“Go for the Light!,” For the Strength of Youth, Jan. 2024.
Come, Follow Me
Book of Mormon title page; Book of Mormon introduction
Go for the Light!
The Book of Mormon brings light and power into your life to guide you in the challenging and exciting days ahead.
Illustrations by Gabriele Cracolici
As a boy I loved the story of the brother of Jared in the Book of Mormon. I could see his experience as a movie in my mind. It almost seemed to be happening as I read about it.
The brother of Jared was commanded by the Lord to build barges so he and his family could cross the ocean to “a land of promise” (Ether 2:9). But the barges were dark. Not wanting to travel in darkness, the brother of Jared sought the Lord’s help. The Lord asked him, “What will ye that I should do?” (Ether 2:23).
With great faith, the brother of Jared took 16 stones to the top of a mountain and prayed. He asked the Lord to touch the stones “that they may shine forth in darkness” (Ether 3:4). The Lord then reached out His hand and touched each stone with His finger, giving them light. All my life, I’ve pictured the Lord touching those stones.
Just as the brother of Jared was given light, the Lord Jesus Christ will bring light to you. He is “the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 11:11). I invite you to go for the Light! Studying the Book of Mormon will strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ and help you stay connected to His Light.
A Guide and a Light
I have read the Book of Mormon and felt a witness many times that it is true. I’ve never doubted it. When I don’t feel the Spirit, when I’m spiritually a little out of tune, I feel a sense of darkness. But when I read the Book of Mormon, the light returns. Sometimes it only takes reading one verse for me to feel the light again, but I always feel light when I read it.
Light overcoming darkness is real to me. President Russell M. Nelson has said, “As you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day.”1 This is because the Book of Mormon increases your faith in Jesus Christ. It brings light and power. Its teachings will guide you in the challenging and exciting days ahead.
Feeling the Light
I have the blessing of serving by President Nelson’s side. When the prophet walks into a room, the room immediately feels lighter. He carries the Light of Christ with him.
Sometimes it is a struggle to be sure you are feeling the Light of Christ. You do not see it with your physical eyes. It comes as spiritual feelings. It is the sense of what is right and wrong and what is true and false (see Moroni 7:13–19).
Any time you choose to be more like Jesus Christ, you walk in the Light of Christ. Reading the Book of Mormon strengthens that Light.
“Of Course, It’s True!”
I honestly believe that when the scriptures say, “Remember, remember” (Helaman 5:12), they mean that we should not just remember Jesus Christ or remember that we once felt His Light. We must feel His Light now and feel it again and again. That is what one young man, Eric, discovered when he first read the Book of Mormon.
After moving to a new place and starting high school, Eric struggled in his classes and found it hard to fit in. He also began to wonder if he had a testimony.
“I began to seriously read the Book of Mormon for the first time in my life,” Eric said. “I read and prayed every day.”
When Eric prayed and asked Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true, he was sure he was going to get an answer, but nothing happened.
Sometime later, while walking through the woods behind his house, Eric asked again. This time, he had an impression, as if Heavenly Father asked him, “Eric, what has happened in your life since you started reading the Book of Mormon and praying every day?”
Eric thought about how he had made good friends and was doing better in school. Without realizing it, the Book of Mormon had brought light and power into his life.
Then it happened.
“I didn’t hear a voice,” Eric said, “but the Spirit filled my heart as these words came to my mind: ‘Of course, it’s true!’ An overwhelming feeling of peace, joy, and assurance came over me. I knew I had finally found my answer.”2
Moving Forward in Light
From its first page to its last, the Book of Mormon testifies that “Jesus is the Christ”3 and it teaches us “what [we] must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.”4
As you study the Book of Mormon, I hope that you will feel it was written for you. Doctrines in the Book of Mormon and the valiant examples of Nephi, Lehi and Sariah, Abinadi, Alma, Amulek, Abish, the sons of Mosiah, and many others will lift, guide, and empower you to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ and lead you to walk confidently in His Light.
I testify that the Book of Mormon is a precious and sure witness that Jesus Christ lives and is our source of comfort, hope, peace, joy, and light. I pray with all my heart that you will go for the Light found in the Book of Mormon, draw closer to Jesus Christ, and feel the warmth of His light and love more than you ever have before.