The Light of Christ

In the Gospel of John (speaking of John the Baptist’s mission to prepare for and witness of Jesus Christ) the scripture refers to Jesus Christ as the Light of the World, “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world”. (John 1: 9 in the Bible) Also refer to as the Light of Christ. The Savior taught “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

What is the Light of Christ

The Light of Christ is the divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things. One manifestation of the Light of Christ is what we call a conscience. Webster’s dictionary defines the conscience as “a knowledge or feeling of right and wrong with a compulsion to do right.” Conscience is a manifestation of the Light of Christ, enabling us to judge good from evil. “The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil…”. (Mormon 7: 16 in the Book of Mormon)

Unfortunately if we willingly enter and remain in the darkness of sin, hatred, selfishness and cut God out of our lives the influence for good coming from the Light of Christ will be lost and we will be surrounded by darkness.

The Hope of the Savior’s Light

Deter F. Uchtdorf discusses the hope of the Savior’s light in our lives. “I have a cherished painting in my office that is titled Entrance to Enlightenment. It was created by a friend of mine, the Danish artist Johan Benthin. The painting shows a dark room with an open door from which light is shining. It is interesting to me that the light coming through the door does not illuminate the entire room–only the space immediately in front of the door.

To me, the darkness and light in this painting are a metaphor for life. It is part of our condition as mortal beings to sometimes feel as though we are surrounded by darkness. We might have lost a loved one; a child might have strayed; we might have received a troubling medical diagnosis; we might have employment challenges and be burdened by doubts or fears; or we might feel alone or unloved. But even though we may feel lost in the midst of our current circumstances, God promises the hope of His light–He promises to illuminate the way before us and show us the way out of darkness.” He then relates an experience he had in Africa. “The meeting began, and I started to speak. But soon the power went out in the building, and we were left in complete darkness. For a while I could hardly see anyone in the congregation, but I could see and feel the brilliant and beautiful smiles of our members.

The darkness in the chapel continued, and so I sat next to my wife and waited for the power to be restored. As we waited, something remarkable happened. A few voices began singing one of the hymns. And then others joined in. And then more. Soon, a sweet and overwhelming chorus of voices filled the chapel. These members of the Church did not need hymnbooks; they knew every word of every hymn they sang. And they sang one song after another with an energy and spirit that touched my soul.

Eventually, the lights sparked back on and bathed the room with light. Harriet and I looked at each other, our cheeks wet with tears. In the midst of great darkness, these beautiful, wonderful Saints had filled this Church building and our souls with light.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Talk April 2013 in General Conference)

How Do We Increase the Light of Christ in Our Lives

Robert D. Hales said, “When I was a boy, I used to ride my bicycle home from basketball practice at night. 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 … a single, welcome beam of light. … 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 [forced away].” Robert D. Hales explains that “spiritual light comes from daily spiritual pedaling. It comes from praying, studying the scriptures, fasting, and serving, living the gospel and obeying the commandments” (“Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light,” Ensign, May 2002).

What is Success in Life

Our success in life depends upon how much light we gain while we are here on earth. Success in life is not about money accumulated, medals we may win, how much fame or power over others we achieve. The real objective of our existence is to gain light. Our spirits grow brighter when we feed them light. “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1: 5 in the Bible)  “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” (Doctrine and Covenants 50: 24)

Dallas Jones is the local leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To discuss the “Light of Christ” in more detail, call (231) 383-8359 or send an email to [email protected]. If interested in reading previous articles by Dallas Jones visit djonesarticles.com.