Scales of Darkness

 As Nephi prophesied concerning his seed in the latter days, he told of how the Book of Mormon would be carried unto them. He described the results in these words, “And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews. And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers.” Nephi continued with this description of the effect of that knowledge: “And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes” (2 Nephi 30:3-6). I love that metaphor—as they come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the “scales of darkness” that cover their eyes will begin to fall and they shall see clearly. This is similar to how Luke described the conversion of Saul. After his visit from the Lord, “he was three days without sight,” but after Ananias came and blessed him, “immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized” (Acts 9:9, 18). Indeed he had been spiritually blind beforehand, seeing only evil in that which was good, but after his conversion he had new eyes to see the Savior and the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

            Surely each of us have some “scales of darkness” that cover our eyes and cause us to not always see the world and the gospel and each other with the light of Jesus Christ like we should. Paul suggested that we “we see through a glass, darkly” and perhaps at least part of the reason for that is our own sin and pride that prevents us from removing fully the scales that obstruct our view (1 Corinthians 13:12). So how do we then remove those scales of darkness? How do we make them “fall from [our] eyes” too? Nephi’s words suggest that the key is the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and for his posterity that was in particular found in the Book of Mormon that would be given to them. As we come to see Him more clearly and correctly, as we “believe in Christ” and “look steadfastly towards heaven” as the Nephites did at the time of His coming, we will know that He is “the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world” (3 Nephi 11:5, 14). When Nephi had his great vision of the Savior the angel gave him this invitation: “Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!” As He looked upon the Savior in mortality, the eyes of his understanding were opened and he suddenly understood the meaning of the tree his father had seen: “Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things” (1 Nephi 11:21-22). Surely it is the same for us; as we, through the eyes that the scriptures give us, learn to also “behold the Lamb of God” we will understand and feel that love of God in our hearts. This will indeed help us see the world around us without the scales of darkness that obscure our view. Ultimately that is how He wants us to see the world—through the lens of His love, understanding that He has a perfect love for all because He took upon Him their sins. Each day we must strive to come to know Him better and ask for His help in gaining “an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear” as He would (Deuteronomy 29:4).