There are a plethora of referees to light in the Bible. From
Christ being a light to guide our feet (Psalm 119:105) to prophecies of Christ
which compare Him to "the light of the morning" (2 Samuel 23). Yet
the light that I wish to speak of is similar to what Paul talks about in 2
Corinthians 4:6 when he writes "For God, who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Yet this light comes
before we believe in Christ. Every man who has, lived, does live, and will yet
live upon this Earth and any other Earths God has created has been instilled
with the light of Christ. The world would call it a conscious. The little voice
inside your head that each of us wrestles with when attempting to make what we
view as life changing decisions. Perhaps the best place to look for an
explanation of this kind of light is not found int he Bible at all but rather,
in the pages of The Book of Mormon.
This particular definition of light comes at a time when the
people of the American continent (Lamenites and Nephites) are extremely wicked.
They are destroying one another without mercy. Mormon, the father of Moroni and
editor of the book of Mormon writes in an epistle to his son "for so
exceedingly do they anger that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death;
and they have lost their love, one towards another; and they thirst after blood
and revenge continually." (Moroni 9:5). Yet he admonishes his son
"And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor
diligently" (Moroni 9:6). Despite the wickedness of the people Mormon, and
in turn Moroni, were determined to try and call the people to repentance, to
guide them to a remembrance of their God and a realization of their own
wickedness. And just like Mormon did to his son I pray for your my dear reader
that as the world departs more and more from the path of righteousness and the
ways of God, "may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death,
and the showing of his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering,
and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever"
(Moroni 9:25)
As a result of all this wickedness Moroni writes somewhat of
the things of God, thinking that he should have already been destroyed by the
Lamenites considering the sore battles that have previously ensued. Yet he
lives for a purpose he knows not. From this context comes the explanation of
the light that is the center of this post, even the light of our Lord and
Redeemer. "For behold, the Spirit [or light] of Christ is given to every
man, that he may know good from evil;" (Moroni 7:16). Let's ponder upon
this verse for a moment shall we. If God is our Father (which I boldly submit
that He is) and he loves each of us as His child, would He not instill in each
of us a personal compass that can guide us back tot he right path when we stray
and ultimately lead us back to Him? If the goal of the Plan of Happiness is to
have every soul return to Him why would he save some and not others? I submit
to you that through this light, even the light of Christ, we come to understand
the ways of God, our paths can be lit before us as we come to a knowledge of
His Gospel and the truth He has revealed in these, the Latter Days.
Even some Latter Days Saints confuse the light of Christ
with the Holy Ghost, which is the third member of the Godhead and confirmed
upon you after baptism. So what exactly are the differences? We must fully
understand the first, before we can understand the second. In
verses of scriptures the light of Christ is explained as “the Spirit
[which] giveth light to every man that cometh into the world” (D&C 84:46)
“the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is
the law by which all things are governed” (D&C 88:13; “the Spirit of Jesus
Christ” (D&C 84:45), “the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18;), “the Spirit
of truth” (D&C 93:26), “the light of truth” (D&C 88:6), “the Spirit of
God” (D&C 46:17), and “the Holy Spirit” (D&C 45:57). President Boyd K.
Packer, President of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints has said: "Conscience affirms the reality of the Spirit
of Christ in man. It affirms, as well, the reality of good and evil, of
justice, mercy, honor, courage, faith, love, and virtue, as well as the
necessary opposites—hatred, greed, brutality, jealousy (see 2 Ne. 2:11, 16).
Such values, though physically intangible, respond to laws with
cause-and-effect relationships as certain as any resulting from physical laws
(see Gal. 6:7–9). The Spirit of Christ can be likened unto a “guardian angel”
for every person..."
Yet what is this light of Christ meant to help us do? We
previously discussed in Moroni how it is meant to help individuals determine
right from wrong. This concept affirms the idea of agency, a foundational
pillar of God's plan for each and every one of us. I have discussed with you
the idea of a pre-existance, that we lived with God as spirits before we came
to Earth. How everyone that is now upon the Earth chose to come here and follow
the plan that our Eternal Father in Heaven laid out for us. Nephi affirms this
idea of choice "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all
things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose
liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose
captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil” (2 Ne.
2:27). Yet we are admonished to “quench not the Spirit” (1 Thes. 5:19). Thus we
can see that “[all] are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil”
(2 Ne. 2:5) I think every one understands this idea. When you first do some
thing you feel to be wrong or against your moral standards it is difficult
correct? You feel like everyone knows what you have done and the guilt can some
times be unbearable. Yet when you do it a second, a third and even a fourth
time unpunished it becomes easier, potential consequences do not appear quiet
so ominous, the light of Christ, your conscious, becomes quieter and quieter
until it is stifled completely and you cease to hear its guiding voice and
recognizing His directing light.
As I have previously said, he Light of Christ existed in us
before we came to this Earth. D&C 93:23 says "Ye were also in the
beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth"
This light will be with us every moment that we live and will not perish when
the mortal part of us has turned to dust. It is ever there. Every man, woman,
and child that has ever existed and will ever exist upon this Earth- everyone,
no matter where they live or what they believe or what they do—has within them
the imperishable light of Christ. In this respect, all men are created equally.
The light of Christ in everyone is a testimony that God is no respecter of
persons (D&C 1:35). He treats everyone equally for we are all His children
and He loves us all the same.
Now for the Holy Ghost. It is important to know that the
Holy Spirit can work through this light of Christ. It must be conferred upon us
after baptism and we must receive it. If we do not heed the promptings the Holy
Ghost will not strive with us. The Holy Ghost works through the Light of Christ
to witness to us that some thing we hear or learn about is true. Paul wrote to
the Corinthians that “God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians
2:10). President Joseph Fielding Smith spoke of the teachings of the Holy Ghost
and of the Spirit of Christ: “Every man can receive a manifestation of the Holy
Ghost, even when he is out of the Church, if he is earnestly seeking for the
light and for the truth. The Holy Ghost will come and give the man the
testimony he is seeking, and then withdraw; and the man does not have a claim
upon another visit or constant visits and manifestations from him. He may have
the constant guidance of that other Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.”
My dear reader. You have the spirit of Christ. If you have
been baptized and confirmed by the proper authority you also have the continual
companionship of the Holy Ghost. There are so many beautiful promises in the
scriptures about the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Christ told his disciples
in Jerusalem before he ascended into heave:
“the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). I testify to you that this is
true. You were once taught of the things that I write about on this blog. If
you prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, which is the word of God, with a
desire to act upon the revelation you will receive the Lord will manifest the
truth of these things unto you (see Moroni 10:3-5). Learn from the feet of the
missionaries. Come to know the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, cultivate
this light of Christ through heeding the impressions you experience and walking
in righteousness before the Lord. Let His light shine through you and may He
bless you, until you read again.
No comments:
Post a Comment