Jesus came to bring light to those who walk in darkness. No wonder He told Paul that his mission was "to turn [people] from darkness to light." We all pass through periods of darkness, but we will receive the Savior's perfect light as we follow Him.
The Ordinances of the Sun, Moon, and Stars
We all interact with unreliable people. We are disappointed at times when someone fails to follow through on something they have agreed to do. If we're honest with ourselves, we can't be too hard on them, because we aren't perfectly reliable ourselves. We're all imperfect, falling short even when we do the best we can.... Continue Reading →
“A Sign Between Me and You”
One way God communicates with us is through signs. We may not see Him, but we recognize things that happen as evidence that He is mindful of us. On some occasions, those signs have been dramatic and unmistakeable, such as the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 7-12), or the signs of the Savior's birth and death... Continue Reading →
Three Days of Darkness
After the natural disasters which coincided with the death of Jesus Christ, some inhabitants of the American continent experienced "thick darkness upon all the face of the land" for three days: And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and... Continue Reading →
Gross Darkness
Isaiah prophesied of a time when "darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people." But he promised that, in the midst of this darkness, "the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy... Continue Reading →
“Clean But Not All”
At the Last Supper, when the meal was finished, Jesus washed the feet of each of His apostles, apparently without explaining why. When it was Peter's turn, he refused to allow the Savior to wash his feet. Jesus responded, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Peter responded impulsively: "Lord, not my feet... Continue Reading →
“Ye Are Clean, but Not All”
At the Last Supper, before beginning the meal, the Savior washed the feet of His disciples. Emphasizing the symbolic nature of this action to them, He said, "Ye are clean, but not all" (John 13:10). John explained that this statement referred to Judas Iscariot, who was among them, but who had already committed to betray... Continue Reading →
“The People That Walked in Darkness” – 2 Nephi 19:2
Even when we are surrounded by darkness, we can be filled with light. The ancient prophet Micah wrote, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me" (Micah 7:8). And King David affirmed, "The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness" (Psalm 18:28). Isaiah prophesied that the coming... Continue Reading →
“If There Was No Mistake” – 3 Nephi 8:1-2
As Mormon prepares to relate the most extraordinary sequence of events in the Book of Mormon, he begins by emphasizing the reliability of his source, followed immediately by an admission that the source may have gotten some of the details wrong: And now it came to pass that according to our record, and we know... Continue Reading →
Then Would Our Brethren Have Been Spared – 3 Nephi 8:24-25
24 And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared, and they would not have been burned in that great city Zarahemla.25 And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O... Continue Reading →