Jesus taught many things in His ministry on this earth, but one of my favourite scriptures is John 9:4-5: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” This scripture also reminds me of the straight and narrow path. I think in a sense Jesus was trying to tell us that if we stick to His gospel, we can stay on the path and never go astray.
Learning to Share the Light
This summer my dad, brother, and I went to the mountains in Southern Alberta to Gargantua Caves.
Everyone in our group wore bright headlights because there was no light in the cave. Being with the group almost felt like being outside because of the complete and utter darkness that surrounded us. We were kilometers away from any natural light.
Before we got down to the fourth repel, our guide told us that we could go find the fifth repel on our own—in the dark. So, naturally the group selected me to go down first. When I reached the bottom, the group guide said these calm words, “Just walk into the corridor and climb up the rocks, and there should be a little opening to get into the next section of the cave.” I told him I would go for it, and I left.
That clear and brilliant light that was with the group faded away as I slowly moved step-by-step away from the group. As I kept walking, I noticed that my own headlamp started to slowly run out of battery. Everything around me started to get dimmer and dimmer until I could barely see my hand in front of me. I figured this couldn’t be good, so I turned around and went back to the clear and bright lights that surrounded the group. Once everyone had come down from the previous repel, that clear and radiant light was with us as we went to the next repel. It was so much easier to see and climb when everything was vividly lit.
This experience can compare to belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It may seem easy to go on with life with one’s own individual light, but as you step away from others, that singular light will slowly get dimmer. When we went as a group and looked out for each other, the combined light stayed bright and hardly ever got dim. By combining our lights, we helped each other to find our way.
Stay in the Light of Christ
My grandpa is a farmer from Southern Alberta, and he told me a story when he was baling late at night. His trusty hound, named Ranger, trotted nicely right beside the tractor. It was so dark that he couldn't see anywhere except for where the tractor headlights were pointed. They came over a hill and saw all these glowing eyes out in the dark. Ranger, being the hound that he was, went off and chased these glowing eyes, but as he ran further from the headlights, he was engulfed in the darkness. Once the dog was out of the light, he was immediately attacked by all of the coyotes that were just waiting for him to step out of the light.
The point is that when we walk out of the light we are no longer protected from the spiritual coyotes as they try to lure us away from the light and into their little ambush. Like Ranger assumed, it may seem like a walk in the park to go chase the coyotes, but the coyotes had been plotting for the exact moment when he stepped out of the light.
Like the cave, we all have our own headlamps, which have a battery that could be compared to the Light of Christ. Even though we have our own batteries, the darkness still eats away at our power, but we will last longer if we work together to find that straight and narrow path that leads us right to our destination—the Light of Christ.
At the October 1987 general conference, Dallin H. Oaks explained: “The scriptures call this universal light ‘the light of truth’ (D&C 88:6), ‘the light of Christ’ (Doctrine and Covenants 88:7; Moro. 7:18), and the ‘Spirit of Christ’ (Moro. 7:16). This is the light that quickens our understanding (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:11). It is ‘the light by which [we] may judge’ (Moro. 7:18). It ‘is given to every man, that he may know good from evil’ (Moroni 7:16)” (“The Light and Life of the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1987).
Helping Others to Walk in the Light
The chorus of Janice Kapp Perry’s song “Walk in the Light,” says:
“Walk in the light.
Angels will walk beside you.
There in the light,
His love will safely guide you
back to the place where love burns bright,
a place prepared for those who walk in the light.”
We can be angels for one another as we walk together in this divine light.
President Monson taught: “My brothers and sisters, our opportunities to shine surround us each day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. As we follow the example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light in the lives of others, whether they be our own family members and friends, our co-workers, mere acquaintances, or total strangers” (“Be an Example and a Light,” Ensign, Nov. 2015, 11).
The light of the gospel illuminates the path of life to eternity that otherwise would be dark. We can be like a mirror and direct light even into dark places as well for others. I want to testify that Christ is the light of the world, and I know this is the restored Church of Jesus Christ.