“Above the Brightness of the Sun”

The Restoration began with a burst of light chasing away the darkness.

Not ordinary darkness. “Thick darkness.” Oppressive darkness. The same kind of darkness which afflicted the Egyptians before they set the children of Israel free. The same kind of darkness which surrounded the Nephites and the Lamanites after the death of the Savior. Darkness which can not only be seen, but also felt. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:15, Exodus 10:21-23, 3 Nephi 8:20-23.)

We’ve probably all felt something like that darkness, even if we haven’t seen it. “Your minds in time past have been darkened,” said the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants 84:54). We may have felt discouraged, anxious, or depressed. We may have struggled to think clearly. We may have assumed the worst, artificially limited our options, and visualized unpleasant outcomes. But there is a light that can shine through even the thickest of darkness.

Joseph Smith described the pillar of light which “descended gradually until it fell upon [him]” as being “above the brightness of the sun” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16). This is the same phrase Paul used when he described to King Agrippa the light which surrounded him when he saw the Savior. (See Acts 26:13.) It’s similar to Lehi’s description of the Savior Himself: “His luster was above that of the sun at noon-day” (1 Nephi 1:9). And it’s the same phrase Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery later used when they described the Savior’s appearance in the Kirtland, Ohio temple. (See Doctrine and Covenants 110:3.)

What could be brighter than the sun? It’s the source of nearly all the natural light we experience, and it’s impossible to look directly at it for any length of time without damaging our eyes. But when the Nephites and the Lamanites sat in darkness, they could not see the sun. (See 3 Nephi 8:22.) Something comparable will happen before the Savior’s Second Coming. (See 2 Nephi 23:10, Isaiah 13:10, Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20.) Why would this happen? Perhaps to show us that the Savior is a more powerful source of light than anything we know. “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, … the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, … even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:7, 11, 13).

Today, I will strive to receive light from the Savior, a light which is brighter than the sun, which can chase away all the darkness in my mind and heart. I will remember Joseph Smith’s experience, and I will trust that God can dispel even the thickest of darkness.