Above That of the Sun at Noon-day
To my son,
The Come,
Follow Me lesson for this upcoming week is focused on the Book of Mormon’s
witness of Jesus Christ. The introduction says this: “The main reason we
celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ is because of His atoning sacrifice.
Because of that sacrifice, He can save us from sin and death, comfort us in
afflictions, and help us ‘be perfected in Him’ (Moroni 10:32). What have you
learned from the Book of Mormon this year about the Savior’s power to redeem
you? Do any accounts or teachings stand out to you?” I hope that as we have
studied this book of scripture this year as a family and in our church classes
that you have gained a greater testimony of Jesus Christ and his role as our
Savior. The Book of Mormon indeed speaks of Christ repeatedly throughout the
whole book. One scholar
found that of the 6607 verses, 3925 reference Him in some way. That means that on
average He is mentioned every 1.68 verses—that is a lot! President Nelson once
gave this
invitation to the sisters of the church: “I invite you to read the Book of
Mormon between now and the end of the year. As impossible as that may seem with
all you are trying to manage in your life, if you will accept this invitation
with full purpose of heart, the Lord will help you find a way to achieve it.
And, as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you.
The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation.” That was
given at the October general conference, and so he was asking them to read it
in less than three months. But that was
not all. He continued: “As you read, I would encourage you to mark each verse
that speaks of or refers to the Savior.” That would mean marking nearly 4000 verses!
I think his point was to see the Savior more frequently in our reading of the
scriptures and to focus on Him. I want to give you a similar invitation for
this upcoming year. But instead of marking every verse that references the
Savior, try to find just one verse each day that you like about Jesus and mark
it. Put a number by it so that after one year, before next Christmas, you have 365
verses marked about the Savior. President Nelson gave this promise: “You and
they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even
miracles, will begin to happen.”
Perhaps I can give you the first one you might mark if you decide to accept this challenge. The first chapter includes Nephi’s description of a vision that Lehi had as a prophet in Jerusalem. Nephi recorded this about his father: “And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day” (1 Nephi 1:8-9). Lehi saw Jesus coming down from heaven, and He was full of light. He was brighter than the sun at noon. This is similar to how Joseph Smith would later describe the Savior and the Father in the First Vision: “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me…. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air” (JSH 1:16-17). They were bright and glorious and had more light than he could describe. After his vision in the Kirtland Temple 16 years later, he wrote this of Jesus: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:3). Jesus shined brighter than the sun. Another passage of scripture describes how the Savior will appear when He returns to the earth at the Second Coming: “And so great shall be the glory of his presence that the sun shall hide his face in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, and the stars shall be hurled from their places” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:49). So great will be the light that comes with His presence, that the sun will hide in shame because it is so dim in comparison. We will not need their light at that day as Isaiah prophesied: “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory” (Isaiah 60:19). I hope that these scriptures remind you and me when we see the bright sun above us that there is a Light even brighter, our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world, and as you search for Him in the scriptures you will have that light with you more fully.
Love,
Dad
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