"This is the Light of Christ"

I think the concept of "light" may be one of the most underrated and misunderstood points of the gospel of Christ. Doctrine has its layers of depth, of course, and we each peel back those layers as our understanding permits. But several years ago I endured a personal trial that opened a door to my understanding of the doctrine of Light. This has shaped and colored everything I've learned since in a miraculous way, which is why I'd like to share it.

The Lord says in Doctrine & Covenants, section 88, that the glory of the Celestial Kingdom is the light of truth:

7 Which truth shineth. 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.

8 As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
9 As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;

10 And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.

11 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;

12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—

13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.



Before this personal trial to which I refer, I considered light to be two distinct families--physical light (that which radiates from physical sources,) and spiritual light, that mystical power that burns in the heart and shines out through the eyes of the righteous. They were different, I supposed. One was scientifically definable, and the other, while truly the power of God, verged on metaphorical when referred to as "light." Light and knowledge, the light of a new idea, a bright testimony.

But almost in an instant, that misconception burst before my eyes and sifted away like sand in the wind. This is the light of Christ. He is in the sun, he is in the moon, and also the light of the stars, and the power by which they all were made. And the earth also, and the power thereof by which it was made; that which giveth you light, by which he enlightens your eyes and quickens your understanding. It proceeds from the presence of God and fills the immensity of space. It's in all things, gives life to everything, and is the very law by which everything is governed. In short, the light of Christ is every light. Anything upon earth which has organization was organized by this light and has his light within it--because the light is the law through which it was organized, and in this way his intelligence, his light, is truly 'in the midst of all things.'


This introduces a very physical aspect to the idea of corruption. One of Satan's greatest disappointments must surely be that he will never create. Creation is reserved for exalted, eternal beings who attain the knowledge, power, and authority from God to bring matter into a state of organization. This thing will never be for the devil. He therefore engages in the only work he is able--the work of feigning ownership over God's creations by corrupting them.

C.S. Lewis illustrates this in The Screwtape Letters, specifically referring to God-given pleasures. Says the demon Screwtape to his apprentice Wormwood, "We have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is [God's] invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy [God]has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden. Hence we always try to work away from the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it is least natural, least redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable. An ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula. It is more certain; and it's better style. To get the man's soul and give him nothing in return—that is what really gladdens [Satan's] heart." Lewis restates this in other texts-- that the devil has not power to create anything, only to corrupt and counterfeit those things his one-time Father has already created.

Consequently, corruption is the process by which living things decompose--literally lose their natural composition. It is the natural, scientific law of the earth that organized, living things which corrupt the 'law' by which they were organized will self-destruct. This is true of anything in physical existence--living things spoiled by disease or pestilence, non-living things assaulted by corrosion or exposed to the elements designed for earth's decomposition and regeneration process. Even the flesh of Man will self-destruct if the individual corrupts it. So reads the Surgeon General's warning on a pack of cigarettes.

One thing only survives the blight of physical corruption--the human soul. It survives only because God gave his children agency. It will therefore not suffer destruction until the corrupted soul in question is made to stand before God and give an account of his use of free will. It must be reiterated, this freedom from absolute destruction is temporary. No one who understands the Plan should feel emboldened by the seeming distance of God's retribution, for it will appear when one least expects, "as a thief in the night"(2 Pet. 3:10).

This earth was organized by the love, light, and intelligence of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. This light is the literal law by which these various organizations are governed and bound. When a thing begins to corrupt, it begins to de-organize, for it violates the law by which is was organized.

With this in mind, consider the small, daily ways in which we allow ourselves to endure corruption. A little hate, anger, prejudice, or malice. A little exposure to coarse language or base entertainment. A little engagement in gossip or slander. No one is perfect, no one will avoid every mistake nor is expected to--that's what repentence is for. But what minor corruptions slide by with your permission that might corrode your sacred armor, violate the light by which you were organized, separate you from the influence of your Father and Creator?

Similarly, there are small acts of obedience that can exponentially increase the strength of the light of Christ that binds you together and binds you to the Lord Jesus Christ, through natural law and voluntarily-adopted eternal covenants. At that moment--that 5:37 on a Tuesday evening when both 'little' options, that of passive exposure to darkness or the active invitation of light, lie before you--which option will you choose?