The End of the World

Yesterday I watched the longest sunset I have ever seen. I was flying west over the United States in the evening and I had a window see where I could see the sunset.  I watched the beautiful yellow and red horizon settle ever so slowly in the distance and light up the clouds just outside of my window.  As I watched this I was reminded of a scene in L’Aventure Ambiguë by Cheikh Hamidou Kane.  At one point le chevalier—father of Samba—had a conversation with Paul Lacroix, the white school teacher, as they watched a powerful sunset.  Paul was a representation of the West and its focus on the scientific, whereas le chevalier seemed to be symbol of his people in Africa and their faith in God.  As they watched together the horizon lit up with the changing light in what almost seemed to be an explosion, the chevalier posed this question to Paul: “Vous ne croyez pas vraiment dans la fin du monde?” (You really don’t believe in the end of the world?)  The answer of this western man was simply, “Non, evidemment. Le monde n’aura pas de fin” (No, clearly. The world will not have an end).  Part of the motivation for the question was that as they watched the sun go down, the brilliant display in the sky nearly looked as if the world indeed was ending.  It’s as if each sunset is in fact a type of how the world will really end someday.  In the book there followed a fascinating conversation with the white man explaining why they could only rely on science for truth, and le chevalier telling how the ultimate truth would only be known at the end of the world. 

                I think there is another way to see this question about the end of the world.  The sunset comes every day—there is always an end to the light of each day and the possibility of work.  That seems to be a pretty dramatic symbol of how our own lives are going to likewise reach their own sunset.  The daily “death” of the sun is a strong witness to us that our cycle of life will be similarly end.  Despite the importance we place on the daily tasks we have, we must not forget that one day our sun will go down and we will have to face God and give an accounting for our life and stewardship.  As Moroni testified to us, “We shall stand before God at the last day” (Ether 5:6).  Alma similarly said, “For behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works” (Alma 11:41).  As I watched the sunset be prolonged I thought about how my life too will likely be lengthened—I hope that there are still many more years for me to be on earth—but that, like the sun, one day the end will inevitably come.  And that’s the day that we must be ready for.  We will indeed all stand to give an accounting for our works.  The sun will go down in all of our lives, and there will indeed be a point at which repentance is too late.