The Light, the Life, and the Hope of the World

In The Living Christ the apostles declared that Jesus Christ “is the light, the life, and the hope of the world.” This is similar to many declarations given in the scriptures of the Savior, though none list these three items exactly. The Savior gave these words to the prophet Moroni: “I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world” (Ether 4:12).  To Thomas the Savior declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Abinadi gave this powerful testimony: “He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death” (Mosiah 16:9). When the Savior visited the Nephites He declared to them, “I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (3 Nephi 9:18). He emphasized again to them, “And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me” (3 Nephi 11:11). He later said to them in slightly different language, “Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live” (3 Nephi 15:9). All of these declare together that He is the light, the life, the truth, the law, the way, the beginning, the end, and the hope of the world.

                In our dispensation the Savior emphasized in particular that He is indeed the light and the life of the world. To Joseph Knight He declared, “Behold, I am the light and the life of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 12:9). To Orson Pratt the Lord said that He is “Jesus Christ your Redeemer; The light and the life of the world, a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not; Who so loved the world that he gave his own life” (Doctrine and Covenants 34:1-3). Again to James Covel the Savior declared that He is “the Great I Am, even Jesus Christ—The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not” (Doctrine and Covenants 39:1-2). And to the whole Church He declared, “For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world—a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:7). He is the embodiment of light and life—He created light in the beginning and is “the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things”. Without light there would literally be no life—if we did not have the sun the earth could not have life; and if we did not have the light of Son we could not have eternal life that comes only through His triumph over death and sin. In fact, the sun and the Son are deeply connected: “He is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made; And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand. And the light which shineth, which giveth you light” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:7-13). He created literally those heavenly bodies which give us light and make life possible, and at the same time He gives us spiritual light to guide us to eternal life through Him. At Christmas we rightly celebrate Him through colorful lights that we put on our houses and trees and buildings, and these should remind us that He is the Light of the world. And throughout the whole year, He has put the sun and moon and stars in the sky to give us physical light, and these should similarly remind us that He is the source of light and life. In Him we have hope and life, we have light and truth, and we have the way back to the Father.