From YA Weekly
Stumbling in the Dark? Let Christ’s Light Guide You
The search for Heavenly Father doesn’t need to be a game of hide-and-seek in the dark.
I opened my eyes to pure darkness. I was alone. And I needed to get moving.
Moments before, my siblings and I had gathered in our barn. This was the perfect arena for our favorite game: hide-and-seek in the dark.
I had the misfortune of being the first seeker. My siblings ran off with flashlights in hand, and I was left alone without a light source. After two minutes of waiting, it was time to run off in search of my siblings.
But I couldn’t bring myself to move.
I was temporarily paralyzed by the fear of what lay beyond in the dark. Eventually, my fear of being alone took over. I took tentative steps forward and …
I fell flat on my face.
I got back up and continued to stumble around in the dark.
Sometimes, life can feel just like we’re alone in the dark, stumbling on our way back to Heavenly Father. How can we find Him when we’re surrounded by the influences of the world?
The answer? You aren’t alone. Unlike me during my game with my siblings, you have a spiritual flashlight to guide your life.
Your Spiritual Flashlight
It’s no coincidence that the scriptures refer to Jesus Christ as “the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 9:18). He illuminates the journey to our loving Heavenly Father, who longs for us to return to Him. When you choose to rely on the Savior and build a strong covenantal relationship with Him, you welcome His guidance into your life.
Similarly, when you choose to turn a flashlight on, you invite its light to surround you. Unlike my game in the barn, each of us can access the influence of the Holy Ghost, our spiritual flashlight guiding us on our journey home to Heavenly Father through the making and keeping of covenants.
We must make the conscious decision to turn the light on by living in ways that connect us with the Savior. When the light is off, we have chosen to distance ourselves from the Savior Jesus Christ. The light He offers through the Holy Ghost can influence our daily decisions, thoughts, and actions, increasing our ability to access four key gifts of the Spirit:
1. Peace
As someone with a crippling fear of the dark, I felt vulnerable and exposed in my pitch-black barn. If I hadn’t been so focused on my fear, perhaps I would’ve been more prepared for the obstacles that awaited me.
When we follow Christ, allowing His light to surround us, we are protected from many of the potentially harmful obstacles in our path. Christ taught, “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). As you follow Him, He will wrap you in the comfort of the light of life. And in turn, you can follow Him more completely.
2. Discernment Between Good and Evil
I tripped and fell in my barn because I couldn’t see any obstacles. A flashlight would’ve warned me of the danger and saved me a great deal of pain.
Likewise, the Holy Ghost can instill in us a deep understanding of good and evil (see Alma 32:35). As we make covenants with the Lord and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit can influence our actions and strengthen our ability to discern between good and evil.
This protects us from sin that harms the soul and creates distance from our Heavenly Father. Staying connected to Jesus Christ and the light He offers can help us navigate the complex world around us.
3. Repentance
There are times when you will make a wrong turn, even with light to guide you. But Christ can help you recognize your mistakes, turn around, and head in the right direction.
As Sister Tamara W. Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, taught: “We don’t stay on the covenant path by never making a mistake. We stay on the path by repenting every day.”
We will stray from the path to our Heavenly Father. This is an inevitable part of mortality. But by focusing on Jesus Christ and keeping our covenants, we can find our way back to the path.
4. Charity
There might be many of God’s children who are tired of hiding in the dark. With a flashlight in hand, you are equipped to spot them on your path and bring them into the Savior’s warm and inviting light.
As we diligently seek to follow our Savior, we act as beacons. President Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society General President, taught, “When we share our light, we bring the relief of Jesus Christ to others, our conversion to Him is deepened, and we can be whole even while we wait for healing.”
No one should journey alone. There is joy in bringing others to Jesus Christ. Ministering and charity allow each of us to invite others to share in God’s love and walk the covenant path.
Clinging to Your Spiritual Flashlight
My sister was my hero that day in the barn. She could’ve ignored my pleas for help as I crossed her path. But instead, she turned on her flashlight and ran to my rescue. Her grace made me feel less alone. And I clung to that grace until the search for my brothers was over.
The journey back to Heavenly Father doesn’t need to be a dark one. He provided Jesus Christ to guide you back to Him. Don’t waste His precious gift by casting the light He offers aside.
As you cling to Jesus Christ and His light, you will find your way home to your Father in Heaven.
Notes