Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. It really is a pleasure to have the opportunity to address you today. I wish to address you on a topic that has significance to me both professionally and spiritually. As I contemplated what I might say to you today, a quote by a contemporary artist came to mind. This artist is one that students in my class study and does not work in traditional drawing or painting or sculpture, but he works with projected light and in creating spaces where you focus on light. In describing what influences his work, he describes how, as a young boy, he was taught by his grandmother that the reason for going to church was to "greet the light."[1] Light is often related to spirituality. The struggle between good and evil, or light and dark, is a common theme in the scriptures as well as in other aspects of our culture.
Light has a very profound significance for me professionally. All artists work with light. One of the most basic elements of art is a term we call value. Value is the representation of light and dark. In order to paint or draw something that looks realistic, a good understanding of light is essential. An artist needs to understand the properties of light. What happens when light reflects off of an object? Or what happens when light is refracted through something transparent? When rendering an object in a drawing, one needs to understand how light reacts with the shape and form of the subject matter. Some questions an artist may ask in the process of a drawing are things like: From what direction does the light come? How intense is the light? How does light reflect off of a shiny surface versus a dull surface? What part of the object is in shadow? What is the shape of the shadow cast by the object? Where does light hit the object directly, causing a highlight? All of these considerations deal with how light interacts with an object, and if the artist can't see these things, then he is unable to accurately represent the object in the drawing.
To describe the ability to create the illusion of light and shadow in a drawing or painting, artists during the Renaissance began to use the term chiaroscuro, which is an Italian word meaning "light and dark." Impressionist paintings like Claude Monet's paintings of haystacks, cathedrals, and water lilies were studies on the effects of light on those subjects. An artistic process with which you are more familiar would not be possible without light. You all probably take digital photographs. The term photography literally means "writing with light." Light is focused through a lens and is recorded on a sensor in your camera, which you then view in the light emitted from your phone or tablet or computer screen.
It is the contrast between light and dark that allows us to see images like I just described. The contrast between light and dark is often a topic of stories and movies we all read or watch. Light is often compared to good and darkness equated with evil.
Light has great spiritual significance as well. In the gospel, we are taught that all of God's children come to earth with the light of Christ. We are taught that the light of Christ is like our conscience and prepares us to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. But I would submit that the light of Christ is much more significant than most of us realize.
In D&C 88:7-13 it states,
"This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made."
"As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;"
"As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;"
"And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand."
"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;"
"Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—"
"The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things."
I believe that the light of Christ is much more than just having a conscience. This verse of scripture suggests it is something much more powerful. It is the influence of the power of the Savior. This is the influence of the one who created the heavens and earth. It is His influence that helps us to enlighten our eyes and quicken our understanding. The light of Christ is the influence that allows all people to do good works in the world, regardless of whether or not one has received the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the light of Christ that influences people to seek out and accept the gospel and to become baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
In John chapter 8, verse 12, we find Christ speaking to the Pharisees, saying, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."[2]
The Savior promised that if we follow Him, we will have the light of life. The Savior was the perfect example of how we should live our lives. He is the light to which we should look. Christ also provides a light for us through His atoning sacrifice. It is through Jesus Christ that we can repent and be saved. It is through Jesus Christ that we all will overcome death. It is through His Atonement that we may receive eternal life. If we follow Him we will not need to walk in darkness.
Have you ever been in a place where there is no light? When I was a college student, my friends and I hiked into a cave near Logan, Utah. We were prepared with food and water and, most importantly, flashlights. We hiked about a mile into the mountain, and at the end of our hike in the cave, in a somewhat open chamber, we sat down to eat a snack and drink some water. At one point, we wanted to see what it would be like to be in the dark, so we turned off all of the lights. I will not forget the feeling of being in complete darkness. You could not see your hand if you held it an inch from your face. You lose all sense of direction. You cannot tell left from right or up from down. You can't tell where you are from where you have been. You do not dare to move for fear of running into something or falling, and you can feel helpless. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find your way out of the cave without light. I cannot imagine physically walking in complete darkness.
Thankfully, we do not have to walk in complete spiritual darkness. When my friends and I emerged from the cave on our little spelunking adventure, it was about 10 p.m. It was dark outside but not nearly as dark as in the cave. It is amazing how much light the moon and stars give us. In our lives we do not need to walk in darkness. We have all been given the light of Christ to help illuminate our way. We also have the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide and direct us.
Our Heavenly Father's plan is designed so that we can come to earth to gain experience and prepare to return to live with Him. We are taught that if we are faithful in this life, then we "shall have glory added upon [our] heads for ever and ever."[3] When I think of the word glory, I associate it with light and beauty. I think of Joseph Smith's description in the Sacred Grove, when he said, "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description."[4]
I have always focused on the pairing of the words brightness and glory and how they are used together. Brightness is associated with light. A scripture that uses the words light and glory is Doctrine and Covenants 93:36. It states, "The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth." So God's glory is intelligence, and intelligence is light and truth.
One of the primary reasons for our experience on earth is to gain knowledge and intelligence. All of you are in school to participate in this activity. Being engaged in learning and teaching is a significant way to add more light to your life. There is also a great blessing promised for those who have light and truth.
D&C 93:37 states, "Light and truth forsake that evil one." I believe that the more we focus on gaining light, the less likely we are to give in to temptation—the less likely we are to become involved in those things that will extinguish our light.
Each of you has come to school to learn. I hope you are considering that you have come to college to not only earn a degree but to gain knowledge and understanding that will help you be successful in the future, both in your chosen career and in other aspects of your life. The mission of BYU-Idaho lists four areas to help you become successful. First is to help you build testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Second is to provide you a quality education. Third is to prepare you for lifelong learning, for employment, and for your roles as citizens and parents. And fourth is to maintain for you a wholesome academic, cultural, social, and spiritual environment. Notice that the mission of the university is not just about earning a degree. There are other aspects of learning in which you have the opportunity to participate.
In other words, you are here to be educated, which I believe is more than earning a degree. So the light you gain here is about learning how to be successful in your chosen major, but it also is about strengthening your testimony. The light you gain here also represents the ability for you to work in ways you never thought of. It is about teaching others. The light you gain is about becoming a lifelong learner. It is highly unlikely that you will learn everything you need to know in your discipline in eight semesters. I have colleagues that I highly respect for their artistic ability. Some of them have worked as artists for 30-40 years. They are great examples to me because I have the opportunity to learn from their experience. They are able to teach me things about art that I didn't know before. But they are also great examples to me because they demonstrate a desire to continue to learn. They look for ways to see better and improve their artwork. They are true lifelong learners.
Part of the mission of the university is to help you learn your subject matter for your major within the context of the light of the gospel. In my discipline, like in many others, we sometimes have to study some challenging subjects necessary for being professional in the field. I tell my students that they are blessed because we can do this in the context of the light of the gospel.
D&C 109:7 says, "Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith."
As you learn here, you will study many things that will give you experience to meet challenges in your life. You will learn things that can help you be successful in a career. You will learn things that will help you be a good parent and spouse. And you will learn things that will help you increase your testimony of the gospel.
We are taught that the more we learn, the better off we will be when we leave our mortal existence. D&C 130:19 states, "If a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come."
So gaining light and knowledge is an important part of our progression toward eternal life. We should always take advantage to learn new things. Often we focus on wanting to learn only those things that we perceive apply to us. For example, we may resist wanting to take a class that is outside of our major. Or we may complain that we had to take a class that didn't apply to what we want to do. I felt this as a student sometimes. What I didn't realize, though, was that many of those things that I didn't perceive to be significant really did mean something and contributed to my overall education. It is easier to see that in hindsight. I think that we have an opportunity to learn something in any situation we are in. It is okay to learn some things that are outside of your major. I work in the field of art education. But it is very helpful to be educated about more than just art. Learning history, math, science, and language has been a very important part of my education. All of these subjects have informed either my own art or the art of the students that complete assignments in my classes. If I did not know anything about other subjects, my artwork would simply be about making art or would be less effective renderings of subjects I didn't understand very well. The example of understanding the properties of light, which is science, in order to complete an accurate rendering of something, demonstrates this point.
Every day, we are confronted with opportunities to increase our light as well as opportunities to diminish that light. Sometimes we get put in situations where it is difficult to decide if a particular activity will really be uplifting. Often we go through our daily activities without thinking much about it.
Moroni 7:16-19 gives us a pattern to follow in determining what adds light and what extinguishes it:
For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.
And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.
Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.
So as we consider various activities with which to participate, I would invite you to take Moroni's advice. Consider if the activity you choose to do will add to your light, or at the very least not diminish it. Does my conduct and speech represent who I should be? Does the media I view or participate in extinguish my light? Am I adding to my light with scripture study, prayer, and service to others?
Some of us may find that it is hard to move away from some things that may not be adding light to our lives. Some of us may not realize that there are influences that take light from us. Some of us may simply be looking for ways to add more light and become better.
D&C 50:24 explains, "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."[5]
So if we receive light and continue in God, we will receive more light until we are perfected. Just like Alma promises when he talked about faith beginning with a simple desire to believe, if we can begin to work on doing those things that add light to our lives, then we will be given more and more light.
As you have studied here at BYU-Idaho, you have probably found that an integral part of your learning deals with teaching others in your classes. As we receive light, we are expected to share that light with others. The well-known verses from the Sermon on the Mount state, "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."[6]
One of my favorite stories from the Book of Mormon was that of Ammon and King Lamoni. Ammon and the other sons of Mosiah went to preach the gospel among the Lamanites on their 14-year mission. What I like about the story of Ammon and King Lamoni is that Ammon did not start preaching anything. He was taken before King Lamoni. Ammon first started by explaining that he wished to live in the land for a while. It does not say what King Lamoni saw in Ammon, only that Lamoni was pleased with Ammon enough that Ammon was allowed to stay and was offered one of the king's daughters for a wife. Ammon declined and volunteered to be the king's servant.
The story is a familiar one to many of you, where Ammon tends to the king's sheep and defends the flock from a group of Lamanites who attempt to scatter the sheep. The servants of King Lamoni are afraid, but Ammon courageously steps up and protects the flock by slaying a number of the Lamanites with a sling and cutting the arms off of anyone who raised a sword against him. Then, when he has taken care of the sheep, he returns to tend to the king's horses. He does not brag or boast. He does not try and convince the king to listen to him because he is so great. The king has to ask the servants where Ammon is. Ammon is then called before the king to explain what happened, and when he does, he is able to have the conversation about the nature of God because Lamoni is prepared for it.
The reason that Ammon was able to convert Lamoni and his people began with his example, not with him telling the people to repent. Ammon was living in accordance with the teachings of the Savior. Ammon had a testimony and the light of the gospel in his life. It was by his example of serving his fellowmen that the door was opened for him to share the gospel.
At some point you will leave the university. Wherever you go, you have the opportunity to let your light shine.
In his address titled "A Steady Upward Course," given in a devotional in 2001, President Henry B. Eyring promised,
"The day will come that that capacity to influence people around you for good will have you singled out as one of the great leaders in whatever place you're in. They will not quite know why, but you will know that the reason you are being singled out is not because of your innate gifts as a leader but because you have done what the Savior would do—learned how to, and did, reach out to those around you to try to lift them, to help them to be better even when it might be a little bit difficult and you might not have been received very well."
This is a great promise. We all have the opportunity to be an influence for good, and the way we can do that is by simply following the Savior's example. When we give of our light, not only do we bless the lives of others; we are also uplifted. There have been times where I have been assigned to serve someone and found out through the experience that I got as much or more out of the experience than perhaps the person I was serving. It is amazing how we receive more light when we give of ours to others.
Today there are many influences that do not contribute light to the world. In fact, we watch as the values in society depart from the teachings of the Savior. There are many who confuse light for darkness and darkness for light. As Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"[7]
Part of what I study and teach in my classes relates very much to each of you. Some of you may not realize it or may take it for granted. Did you realize that artists play a significant role in your lives? The reason I bring this up is because you are influenced by art every day. From the design of your cereal box in the morning to the websites you visit, the movies and TV shows you watch, the photographs you view, the movie posters at the theater, the illustrations in your textbooks and other books you read, advertisements on billboards, artwork hanging on the walls of campus buildings, and I could go on and on. In my class we call all of this imagery that is around us every day "contemporary visual culture."
Many of the things that you see are created in some way or another by artists. Yes, people who can draw and design. For example, we watch a live-action movie and we are entertained, but we do not often think about what went into producing the film. Part of the production of a film entails a studio hiring artists to draw out each scene in what is called storyboards. The purpose for storyboards is so that the filmmakers can visualize what each shot will look like when they have actors in place. In addition to this, studios hire artists to create concept art; design color schemes; and in many cases, create backgrounds and characters in a digital environment. These are all done by people trained in art.
As you look at these images presented by our visual culture, whether it be a movie or any other type of imagery you see, you should understand that they are designed with a purpose: to get noticed using principles that are known to be able to get your attention. Artists and designers spend a lot of time studying how to do this. Often it is clear to discern what the imagery we are viewing means. Other times it is harder. Sometimes we don't consider what it really means and just consume what we see.
Terry Barrett, a professor and researcher in the field of art education, said this about the importance of interpreting our visual culture: "Images and objects present opinions as if they were truth, reinforce attitudes, and confirm or deny beliefs and values. If the messages carried by visual culture are not interpreted, we will be unwittingly buying, wearing, promoting, and otherwise consuming opinions with which we may or may not agree."[8]
In the art world today, as well as in popular visual culture, we see many artists that create works that attempt to push moral boundaries, seek to get cheap attention through shocking viewers, and promote values contrary to the things we know to be right. I would invite you to consider the imagery and information you consume, and learn to interpret what you see. And then I would invite you to participate in those things that you know will add to your light and to the light of others and avoid those things that will extinguish that light.
At the dedication of the Hinckley Building on this campus in 2002, President Gordon B. Hinckley addressed the campus community. It was a very interesting talk, where he set aside his prepared speech and spoke extemporaneously. This is part of what he said to the students:
"Now, don't ever do a cheap or a tawdry or a mean or an evil thing, my dear young friends. You don't have to engage in these things. The world is on a slippery slide; it is going downhill, and it is going fast. And you are as a beacon on a hill, young people of rectitude and virtue and decency and goodness. Remain that way. Do not destroy your effectiveness. Do not become involved in any kind of behavior which would destroy you, injure you, hurt you, debilitate you in any way whatever. You don't have to do those things. You can stand above them. You must stand above them! The world will look to you as the years pass. Of that I have no doubt whatever."
Today's world is challenging. It is my hope that we can focus on those things that will add to our light and that we can be an example to those around us. Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, and if we focus on His light and build upon His rock, we will be able to withstand the storms of today's world. He lives. He is our Savior and Redeemer, and I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Turrell, J. 2001. Retrieved from http//www.pbs.org/art21/artists/james-turrell
[2] John 8:12; emphasis added
[3] Abraham 3:26
[4] Joseph Smith—History 1:16-17
[5] D&C 50:24; emphasis added
[6] Matthew 5:14-16
[7] Isaiah 5:20; emphasis added
[8] Barrett, T. Interpreting Visual Culture. Art Education. March 2003. Vol. 56 Issue 2. p6. 7p