Hold Up Your Light

To my daughter,

Today you received three gifts to give more light to your room: a lamp, a globe that lights up, and a strand of lights to go around your curtains and bed. I hope you enjoy these Christmas gifts today and throughout the whole year, for they can remind you of the light of Jesus Christ that is always there to guide us. As you look upon your lights each day, I hope that you will think of Him, for light should remind us of Him. First, He was the Creator of light from the beginning. We read in the creation story this account: “And I, God, said: Let there be light; and there was light. And I, God, saw the light; and that light was good. And I, God, divided the light from the darkness” (Moses 2:3-4). Modern scriptures confirm that the physical lights we see from the sun and the stars and the moon come from Him: “This is the light of Christ. As also 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 light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:7-13). He created physical light to give life and warmth and vision to all of us here on the earth.  

I hope as well that as you look at the new lights in your room you will remember that Jesus Christ is our spiritual light. When He visited the Nephites He introduced Himself this way: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 11:10-11). I believe He was referring to how He can provide guidance and direction to our lives spiritually. I love the words of John as he described the Savior: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not…. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:4-9). I know that He gives us light in our souls and helps us to know what is right and wrong and the way to take in our lives. Trust in these words of Abinadi: “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). The lights in your room will one day burn out and we’ll have to replace them—but the light of Christ will last forever and can never be darkened. He will always be there to guide and bless your life with His light. Jacob helped us to understand how we can receive that light when he gave us these words of the Savior: “I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words” (2 Nephi 10:14). If we will hear His words in the scriptures and in the words of living prophets, then we will have His light with us. Then you can share that light with others just as you do so often already. Here is the invitation that Jesus gives to you and me: “Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do” (3 Nephi 18:24). As you look at your lights I hope that you will remember to hold up the light of Jesus to others as you serve and love and show kindness to all of God’s children. 

Love, 

Dad