As human beings we depend on light. The light from our sun warms the earth and makes it habitable for our survival. Even if we could obtain that warmth without light it would be a dreary existence to live in darkness. So much on our earth depends upon light for photosynthesis and growth. Imagine the change in our diets if all that we could eat came from food produced in darkness. We depend on light for production of vast amounts of clean energy to power our industry and communities. Our human bodies require light for healthy development and sustained constitution. Quite simply put, we require light just to see what is in front of us, to read, and to fully enjoy all the beauty the earth has to offer. We also depend on light for truth, those things that bring us understanding, capacity to grow and to learn beyond what we can discover on our own. As followers of Christ we at least should have a glimpse of the value of light for answering the great questions and bringing understanding to ourselves and our fellow man. As important as the sun is to the earth for its survival, the light that comes from the Son of God is of infinite value for our eternal salvation and very existence.

“As important as the sun is to the earth for its survival, the light that comes from the Son of God is of infinite value for our eternal salvation and very existence.”

How do we obtain heaven sent understanding to light our paths and show us the way? A clue is given us in the experience of a boy prophet when He sought forgiveness of his youthful follies and lifted his voice heavenward in repentance.

According to his own account, in September of 1823 Joseph Smith, of Palmyra, New York, was in the very act of praying for forgiveness when he received an angelic manifestation providing great light and knowledge for him to carry on in the Lord’s work. “After I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me,… While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor…. He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people” (JS-H 1:29, 30, 33).

Revealed to Joseph Smith that night was the existence of a book written on ancient plates that would contain the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to be added to the Bible as a second witness of our Redeemer. His role in the translation and bringing to light of the Book of Mormon was described to him in detail by the angel, along with the restoration of priesthood power and planting “in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers.” The angel declared, “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:1-3). Foretold that night was the coming of Elijah the Prophet to restore the sealing power and bring to fruition the covenants made with Abraham to save all the generations that pertain to him, all those who will follow Christ.

Repentance brought light, light begat understanding, and understanding brought forth the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, restoring all keys, authority and covenants necessary to bring to the family of God exaltation and eternal life.

From the pages of the Book of Mormon and the words of Ammon we read, “Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance” (Alma 26:22).

“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Jesus Christ

May we reach heavenward in daily prayer and repentance that we might have the light of truth and understating, that light that brings us home to God. For as the Savior spoke, “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). I testify that Jesus Christ is the light, He that lights all things to our understanding for joy and redemption. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.