fight" - Yes, all of us. His Harvest home with Him.
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