I’m grateful for
LIGHT! A few things I think of when I think of
light…
- Gratefully, the days are getting longer again….and someday there will be light after work with time to go hiking! ;)
- Some of the greatest blessings in life are sunrises and sunsets. It’s fun to find a good place to enjoy them. In fact, I know of a few places and cultures where climbing to the top of the highest mountain to see the first sunrise of the new year is more important than staying up until midnight to celebrate. I’ve enjoyed that a couple of times, but was more traditional this year. ;)
- This morning I was listening to Music and the Spoken Word and heard Lloyd Newell talking about sunflowers and how they are constantly tracking and following the sun, the light! What a great reminder for us.
- Light reminds me of some happy and bright children in Ghana that I got to visit for a few days during a study abroad project with my graduate program. We were working with them and a nonprofit that builds playgrounds that generate electricity that is stored in batteries and lights the children can take home to read by. They truly appreciated light.
- I remember a lot of light on my mission in South Korea. On the day I flew through Seoul I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Coming from a tiny town in Hawaii I was now living in the second largest city in Korea - with lights and people everywhere. A few months into my mission our mission president came to visit our tiny apartment in a large apartment building complex that was just one of many in Pusan. He reminded us how the light shined brightly from our little home out to the loud, busy, crowded world around. I felt small with a limited vocabulary at that time, but was grateful for the reminder that the light of the gospel was consistent, pure, and true. The world around us has become more confused, loud, busy, and dark since then, but the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, His love and Atonement is truly the only thing that will heal and save and bless all of our Heavenly Father’s children.
- I remember a beautiful morning several years ago in the Mt Timpanogos Temple. I was sitting in the celestial room just as the sun came up and it FILLED the whole room and my heart with hope and peace and joy.
- Light is truth, joy, happiness, direction, peace, goodness.
- Joseph Smith saw a pillar of light exactly over his head. That light has changed the world forever.
- There was a new star and a day and a night and a day that were light for the Nephites announcing the Savior’s birth.
- After three days of darkness/destruction the Nephites saw a wonderful light coming down from heaven - the Savior!
- The brother of Jared asked for light and received much more than he imagined.
- Alma the Younger and King Lamoni and his father described the joy and the “marvelous light” they found when they were converted, when they remembered and turned to Christ and their hearts were changed.
- Jesus Christ truly is the light of the world! His light is what gives life and purpose and meaning to all the rest!!
- The scriptures, the words of the prophets are full of LIGHT! Just the examples I found take up many pages. ;)
- We can share the light of Christ with others. I loved participating in the Church’s #LIGHTtheWORLD campaign. So many of the things we were asked to do pointed us directly to the Savior and his selfless example of goodness. They were small, but meaningful and intentional acts that helped us be more like Him. A few of my favorites (and some I still need to do): visit a caregiver, carry someone’s backpack, call your mom, learn about mental illness or giving sight or mobility to someone, text someone a scripture, invite a neighbor to dinner, sit by someone new, stop and listen when a child talks, ask for advice, sing, buy hand warmers to distribute, leave encouraging notes, cheer someone on, offer a prayer of pure gratitude, say nice things about someone behind their back, don’t complain, make note of people’s birthdays, be aware of someone you haven’t noticed before - get to know them.
- I was uplifted by the examples of family, friends, and strangers around me:
- I loved hearing my nieces and nephews tell me about the things they did - bringing dinner to a man who couldn’t hear or get up to make his own food, taking flowers to their primary teacher, making and distributing hygiene kits to homeless people, collecting food and toys to take to the families without much;
- I was inspired by someone in the car in front of me who had a ready-made lunch to hand to the man at the side of the freeway exit asking for money;
- I was grateful for the sweet Muslim woman who recently came from Iraq and is in an English class I teach for refugees who (on the day we were supposed to express gratitude) lifted me up with her kind expression of thanks and a hearty “MERRY CHRISTMAS!”
I lived a couple of blocks from Temple Square for a few years and enjoyed spending time there. I’m sure many of you have been there at some point right as they turn on the Christmas lights and heard the combined audible expression of gratitude, wonder, and joy. Maybe some of you have also been there when they turn the lights off around 10:30 pm. This time the combined audible expression is a gasp of disappointment. The lights are gone for another day. Maybe you feel this sometimes. Although the physical lights might be gone for a season, we can keep His light shining brightly in our lives and share it with others every day of the year.
In
Matthew 5:14-16 (from the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus teaches:
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
I love these verses, and the related verse in
3 Nephi 18:24 where the Savior teaches the Nephites:
Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do.
A few things I take from these verses:
- He is the Light.
- We must share His light with the world (not hide it or forget to share it). It is needed more than ever!
- We should remember that our purpose in sharing the light is to glorify God.
So…how do we do it? How do we practically and actually be a light and let it shine?
In 2014
Sister Neill F. Marriott quoted President Monson who said, “If you want to give a light to others, you have to glow yourself.” So, the first step….we have to glow! How do we glow, shine, fill our own lives with light?
1. We must KNOW HIM! REMEMBER HIM ALWAYS, keep our covenants.
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President James E. Faust said, “A sacred light comes to our eyes and countenances when we have a personal bond with our loving Heavenly Father and His Son.”
Some ways we can know Him and find that bond….
- study, know truth (read the scriptures and words of the prophets)
- live, love truth (live the doctrine and keep the commandments)
- have faith, repent, follow the Spirit…
- spend time praying, fasting, serving in the temple, appreciating nature and good music, serving others, doing what He would do….
- learn, obey, be humble, follow Jesus (like the sunflowers!)
- be pure, virtuous (have clean hands, pure hearts)
- truly love, serve (pray for and practice charity)
- be true to who you are as a child of God!
- be happy, grateful, anxiously engaged in good!
- SMILE
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Elder Robert D. Hales tells the story of riding his bike home from basketball practice at night when he was a boy. He said, "I would connect a small pear-shaped generator to my bicycle tire. Then as I pedaled, the tire would turn a tiny rotor, which produced electricity and emitted a single, welcome beam of light. It was a simple but effective mechanism. But I had to pedal to make it work! I learned quickly that if I stopped pedaling my bicycle, the light would go out. I also learned that when I was 'anxiously engaged' in pedaling, the light would become brighter and the darkness in front of me would be dispelled. The generation of spiritual light comes from daily spiritual pedaling. It comes from praying, studying the scriptures, fasting, and serving—from living the gospel and obeying the commandments. 'He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light,” said the Lord, “and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.'"
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Sister Elaine Dalton (YW General President at the time) taught in April 2012, “Your beauty—your “shine”—does not lie in makeup, gooey cream, or the latest clothing or hairstyles. It lies in your personal purity. When you live the standards and qualify for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, you can have a powerful impact in the world. Your example, even the light in your eyes, will influence others who see your “shine,” and they will want to be like you…. If you desire to make a difference in the world, you must be different from the world.”
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President Henry B. Eyring said: “Each time you choose to try to live more like the Savior, you will have your testimony strengthened. You will come in time to know for yourself that He is the Light of the World. … You will reflect to others the Light of Christ in your life.”
A few things that have brought light to my life this year:
- Reading the Book of Mormon. This year I studied JOY! There is much! The greatest joy seems to come from gratitude, faithfulness, obedience, righteousness, food, family, work, worship, covenants, service, the temple, freedom, truth, scriptures, prophets, repentance, Christ, conversion, missionary work, the Spirit
- Visiting the Priesthood Restoration Site in Harmony, Pennsylvania and thinking about the truth and light that came to earth and that we enjoy in even greater measure now.
- Attending the temple regularly.
- Time spent in the mountains! :D
- Chances to serve.
2. Once we are glowing we need to share His light, not hide it or keep it to ourselves….
When we are filled with the light and joy of the gospel, like Lehi our first desire should be to call for our family and friends to partake of the fruit!
Peter taught in
1 Peter 3:15,
“sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”
Alma taught in
Mosiah 18:8-10,
“stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all
places that ye may be in.”
President Monson has given two talks on this exact subject that you might enjoy for further study:
In the October 2015 General Conference he gave a talk called “
Be an Example and a Light.” He highlights two scriptures - Matthew 5:14-16 and then he reads
1 Timothy 4:12 where Paul teaches:
“Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
President Monson says, “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.
The other talk was a Nov. 2011 BYU Devotional called “
Be A Light to the World.” President Monson says: "Each of you is one of a kind. Each has had experiences unique to you and you alone. You come from varied backgrounds. And yet there is much that we have in common one with another. We know where we came from, why we are here, and where we will go when we leave this life. We know that we are children of our Heavenly Father and that He loves us. We know we want to return to Him after we leave this earthly existence. We know that what we do—and don’t do—here in mortality is of utmost importance. We also know that, should we fall short, our Savior has provided us with the precious gift of the Atonement and that, if we change our lives and our hearts and take advantage of the power of the Atonement, our sins and shortcomings will be forgiven and forgotten.
"We have in common the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we know it is our responsibility to share the truths of the gospel with others. One of the chief ways in which we can share the gospel is to be a righteous example. The Apostle Paul admonished, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” He also wrote that the followers of Christ should be “as lights in the world.”
"Just as turning on a light switch in a dark room will bathe the room in light, so providing an example of righteousness—and therefore being a light—can help to illuminate an increasingly dark world. Our opportunities to shine are limitless. They 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, as it were, in the lives of those around us—whether they be our own family members, our coworkers, mere acquaintances, or total strangers."
Essentially he tells us that we must be an example of the believers. In small, but meaningful ways we can share our testimonies and the hope that is in us….
- be aware, observe and serve!
- be a friend
- forget yourself and go to work!
- Maybe some of you have read the book, The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright. A quote that has been discussed in our family since some of us read it was by a character who lost a family member and suffered a lot. She says, “‘My only journey of concern was to be like the sun, to make it through the day offering as much light and warmth and consistency for others as I could--one single day. Each day. That was all... So from that day on, I have continued to get up in the morning and offer that light, as much as I am able, in my own small way.'"
- I LOVE President Monson mentioning our uniqueness. We have different backgrounds, experiences, talents, personalities, opportunities. I think that’s on purpose. The Lord needs our uniqueness to help reflect the Savior’s light to touch different people in different places and in different ways. If we are willing and ready He will use us to bless others and bring them home to Him! He loves us. He loves each of His children! (This gives me hope. Sometimes, to those of us that may tend to be more introverted, it can be overwhelming to be seen, to shine, to not hide… but our unique talents and testimonies are needed. We truly can share and give of ourselves...in small ways that make a big difference.)
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President Faust tells the story of a 13-year-old girl waiting for the bus. A man driving by noticed that she was always smiling every day, rain or shine. Sometime later this same girl invited his daughter to a church activity...and eventually the missionaries taught the family and they were baptized. The father didn’t realize the connection at first, but is ever grateful for the girl at the bus stop who shared her smile….and more. :D
3. My last take away from the scripture in Matthew has to do with motives and why we share His light - to glorify Him!
- The world is kind of a showy place these days. Everyone is looking for the spotlight and to be their own light. In
2 Nephi 26, Nephi teaches that
“priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.”
- I think it’s important that we remember that the Lord is asking us to reflect His light. Do what He would do in order to accomplish His work and His glory -
“to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”’
- In
D&C 4, we’re reminded that
“faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, quality [us] for the work.”
- In
D&C 82, the Lord tells us to
“seek...the interest of [our] neighbor, and do..all things with an eye single to the glory of God.”
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Matthew 6:22 teaches, “
if...thine eye be single to the glory of God, thy whole body shall be full of light.”
- I love the metaphor in
John 15 where the Lord says,
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing…. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
- We need to share goodness. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” But remember why we do. A pure heart will help us to accomplish God’s work and His will.
- There’s a lot more I need to learn and study about light and God’s glory in
D&C 88 and
93, if you’re interested.
In closing….just a few thoughts as a reminder that there are people around us that need light. We learn in the
Doctrine and Covenants 123 that
“there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations… who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing [it] to light.” There are some who once had light, but are searching again.
Elder Bednar said to a group of BYU-Idaho students in 2002: “In a world increasingly filled with darkness, the image of Christ in [your] countenances...will radiate a light that will literally…‘chase darkness from among you.’”
Mosiah 16:9:
“He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened.”
D&C 50:24:
“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.”
A couple of years ago an observant friend saw that I needed a new light bulb and brought one by a few days later. This might sound like a light bulb joke, but it got me thinking - How many light bulbs does it take to light the world? ;) ALL of them/each one of us!
Seriously, I hope that as we think about who we want to become in 2017 we will think about someone that might need some light and put the Savior’s light on a candlestick, on a hill, for them and others to see. We can smile, open our mouths, point others to Christ. Let’s not bury our talents, our testimonies, our light, our hope, our joy. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ, His Atonement, His love are the answers that will heal the world. I hope we will choose light, be light, follow Him, glow, shine, seek to glorify God! He will lead and guide us as we seek Him and desire to share.
The words in
Matthew 5:14-16 are an invitation, a call to action. As we proactively look for ways to increase the light in our lives and share it with others I know that we will be blessed. We will find greater happiness and joy, we will help our Heavenly Father do His work, and we will bring joy to those around us.
Sister Camilla Kimball taught that we should "never suppress a generous thought."
Mother Teresa said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”
President Hinckley said, “Wear on your countenance the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ — the good news that He came into the world.”
I’m grateful for so many people - my parents, my family, my friends, many of you - who have shared your light with me, uplifted and helped lead me to Him. I'm grateful for an opportunity to share my testimony of these things. I love the Lord and His gospel. It’s truth, it’s light, it’s joy! I know this is His true church and that He is the Light and Life of the world. There’s a plan and purpose to our lives here and eternally!
