3
Nephi:15
What
15 And
it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled,
according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of
the asun there
was bno darkness;
and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness
when the night came.
Why
this
was to be a sign that Jesus Christ was born. There is power in the
heavens to stop the sun so that it will stand still and it will not
get dark.
The
sign of the sun and light symbolizes the light that Christ brings
into the world. He is the light.
Pattern
12 ¶Then
spake Joshua to the Lord in
the day when the Lord delivered
up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the
sight of Israel, aSun,
stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of
Ajalon.
13 And
the asun stood
still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves
upon their enemies. Is not
this written in the book of bJasher?
So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go
down about a whole day.
14 And
there was no day like that before it or after it, that
the Lord hearkened
unto the voice of a man: for the Lord afought for
Israel.
Hel.
14:3
3
And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at
the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in
heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no
darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.
Hel.
16:13
13
But it came to pass in the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges,
there were great
signs given
unto the people, and wonders; and the words of the prophets began to
be fulfilled.
Christ
John 8:12
12
¶Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of
the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the lightof life.
John 12:36
36
While ye have light,
believe in the light,
that ye may be the children of light.
These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from
them.
11
And the light which
shineth, which giveth you light,
is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the
same light that
quickeneth your understandings;
24
That which is of God is light;
and he that receiveth light,
and continueth in God, receiveth more light;
and that light groweth
brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
Luke 11:36
36
If thy whole body therefore be full of light,
having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light,
as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
Alma 19:6
6
Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was
under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was
being cast away from his mind, and the light which
did lightup his mind,
which was the light of
the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of
his goodness—yea, this light had
infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been
dispelled, and that the light of
everlasting life was lit up
in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame,
and he was carried away in God—
Conference
Recently,
as I have been reading and pondering the scriptures, two passages in
particular have stayed with me. Both are familiar to us. The first is
from the Sermon on the Mount: “Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven.”1 The
second scripture is one which came to my mind as I pondered the
meaning of the first. It is from the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to
Timothy: “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”2
I
believe the second scripture explains, in great part, how we can
accomplish the first. We become examples of the believers by living
the gospel of Jesus Christ in word, in conversation, in charity, in
spirit, in faith, and in purity. As we do so, our lights will shine
for others to see.
Each
of us came to earth having been given the Light of Christ. As we
follow the example of the Savior and live as He lived and as He
taught, that light will burn within us and will light the way for
others.
The
Apostle Paul lists six attributes of a believer, attributes that will
allow our lights to shine. Let us look at each one.
I
mention the first two attributes together—being an example in word
and in conversation. The words we use can lift and inspire, or they
can harm and demean. In the world today there is a profusion of
profanity with which we seem to be surrounded at nearly every turn.
It is difficult to avoid hearing the names of Deity being used
casually and thoughtlessly. Coarse comments seem to have become a
staple of television, movies, books, and music. Bandied about are
slanderous remarks and angry rhetoric. Let us speak to others with
love and respect, ever keeping our language clean and avoiding words
or comments that would wound or offend. May we follow the example of
the Savior, who spoke with tolerance and kindness throughout His
ministry.
The
next attribute mentioned by Paul is charity, which has been defined
as “the pure love of Christ.”3 I
am confident there are within our sphere of influence those who are
lonely, those who are ill, and those who feel discouraged. Ours is
the opportunity to help them and to lift their spirits. The Savior
brought hope to the hopeless and strength to the weak. He
Next,
we are to be an example in spirit. To me that means we strive to have
in our lives kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and goodwill. These
qualities will provide for us a spirit which will touch the lives of
those around us. It has been my opportunity through the years to
associate with countless individuals who possess such a spirit. We
experience a special feeling when we are with them, a feeling that
makes us want to associate with them and to follow their example.
They radiate the Light of Christ and help us feel His love for us.
To
illustrate that the light which comes from a pure and loving spirit
is recognized by others, I share with you an experience of many years
ago.
It
is often difficult to be different and to stand alone in a crowd. It
is natural to fear what others might think or say. Comforting are the
words of the psalm: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be
afraid?”7 As
we make Christ the center of our lives, our fears will be replaced by
the courage of our convictions.
Life
is perfect for none of us, and at times the challenges and
difficulties we face may become overwhelming, causing our light to
dim. However, with help from our Heavenly Father, coupled with
support from others, we can regain that light which will illuminate
our own path once again and provide the light others may need.
My
brothers and sisters, our opportunities to shine surround us each
day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. As we follow the
example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light in
the lives of others, whether they be our own family members and
friends, our co-workers, mere acquaintances, or total strangers.
To
each of you, I say that you are a son or daughter of our Heavenly
Father. You have come from His presence to live on this earth for a
season, to reflect the Savior’s love and teachings, and to bravely
let your light shine for all to see. When that season on earth has
ended, if you have done your part, yours will be the glorious
blessing of returning to live with Him forever.
How
reassuring are the Savior’s words: “I am the light of the world:
he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life.”9 Of
Him I testify. He is our Savior and Redeemer, our Advocate with the
Father. He is our Exemplar and our strength. He is “the light which
shineth in darkness.”10 That
each of us within the sound of my voice may pledge to follow Him,
thus becoming a shining light to the world, is my prayer in His holy
name, even Jesus Christ the Lord, amen.
Apply
Do
all that we can to light the world. The church is now encouraging us
to light the world in 25 ways in 25 days. It is wonderful to be
thinking of how we can do this every day. It needs to continue on
and on and on. Be like Christ. He is the light!
Hymns
89-The
Lord is My Light
97-Lead
Kindly Light
Children
177
Teach Me to Walk in the Light
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