Jesus Christ

I do not know if it is an accident of history, or if there was divine intervention involved, but have you noticed that the words “son” and “sun” are homophones? For Christians that involves a fun word play. We believe that Christ is the Son of God and also that He is our light, much like the sun is our light.

In the New Testament, Jesus makes it very clear that He is more than a carpenter and more than an itinerant Jewish gadfly:

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 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)

In the Book of Mormon, which members of the Mormon Church believe to be scripture, this teaching is amplified. After His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to the ancient inhabitants of America and taught them His gospel. There He reaffirmed His role as the light of the world:

"Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life." (3 Nephi 15:9)

Teachers repeat things for emphasis. For example, President Howard W. Hunter, the fourteenth president of the Mormon Church confirmed Christ’s teachings about being light and being an example.

In 1994, shortly after becoming president of the church, he said:

"Several months ago an invitation was given to members of the Church as we strive to keep the commandments of God and receive the full measure of his blessings. The invitation was for all members of the Church to live with ever more attention to the life and example of the Lord Jesus Christ, emulating the love and hope and compassion he displayed."

"We were asked to treat each other with more kindness, more courtesy, more humility and patience and forgiveness. We do have high expectations of one another, and all can improve. Our world cries out for more disciplined living of the commandments of God. But the way we are to encourage that, as the Lord told the Prophet Joseph in the wintry depths of Liberty Jail, is “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; … without hypocrisy, and without guile” (D&C 121:41–42). We may feast at the table laid before us in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and strive to follow the Good Shepherd who has provided it. ..."

"The great standard! The only sure way! The light and the life of the world! ..."

"Let us follow the Son of God in all ways and in all walks of life. Let us make him our exemplar and our guide. We should at every opportunity ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” and then be more courageous to act upon the answer. We must follow Christ, in the best sense of that word. We must be about his work as he was about his Father’s. We should try to be like him, even as the Primary children sing, “Try, try, try.” To the extent that our mortal powers permit, we should make every effort to become like Christ—the one perfect and sinless example this world has ever seen. ..."

"We must know Christ better than we know him; we must remember him more often than we remember him; we must serve him more valiantly than we serve him. Then will we drink water springing up unto eternal life and will eat the bread of life."

"What manner of men and women ought we to be? Even as he is." (Howard W. Hunter, “He Invites Us to Follow Him,” Ensign, Sep 1994, 2)

A revelation from Joseph Smith, the first president of the Mormon Church, added to our understanding:

“For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.” (D&C 88:40)

I appreciate Joseph Smith’s teachings on light. He takes this small sentence from Jesus Christ, and then expounds it in a way that both clarifies and illuminates the point being made. Light is not an isolated attribute, but part of a constellation of characteristics. Intelligence, wisdom, truth, virtue, light, mercy, justice, judgment—all of these are God’s attributes. Therefore the need to be our attributes, too.

By taking all of these teachings together—from Christ, Joseph Smith, and Howard W. Hunter— we see that light is not merely atomic quantum activity. Light is a way of life. It touches upon all we do.

Christ is the light, or the example for us. Since we are supposed to follow Him, we are also supposed to be lights:

"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." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Once again the Book of Mormon adds to this teaching:

"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. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed." (3 Nephi 18:24)

This clarifies the question, “If we are to be examples, what are we to exemplify?” The answer is simply "Christ."

We can read about Christ in the Bible. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith also established a church that is centered in Christ. I think that is why understanding Joseph Smith as a witness of Christ is so key. If Christ is the center of all we do, then Christ must be the center of what Joseph Smith did, and Christ must be the center of what His church does nowadays.

And I am glad that He is.

“Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.”

“And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus” (Mark 9: 2-7).

Matthew's account of Christ’s transfiguration adds these details:

“And [He] was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. . . . behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt. 17: 2, 5).

At the mount of transfiguration, the exceeding shine of the Lord's white light gives us a glimpse of the radiant glory in store for all who follow Jesus.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 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).

In a vision of “new Jerusalem,” John the Revelator foresees this shining city upon “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21: 1, 2). So powerful and bright is the Lord's exalted light, that the “new Jerusalem” is illuminated by the light of the Son:

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it” (Rev. 21: 23, 24).

The very earth upon which we stand will be glorified by the light of the Lord, and will become the Celestial Heaven--the highest of three Heavens. Seven centuries before John the Revelator recorded his vision of the earth's transformation to Celestial glory--becoming like a “sea of glass”--Isaiah saw the same future vision of “new earth.”

“The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light” (Isaiah 60: 19-20).

It is fascinating to note that earthly opposition will cease in the Celestial heaven, to include the ending of evening as we know it--“for there shall be no night there” (Rev. 21: 25). Thus, the following words of Jesus will ultimately and literally be fulfilled in terms of spiritual and visual light:

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12: 46).

Every scriptural Testament contains the theme of the Lord's light. From the Old Testament comes this delightful imagery:

“For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness” (Psalm 18: 28).

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul gives this description of Divine light:

“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” (2 Cor. 4: 6).

Contained in Another Testament of Christ, revelations recorded by prophets of ancient American offer this account of the Christ's clarifying influence:

“For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. . . . And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, . . . I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil” (Moroni 7: 15-19).

The guiding influence of the Lord's light is the theme of beloved Mormon Hymns:

                   Hymn #89, The Lord is My Light

“The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?
By day and by night his presence is near.”

“The Lord is my light, His is my joy and my song.
By day and by night he leads, he leads me along.”

                  Hymn #97, Lead Kindly Light

“Lead kindly light amid the encircling gloom; Lead thou me on!
The night is dark and I am far from home; Lead thou me on!”

“Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene--one step enough for me.”

                   Hymn #305, The Light Divine

“The light of god rests on the face Of brook and flower and tree
And kindles in our happy hearts The hope of things to be.”

“The light of faith abides within The heart of every child;
Like buds that wait for blossoming, It grows with radiance mild.”

The Remedy for Apostasy: The Lord's Unifying Light

In the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord of Light prayed to the Father “that they may be one as we are one.” Today, with diverse doctrines taught by a myriad of differing denominations, the Lord's prayer for unity is far from being realized. But this is precisely why Christ has given light to the world: the Lord's light shines bright as a guiding beacon to “the way, the truth, and the life”--the way to unity and oneness! As we all “fall short,” His light leads us back . . . to Him.

“Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light” (John 12: 35, 36).

So that seekers of truth might be supported in their quest, the Lord of Light has revealed His truths through prophets from the beginning. However, because of the world's disbelief and refusal to receive the perfecting message of repentance and obedience, the prophets of God have been killed time after time.

During His mortal ministry, the Savior established His Church so that the “saints” would not be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4: 11-14). Sadly, the prophets and apostles that Christ called to lead His Church were murdered, just as the prophets of old.

After the crucifixion of Christ and the death of the Lord's chosen leaders, there was a gradual apostasy from the Lord's light--a “falling away” from Christ's pure doctrines. With no living prophets to preach and protect the Lord's truth, the inhabitants of the earth were eventually tossed to and fro by the doctrines of men.

Happily, The light of Christ that has shined in all the world from the beginning, continues to shine brightly today. After centuries of apostasy as prophesied by Paul (2 Thes. 2: 1-3) and Isaiah (Isa. 24: 5), the Lord of Light has begun the “times of refreshing”--Christ has commenced His “restitution of all things” (Acts 3: 19-21).

This is the “marvelous” message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormon” Church): that the Lord of Light has personally appeared in these latter days, and has again called prophets to proclaim His unifying gospel of love and light.

In the gospel according to John, we read:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men . . . the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1: 1, 3-4, 9).

The magnificent power and influence of heavenly Light is beyond the ability of mortal minds to comprehend, and beyond the ability of words to describe. Consider the prophet Joseph’s account of divine Light:

“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, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JS-H 1: 16-17).

In a volume of scripture called “The Doctrine and Covenants” (a book of modern-day revelation from God), these wonderful words are written about His Light:

“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. . . . 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” (D&C 84: 7, 11-13).

It is impossible for mortals to comprehend the infinite reality of divine Light via philosophical reasoning. The prophet Joseph Smith writes of the inadequacy of intellectual learning compared to one small glimpse of heavenly Light:

"Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject" (TPJS, p. 324).

After witnessing God's glory in a vision, the overwhelming awe of Christ’s light and might, caused Moses to greatly marvel and wonder; then, being left to himself, Moses reflected:

“Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed” (Moses 1: 10).

To be clear, “man is nothing” without the redeeming grace of God; unless we abide in His love and light, we “can do nothing” (John 15: 5). Conversely, through the Lord's redeeming light, all sons and daughters of God become His “work and glory” (Moses 1: 39).

The importance of divine Light in everyday life is this: His Light will lift us, and fill us, and shine from us, as we “draw near” to Him. The Doctrine and Covenants declares:

“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; . . . And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God” (D&C 88: 63, 67-68).

The Savior invites us to “let your light so shine” (Matt. 5: 16), but the light that shines from us is not really ours, . . . but His. When the resurrected Christ appeared to his “other sheep” (John 10: 16) in the Americas, he taught the following truth:

“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” (3 Nephi 18: 24).

It is by following His example that we reflect and "shine" His divine light to the world. Echoing this true principle, recall the phrase that follows let your light so shine: . . . “that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” This means we cannot fully bask in His life-giving light unless we actively live His law:

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 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).

By doing “good works” and “following Him," Light draws near. Faith in Christ is manifest through following, and those that faithfully follow are promised the glowing guidance of His Love and Light.