"I AM THE LIGHT WHICH SHINETH IN THE DARKNESS"
Ricks College Campus Education Week Devotional
June 1, 2000
President David A. Bednar
©2000 by Ricks College. All rights reserved
Good morning, brothers and sisters. The theme for this year's Education Week, I am the light which shineth in the darkness, is an important one. And it is a challenging one. I began my preparation for my visit with you this morning by finding all of the verses in the standard works that contain both the words light and darkness; there are 117. I have read them all, and what I would like to do this morning is share with you three specific scriptural episodes. I invite you to have your scriptures on your lap and follow along. If you do not have your scriptures, please be aware that many of the verses I refer to will be projected on the screen over head.
The real purpose of what we will try to accomplish in these few minutes together is to increase our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the light that comes from him. The wish of my heart is that my presentation this morning will not be perceived as a "speech." I am not interested in talking at you. I would much rather talk with you. It is a little difficult in an auditorium of this size to achieve that objective, but I hope we will be able to create that feeling together.
The first scriptural episode I want to highlight begins with verses 10 and 11 in 3 Nephi, chapter 11. "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; . . ." (3 Nephi 11:10-11). I would like to emphasize two things in these verses. First, please consider the phrase light and life of the world. The light that comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ enables us to overcome spiritual death. The life that comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ enables us to overcome physical death. Now please note the significance of His first pronouncement after declaring who He is, "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, . . . [and] I am the light and the life . . . ." In other words, through the light and life of the Savior, the way is provided for overcoming both spiritual and physical death.
Now let us consider a second element of these particular verses. Please consider the setting and the context for the Savior's declaration, ". . . behold, I am the light and the life of the world." This statement occurs after the Father introduces and declares who Jesus Christ is. In verse 7 we read, "Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name--hear ye him." We have already read in verse 10 where Jesus declares who He is and describes Himself as the light and the life of the world.
Would you consider what it must have been like to witness the Savior descending from the heavens and making these declarations? Please assume that you and I were there then and each of us was 45 years of age at the time this supernal event took place. Now, what we are going to do is examine the context and the power of that statement by going back in time and then coming forward. If you were 45 years of age at the time the Savior appeared, consider how old you would have been when Samuel the Lamanite prophesied about the coming of Jesus Christ. You will find a portion of that prophesy recorded in Helaman 14:3. If at the time of the Savior's appearance you were 45, then you were approximately 5 or 6 years of age when Samuel the Lamanite made this prophesy: "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" (Helaman 14:3). Continuing on in verse 4: "Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; . . . nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born" (Helaman 14:4). Remember, you heard this prophesy when you were 5 or 6 years old.
Now five or six years after Samuel the Lamanite made that prophecy, you were perhaps 11 or 12 years of age, and circumstances had changed. You will recall, as recorded in 3 Nephi, chapter 1, a day was set apart by the unbelievers that all of those who believed in the coming of Christ would be put to death. You and I were awaiting the sign of His coming and also were faced with the impending deadline. And then, indeed, the sign foretold by Samuel the Lamanite appeared. In the midst of this religious persecution and at the tender age of 11 or 12, you marveled one evening as the sun went down but there was no darkness. Consider the impact of that experience upon your 11- or 12- year-old mind and heart, and consider the power of that memory upon you many years later as a 45-year-old adult as the Savior appears and declares, ". . . behold, I am the light and the life of the world." As a small child, you literally saw the light associated with the birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Now, 34 years later, you are a mature adult, you have lived a life of faith and obedience, and you behold the face of the Lord and hear His voice.
As we read in 3 Nephi, chapter 8, prior to the coming of the Savior to the American continent, there had been great upheaval. You survived tempests and earthquakes and fires and whirlwinds and dramatic physical upheavals, all of which attest to the crucifixion and death of the Savior in the Old World. Even some of your friends and family died in this tremendous physical upheaval. It is in this setting that you now experience, as one of the signs of His death, three days of intense darkness. We read in 3 Nephi 8:20 a description of the darkness that accompanied His death. "And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness." I think that darkness is something that none of us has experienced with quite the intensity that is described in this verse.
Let us read together in verse 21: And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all; And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land. And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen; . . . yea, great were the groaning of the people, because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them (3 Nephi 8:21-23).
Now consider what it must have been like to experience those three days of intense darkness. In the midst of that darkness, you then hear the voice of the Savior proclaim His divinity, announce that the law of Moses is fulfilled, and He invites all to come unto Him and be saved. The three days of darkness pass away, and at some later time--we do not know exactly how much later--you are gathered with the multitude of 2,500 people at the temple in the land of Bountiful. Brothers and sisters, imagine if you can, the majesty of the moment as the Savior descends from the heavens and declares, "Behold, I am Jesus Christ. . . . I am the light and the life of the world." Can you imagine being 5 or 6 at the time of Samuel, 11 at the time of the Savior's birth, and 45 at the time of His coming, having literally experienced the light and the darkness that signified His coming and His death. Think again of the theme of our Education Week: I am the light which shineth in darkness.
Now let us discuss a second scriptural episode which is found in the book of Helaman. In the early chapters in the Book of Helaman, we read about the ministry of Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman. These two spiritual giants were raised up in a wicked day to declare repentance and lead believing souls to the peace of the gospel. At this time in the Book of Mormon, approximately 30 years before the birth of Christ, the government of the Nephites was ripening for destruction because the majority of the people were choosing evil and corrupting good laws and framing evil ones. The people had become so corrupted that the voice of the people chose that which was evil. As a result, they turned from just laws and righteous principles and would not be governed by such. The people desired to be governed by principles that the righteous leaders, Nephi and Lehi, knew would surely lead to physical captivity, destruction, and ultimately to spiritual death. Such is the setting and the context for the experiences and the teachings of Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman.
Now let us turn to Helaman 5:28. Please remember the description I have provided of the overall setting. "And it came to pass that they were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear came upon them." Brothers and sisters, may I suggest that this cloud of darkness, as described in Helaman, chapter 5, is a physical manifestation of the spiritual darkness that blanketed their unrepentant souls. In verse 34 we read, "And it came to pass that the Lamanites could not flee because of the cloud of darkness which did overshadow them; yea, and also they were immovable because of the fear which did come upon them." Now, note what occurs in verses 35 and 36: "Now there was one among them who was a Nephite by birth, who had once belonged to the church of God but had dissented from them." This was a man who had fallen away. His name was Aminadab. His name is not a particularly significance piece of information other than it is important to remember that the pronoun he in the remainder of this passage refers to Aminadab, who at one point was a faithful follower of Christ. "And it came to pass that he turned him about, and behold, he saw through the cloud of darkness the faces of Nephi and Lehi; and behold, they did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels. . . ." Now skip to verses 40 and 41. "And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us?" This is the response given by Aminadab: "And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ . . . and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you."
Consider the theme I am the light which shineth in darkness. Consider the impact of the atonement of Christ in dispelling spiritual darkness. Truly, Christ is the light which shineth. His atoning sacrifice makes it possible for each of us to have the clouds of sin and selfishness removed from overshadowing us. His atonement is both infinite and intimate. It redeems us from the consequences of the fall and strengthens us to do the works of righteousness.
Consider, again, the phrase light and the life of the world. Through the atonement of Christ, we overcome both spiritual death and physical death--the light and the life. We make that light operable in our lives through the first principles and ordinances of the gospel--faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Consider, again, the power of Aminadab's teaching about how to dispel the cloud of darkness. "You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ . . . and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you."
Consider, again, that statement by the Savior as He appears to the people in the land of Bountiful: ". . . behold, I am the light and the life . . . ."
Consider also the imagery presented by Lehi as he partakes of the fruit of the tree of life. In 1 Nephi 8:11, we find a fascinating description of the fruit which comes from the tree: "And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen." The tree is Christ. The fruit is the atonement and the associated blessings made operable in our lives. How appropriate that the fruit of the tree of Christ would be described as white, a whiteness ". . . to exceed all . . . that I had ever seen."
". . . I am the light and the life . . .," He said. And our theme for Education Week is I am the light which shineth in darkness.
Now let us discuss a third scriptural episode, found in the third chapter of Ether. We recall that the brother of Jared constructed barges to travel to the New World. He had a major concern and problem, i.e., it would be very dark in the barges. How could he have light in the barges? He prayed and was basically told, "Brother of Jared, you make a proposal. You come up with an idea." He concluded that he would fashion 16 stones and ask the Lord to make them bright. In Ether 3:5 we read a portion of the prayer offered by the brother of Jared: "Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men."
Verse 6 is the one I really want to emphasize. Listen carefully: "And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; . . . ."
Now I would ask this question: Why were the 16 stones touched one by one? Why not simply illuminate all 16 stones all at once? Why take the time to touch them one by one? Can I just make a suggestion? There are at least two ways to interpret what takes place in verse 6. One interpretation is that the brother of Jared saw the finger of the Lord touch each of the 16 stones. That interpretation, however, I believe is contrary to the principle we find throughout the scriptures that we receive no witness until after the trial of our faith. Interpretation number two! Imagine you are the brother of Jared, praying that the stones will be illuminated? And, indeed, the finger of the Lord touches the stone, but the veil has not yet been removed from your eyes. You observe the first of the 16 stones is illuminated in response to your prayer. What would happen to your faith? It would increase; it would be strengthened. Now a second stone is illuminated and a third and a fourth, and 16 separate times you experience what is described in Alma, chapter 32. Exercise a particle of faith. Experiment upon the word. Feel those swelling motions, and pure knowledge ultimately replaces faith. And then, after all of the stones are illuminated, the veil is removed. Look in verse 6. Let us read it again. "And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, . . . ." One way of interpreting that passage is that it was after the stones had been illuminated that the veil was removed. We receive no witness until after the trial of our faith.
Now you might be saying, "Brother Bednar, why are you making such a big deal out of verse 6?" Here is the answer. May I suggest that this episode with the brother of Jared is a type and shadow for our own service in our families and in the Church. As a bishop and as a stake president, I have worked with sin-sick souls who had little or no light in their countenances. Those sin-sick souls were touched by the finger of the Lord through the process of repentance, and the light in their souls gradually returned. Many of you seated here today have had precisely that same experience. We may not have seen the literal finger of the Lord touch the hearts of the people we serve, but we have seen the whiteness of the fruit of the atonement of Jesus Christ reflected in the lives of those repentant souls. They are touched one by one. What once was dark because of sin and transgression again is light because of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I am the light which shineth in darkness.
Brothers and sisters, Christ, indeed, is the light. We live at a time when there has come a wonderful flood of additional light about the Light. Consider, if you will, the role of the light in the darkness in each of the three scriptural episodes we have discussed and remember our theme I am the light which shineth in darkness.
I know that He lives and is the Light; I witness and testify that He is real. I know that He directs the affairs of this church, even this latter-day kingdom, established again upon the earth in its fullness. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
|
