The Celestial North

After hearing a lot of griping over the weekend about the snowstorms, I thought I’d give a somewhat tongue in cheek defense of winter, the greatest of all the seasons. Winter is coming.

First let it be known that of all the places Santa Claus could have put his charitable enterprise, it was the north pole that he finally decided upon. The magic of the north pole is well known. This is a defense of the religious value of the north and the blessings of snow storms and cold weather than the north annually bestows upon the northern hemisphere. Santa as a representative of the snow prepares the north for a celebration of Jesus by first bringing winter storms. How better to enjoy the celebration of the birth of the Lord than cold weather and snow?

Second snow is literally manna from heaven. It’s white and fluffy and disappears over tiem. In Exodus 16:14 it reads, “When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground.” (NASB) While we have to assume something lost over the centuries of translation, it seems clear that God was blessing the Israelites with the blessings of Canada that they, coming across the Arabian desert from Egypt, may have never experienced. We are agnostic about reports of skiing by the Israelites, but we know only the truly faithful thought about it.

Next look at violence. Go to any international news site and there’s civil wars, violence, murder and crime near the equator. Unsurprisingly the farther north you go, the safer it becomes. Those in the snow rarely have excessive crime. While it might be too much to talk of degrees of glory, there’s more.

D&C 130:9 “This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon…” Sounds like ice and snow to me. Yes some doubt and point to verse 7 where God lives on a globe like a sea of glass and fire. But heavens, everyone knows the best thing to do in the winter is build a fire, sit around it after a long day of winter fun, and roast marshmellows while drinking hot chocolate. Such celestial activities clearly are part of God’s kingdom.

It seems clear that while the masses may not be able to withstand the glory of snow, much like they could not withstand the presence of the divine, those transfigured in their hearts seek after it. Is it any wonder that Brigham Young brought the saints by revelation to the greatest snow on earth?

Some point to global warming, as if man’s attempts to destroy the work of the Lord won’t ultimately be futile. We must stop the warming by doing the work of the Lord to prevent it. We are the earth’s stewards after all. But one things is for sure, after the apocalypse, God will bring his Canadian weather for all. The loss of snow clearly is a sign of the times though – loss of divine favor.