I traveled with my family away from our home as we positioned ourselves nearly to the center of the path of totality, to experience the longest possible time in the moon's shadow.

This took us to northeastern Arkansas. In that beautiful part of the country, we found a widened area aside the highway to stop.

We were amazed at the softened sunlight coming down from the tiny sliver of exposed surface.

Then, it happened!

The moon moved completely in front, sparkling a brilliant few beads of clear white.

A hushed awe settled over the land surrounding us.

The sliver of sun instantly turned into a great black hole in the sky, surrounded by beautiful streams of pure white glory, shown as the sun's corona.

The perfect blackness of the darkened moon contrasted with the absolute whiteness of the corona.

A few bright stars or planets became visible, adding to the heavenly light.

This marvelous vision continued for around four minutes, then the brilliant beads reappeared, exposing again a small crescent of sun.

We saw several airliners in the sky, some having turned in reaching arcs to adjust their view of this spectacle.

It was a fitting conclusion to my own family's seven years of tribulation, marked by two great solar eclipses. (See Eclipsed)

Glory be to God, who answered our prayers and stayed the clouds, allowing my family an unobstructed view.

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Having anticipated this eclipse for some time, I was expecting a rush of excitement. Instead, I only felt a deep, calming peacefulness as I looked up at that beautiful sight.

I took no pictures, but left that to others. My family chose to experience this moment by being as present as we could, together.

This experience reminds me of some significant words found in the Doctrine and Covenants:

"He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever.

And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons;

And their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth, which comprehend the earth and all the planets.

And they give light to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their minutes, in their hours, in their days, in their weeks, in their months, in their years—all these are one year with God, but not with man.

The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God.

Unto what shall I liken these kingdoms, that ye may understand?

Behold, all these are kingdoms, and any man who hath seen any or the least of these hath seen God moving in his majesty and power.

I say unto you, he hath seen him; nevertheless, he who came unto his own was not comprehended.

The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; nevertheless, the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him.

Then shall ye know that ye have seen me, that I am, and that I am the true light that is in you, and that you are in me; otherwise ye could not abound."

Doc. & Cov. 88: 41-50

How wonderful to think that we can see God, just by looking up into heaven.

I encourage you to look up. It is easy to spend too much time looking sideways, discouraged and distracted by all the noisy problems in the world. Keep your focus upward, on Him.

You can see God moving in majesty and power as He guides your own life, carefully moving you like He does the moon, the earth, and the sun.

Someday, all the moving parts of your life that seem unrelated, uncomfortable, random, chaotic, or even painful will miraculously align in an awesome moment of clarity and understanding, throwing brilliant sparkles of shimmering light to bless you with immeasurable peace and joy.

You will see the wonderful opposition between the depths of darkness and the grandness of glory made manifest by your mortal experiences. Like the black moon and the white corona, you will see how good and evil, health and sickness, and pleasure and pain offered you a spectrum of possibility that gave a medium for your truest happiness to develop.

This moment will extend onward, lasting through an eternity of assurances and understanding.

Hindsight is far better than 20/20. Someday, you will be privileged to witness the miracle of your life as God saw it the whole time. Looking back, you will understand the hard things you endured, and how they worked together for your good.

Turn toward the light.

God is there.