LIGHT
I)
Statements
of Principle: General principles on light
A)
The
Savior is a being of light, in all things and through all things.
1)
D&C
5:19 And the inhabitants are consumed
away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming.
2)
D&C
45:29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they
turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.
3)
D&C
50:24 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.
4)
D&C
84: 45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and
whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
5)
D&C
84: 46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and
the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the
voice of the Spirit.
6)
D&C
88:6 He that ascended up on high, as
also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all
things, the light of truth
7)
D&C
88:7 Which truth shineth. 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.
8)
D&C
88: 8 As also he is in the moon, and is
the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
9)
D&C
88: 9 As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which
they were made;
10) D&C 88: 11 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;
11) D&C 88: 12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the
immensity of space-
II)
The Light of Christ
a.
“The
Light of Christ in not a personage. It
has no body. I do not know what it is as
far as substance is concerned; but it fills the immensity of space and emanates
from God. It is the light by which the worlds are controlled, by which they are
made. It is the light of the sun and
all other bodies. It is the light which
gives life to vegetation. It quickens
the understanding of men, and has these various functions as set forth in these
verses.
“It is: ‘The light
which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by
which all things are governed…
“This is our
explanation in regard to the Spirit of Christ, or Light of Truth, which every
man receives and is guided by. Unless a
man had the blessings that come from this Spirit , his mind would not be
quickened; there would be no vegetation grown; the worlds would not stay in
their orbits; because it is through this Spirit of Truth, this Light of Truth,
according to this revelation, that all these things are done.
See student manual sec 88 from
Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1by Joseph Fielding Smith
Marion G. Romney, "The Light of
Christ," Ensign, May 1977, 43
Elder Merrill J. Bateman
A receptacle for light. The physical body is a receptacle for
light. Physicists indicate that every physical object can hold light. The
brother of Jared must have known this when he exclaimed, “Touch these stones, O
Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them . . . that we may have light while we
shall cross the sea” (Ether 3:4). The Lord, speaking to the Prophet Joseph Smith,
stated, “If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled
with light” (D&C
88:67).
Have you noticed the light in the countenances of
those who live the gospel? Four months ago I was in the Accra Ghana
Temple
Charles W. Penrose, First Counselor in the First Presidency
under President Joseph F. Smith, said: “It is a great puzzle to some people how
it can possibly be that a person, an individual, of form and stature, occupying
but one place at a time, can hear the prayers of His people or can comprehend
them as David said He does: Said he: ‘There is not a thought of my heart but
lo! O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. If I ascend up into heaven behold thou
art there. If I descend down into hell behold thou art there; and if I take the
wings of the morning, and flee to the uttermost parts of the earth there will
Thy hand lead me and thy right hand guide me’ [see Psalm
139:4, 8–10 ].
Of course these expressions are somewhat figurative, but there is the great fact that God can
be omnipresent by the power of His universally diffused Spirit which proceeds
from His presence throughout the immensity of space, and He can see and discern
all things by that power, as He told Enoch, and Moses also, as you can read
in The Pearl of Great Price. Moses and Enoch were each lifted up so that they
could see, measurably, as Deity sees and they beheld the multiplicity of the
creations of God; and when Enoch
declared that if a man could count the particles of the earth or of a million
earths like this, that would not be a beginning to the number of God’s
creations, then God told him, ‘Yea, and mine eye can pierce them all’ [see Moses
7:29–36 ]. By the power of that Spirit he sees and comprehends and
understands all things, and His watchful care and His mercies are over all His
works.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1915, pp. 37–38.)
Jesus Christ is a celestial
being. Since the sun is typical of the glory of the celestial kingdom (see D&C
76:70 ), the imagery of burning and fire that describes the Second
Coming could actually be caused by the glory of Christ’s person. Elder Charles
W. Penrose, writing of this day, said: “He comes! The earth shakes, and the
tall mountains tremble; the mighty deep rolls back to the north as in fear, and
the rent skies glow like molten brass. He comes! The dead Saints burst forth
from their tombs, and ‘those who are alive and remain’ are ‘caught up’ with
them to meet him [see 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ]. The ungodly rush to
hide themselves from his presence, and call upon the quivering rocks to cover
them. He comes! with all the hosts of the righteous glorified. The breath of
his lips strikes death to the wicked. His glory is a consuming fire. The proud
and rebellious are as stubble; they are burned and ‘left neither root nor
branch’ [see Malachi 4:1 ]. He sweeps the earth ‘as with
the besom of destruction.’ [ Isaiah 14:23 ]. He deluges the earth with the
fiery floods of his wrath, and the filthiness and abominations of the world are
consumed. Satan and his dark hosts are taken and bound—the prince of power of
the air has lost his dominion, for He whose right it is to reign has come, and
‘the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his
Christ.’” (“The Second Advent,” in Millennial
Star, 10 Sept. 1859, p. 583.) O.T. Student Manual on Isaiah 64
The
purpose of prayer, however, is not to appease a vindictive Deity; nor is it to
court favors from an indulgent Father. It is to attune oneself with the spirit
or light which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity
of space.” (D&C 88:12.) In that light is to be found
sure answers to all our needs. Prayer is the key which unlocks
the door and lets Christ into our lives.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie The
Lord’s People Receive Revelation
We
made the climb, and while on top of the peak we visited a television
broadcasting station. A bright young man explained to us in words I had never
heard, and using principles I could not and do not understand, how the sounds
and scenes of television were broadcast into the valley below.
That
night, back in the city of Hobart, my two young sons and I sat before a
television set that was tuned to the proper wave band, and we saw and heard and
experienced what had been described to us in words.
Now I
think this illustrates perfectly what is involved in the receipt of revelation
and the seeing of visions. We can read about visions and revelations in the
records of the past, we can study the inspired writings of people who had the
fullness of the gospel in their day, but we cannot comprehend what is involved
until we see and hear and experience for ourselves.
This
Tabernacle is now full of words and music. Handel’s Messiah is being sung, and
the world’s statesmen are propagandizing their people. But we do not hear any
of it.
This
Tabernacle is full of scenes from Vietnam and Washington. There is even a
picture of men walking on the surface of the moon. But we are not seeing these
things. The minute, however, in which we tune a radio to the proper wave band
and tune a television receiving set on the proper channel, we begin to hear and
see and experience what otherwise remains completely unknown to us.
And so
it is with the revelations and visions of eternity. They are around us all the
time. This Tabernacle is full of the same things which are recorded in the
scriptures and much more. The vision of the degrees of glory is being broadcast
before us, but we do not hear or see or experience because we have not tuned
our souls to the wave band on which the Holy Ghost is broadcasting.
Joseph
Smith said: “The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” And, “No man can receive the Holy
Ghost without receiving revelations.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
[Deseret Book Co., 1968], p. 328.)
The
Comforter knoweth all things; he is commissioned to bear witness of the Father
and the Son, to reveal, to teach, and to testify—and he is broadcasting all the
truths of salvation, and all the knowledge and wisdom of God, out into all
immensity all of the time.
How
this is done we do not know. We cannot comprehend God or the laws by which he
governs the universe. But that it does happen we know because here in the
valley below, when we attune our souls to the Infinite, we hear and see and
experience the things of God.
The
laws governing radio and television have existed from the time of Adam to the
present moment, but only in modern times have men heard and seen and
experienced these miraculous things. And the laws have always existed whereby
men can see visions, hear the voice of God, and partake of the things of the
Spirit. But millions of people everywhere live and die without tasting the good
word of God, because they do not obey the laws which implant the revelations of
the Lord in their souls.
