“Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness (excerpts),” New Era, May 2019, 34–35.
Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness (excerpts)
Jesus Christ … is the source of our power, the Light and Life of the World. Without a strong connection to Him, we begin to spiritually die. Knowing that, Satan tries to exploit the worldly pressures we all face. He works to dim our light, short-circuit the connection, cut off the power supply, leaving us alone in the dark. …
Some of Us Are Paralyzed with Grief
… When we’ve taken a beating like the man on the road to Jericho and been left for dead, Jesus comes along and pours oil into our wounds, lifts us tenderly up, takes us to an inn, looks after us. … Christ heals wounds.
Some of Us Are Just So Tired …
Christ is willing to join with us in the yoke and pull in order to lighten our burdens. Christ is rest.
Some of Us Feel We Don’t Fit the Traditional Mold
For various reasons, we don’t feel accepted or acceptable. … In almost every [New Testament] story [Jesus] is reaching someone who wasn’t traditionally accepted in society.
Luke 19 tells the story of … Zacchaeus. He climbed a tree in order to see Jesus walk by. … Jesus saw him up in the tree and called to him. … And when Jesus saw the goodness of Zacchaeus’s heart and the things he did for others, He accepted his offering. …
… Christ sees us in our tree.
Some of Us Are Splintering with Questions …
… This is not the stage in our eternal development where we have all answers. … Assurance comes in ways that aren’t always easy to analyze, but there is light in our darkness. … Christ is light to see.
Some of Us Feel We Can Never Be Good Enough
… Satan wields this reasoning like a club: white wool stained scarlet can never go back to being white. But … the miracle of [Jesus Christ’s] grace is that when we repent of our sins, His scarlet blood returns us to purity. …
… Christ makes wool white. …
If you feel that the beacon of your testimony is sputtering and darkness is closing in, take courage. Keep your promises to God. Ask your questions. … Turn to Jesus Christ, who loves you still.
Jesus said, “I am the light [that] shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not” [Doctrine and Covenants 6:21]. That means no matter how hard it tries, the darkness cannot put out that light. Ever. You can trust that His light will be there for you.