Light It Up!
Thanks to London for providing this reference to me, and I will definitely try to apply these verses (John 5: 14 - 16) more on my mission. Anyway, I wrote out another thing to it, and I though that I would share it with y'all. I hope you like it! It is titled "Light It Up!"
I am just going to say, that I started to write for this set of scriptures, but I just did not feel like I was doing it right, so I cut it all out and will, start again. So, when I read this passage, I think there are several points to it that ought to be mentioned.
1. "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill that cannot be hid." Everybody is watching us. Like, seriously. One of the major stereotypes that people has of latter-day saints is that they are nice people. This is something that we can't just brush off. The things we do and the things we say are exactly what people are going to think of us. And there is nothing that we can do to stop that. So what do we do? Well we have two options.
2. Option A. "...light a candle, and put it under a bushel..." We can take the things we do, and hide them. What do I mean by that? Here are some examples. Billy is a good youth. He goes to church every Sunday, and Seminary every morning. He is the Priests Quorum 1st assistant, and actively engages in mutual. But when a friend asks about his beliefs, he quickly changes the subject to something else to avoid a conversation about religion. Joyce is a great help around the house. She likes to keep things neat and tidy around the place. When an opportunity comes to serve a member of her family, she does so. But when that opportunity comes and it is for a stranger, or even another member of her ward, she puts out an excuse and thinks nothing of that opportunity. This is putting your candle under a bushel. What did they do? They both had their candle, and it was a bright candle, but they did not use it in a way that would be a benefit to those around them, which is an essential part of Christ's church. When we look at the life of Christ, we see that he is always out serving others. He never thought of himself. That leads us into the other option that we have.
3. Option B. "...light a candle, and put it...on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."
What does it mean to do this? To me, it is showing to others through our actions what we are all about. One is bearing your testimony. By sharing our testimony, we can share that light we have with all those around us who will listen. Bearing testimony is also the easiest way to invite the Spirit into any situation. It provides a way for the Spirit to verify the things that you are saying to the people you are sharing it with. Without testimony, what does the Spirit have to go off of? Service is another way to put your light on a candlestick. Willing service shows to people that you are someone that is willing to help at all times and that you also seek out those opportunities. People will notice this, and they will want to know more about it, which is a great missionary opportunity. In a way, I believe that family history work is a way that we can put our light on a candlestick. Why is that? By doing our family history, we learn how we can do it and in the process learned about our ancestors. In doing his, we can share these stories with others and begin them down the road of finding names that they too can take to the temple and do their work.
4. "Let you light do shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Here we go! The that light we have, and let it shine before men! I like how it says here "that they may see your good works". That is how we get people's attention. A lot of the time, people really don't want to hear what we have to say. For some reason, that just puts them off. However, once they start to see you good works, and they way that you act, that is when they get interested. Why are these people giving service? What drives them to do the things that they do? Why are they smiling all the time? How can someone be so happy in a world like this? These are the kind of questions that we want people asking when they see the things that we do. Then they are willing to talk. Then when you talk with them, you can introduce the gospel, and all the happiness that it has brought you. Testify to them of its truthfulness, and then let the Holy Ghost take lead. That is when, I feel, that those who ask questions can act on the second part of this scripture, "and glorify your Father which is in heaven." How great will be their joy when they receive these truths! And why were they able to receive them? Because you let your light shine for them.
Now, there will be those that will reject you light. This is not something to be discouraged about. Never beat yourself up over the fact that when you tried to share the gospel that they did not accept it. Something that I have learned on my mission so far is that a successful missionary is one that invites. If you invite, you are acting, and the Lord sees that you are acting in faith, and He will bless you for that. After the invitation, it is no longer your agency that affects the situation, but theirs, and there Sister nothing you can do to change that. They have to decide whether or not they want to accept the gospel or not. If they do, awesome! If not, the they are just not ready for that message yet, and will accept it at a later point in their life. They must be prepared to receive the gospel, and if they aren't, then it is good that they rejected because then it will give them more time to prepare themselves to get ready to receive the gospel later.
Something else that I wish to address pertaining to our light. We must make sure that our light is shining for all, all the time! We read in Mosiah 18, "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places". That pretty much covers everywhere, and leaves no wiggle room. And why should we look for it in the first place? We should be glad for opportunities to share our light with others. Maybe it is just me, since I am a missionary, but still, I feel that we should always be looking for such opportunities.
Alright, now I shall go to the title. I titles this "Light It Up!" So, why do I give this text such a title. Well, things that I would attribute it to is that we should light up the we should light it up with our good works, our testimony, and with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, our works. I believe that I have touched on this a bit earlier, but I am going to go back into it because no one can stop me anyway, so HA! Let us think of ways that we can light up the world through our good works. Service is at the top of that list for me. Through diligent and willing service, we can touch the lives of many and just be helpful in general. This can cause great gratitude from those we serve, and they will be much more willing to want to get to know us, and maybe hear the things that we want to say to them. I also know, that I am just happy when I give service. I mean, this is something that I want to do because of not only what it can do to these that I help, but it can help build myself up as well and make me a much better person. Good woks could also mean the example that we set for others. Well, what does that mean Elder Jensen. I will tell you! Here is an example to help illustrate my point. You are walking down the road, and you see this phone on the ground, and there is nobody around it. So, you pick it up. Now you have it, what do you do with it. Two options. 1a. Keep the phone for yourself, and try and sell it for your gain. 2a. Take it to a Police Station or a phone store, and turn it in there. Let us now take a look at the consequences of those actions. 1b. You make a little money and you are satisfied and never give a second thought to what has happened to that phone ever again. 2b. You show forth your good example, people notice what you have done, the person potentially gets their lost phone back, and the Lord blesses you for what you have done. I don't know abut you, but option 2 sounds like a much better deal for me. Now, what does that have to do with setting a good example to others? It shows that you are honest in your dealings with your fellow men. This example can inspire so many other to do good, and try to be honest themselves. That is beginning to spread your light, and to light up the world.
Now, testimony. Oh what a wonderful thing testimony is. It is probably one of the most powerful tools that we have under our belt. What exactly is a testimony to begin with? The literal definition of a testimony is: "An assertion offering firsthand authentication of a fact." So what are the facts? Jesus Christ lives. He suffered for our sins so that we could return to the presence of our Father. He was resurrected so that we can as well receive this wonderful blessing. Those are just some of the facts, and makes up my testimony. You know, there is a really cool thing about testimony. It is that it is your own, and there is nothing that anyone can do to make you say ANYTHING that is contrary to your belief. Isn't that something. I want to touch on those two parts just a little bit. A testimony that is your own. This is something that you have gained through much study and prayer, and have found for yourself to be true. Now, there is a thing called a "borrowed testimony". This is not a bad thing. Having a borrowed testimony is where we all start out. It is what will get us through the beginning phases as we start to develop our own testimony. However, this is not something that can last us forever. We must gain a personal testimony for ourselves. It is imperative that we do so. Why? It shows that we have taken the time and effort to really understand and gain a knowledge of what you believe. This shows that we truly know what we believe, and we care deeply about it. It is not based on memorized facts and words of others, but on the faith you have developed and the knowledge that you have gained. It truly is a wonderful thing. Ok, now how can we use testimony to light the world? Share it with all that you meet. Sharing your testimony is one of the surest ways to invite the Spirit into any situation. If your testimony is out there for others to hear, then he can testify of the truthfulness of the things that you say. Then they have their two witnesses, so they can know that it is true, and they can act on it. This does not mean that they always will, because people do have their agency, and that is something that we can have basically no effect on, but how they decide to act on you invitation does not matter. You will be considered successful if you invite all, and act on that prompting ot share your testimony.
Finally, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is something that we must use as we light up the world. It is essential that all receive the opportunity to hear this message that we have to share with them. The knowledge that the true church of Christ has been restored on this Earth today is the most important news that anyone will ever hear! How can we not go out and tell everyone all about it? Several reasons/excuses come to mind. You are scared. You want to fit in. You don't think that you are ready to tell people about the gospel. You are afraid that those you tell will mock or scorn you. There are many other things that people tell themselves that they feel justify them in not sharing the gospel to others. These. Are. Lies! Let me address each of the points that I have put forth to you here, and if any of these excuses apply to you, I want you to listen very closely. Firstly, you are scared. I have but a scripture that can answer this for you. "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whither soever thou goest." Never be afraid. The Lord is standing right behind you, and He will support you always. Remember, faith and fear can never exist together. Now you want to fit in with the crowd. You are afraid of being the "black sheep", and standing out. Does this scripture not say that we are "a city on a hill which cannot be hid"? We are not meant to fit in with the crowd of the world. We are meant to be an ensign to the nations, and all should look to us and see the things that we do as an example to them. This gospel cannot be hid. And guess what. There is a whole crowd of people that agree with you. They are the members of the church, and we are millions strong today. We are the crowd, and you are apart of it. Do not worry if your non-member friends reject you at this time for the things that you share with them, and you, for whatever reason, feel alone. You are never alone. You have a family that loves you. Young Men and Young Women to stand at your side. Elders and High Priests who will aid you. A Relief Society that will comfort you. A Bishop to council you. A prophet to lead you. A Savior who understands you. You are already apart of the crowd, and trust me when I say this, others should be trying to be apart of this crowd. The next worry of people is that they don't feel ready. Trust me, you are. The Lord knew that these last days would be some of the hardest. So he prepared. Read with me Abraham 3:22-23. "Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born." We were chosen before we were born to come into the world at this time, right before the coming of Christ. We were among those noble and great ones, for God knew that we were some of His strongest children, and we would be able to fight the battle against sin at the time that it is at it's worst. You are strong in spirit, and He knows that you are ready to spread forth this gospel to everyone that you meet. He will prepare people for you that need to hear this message from you, but you will NEVER find them if you are to afraid that you are not ready to speak to them. Now, you are afraid of people mocking and scorning you for sharing this message with them. I want you to think of Christ. He was rejected of his own. He was called a lair and a blasphemer. He was spit upon. He was scourged. He was crucified. Did he ever once not take an opportunity to serve, to teach, or testify? Did he ever deny the gospel when those around him called him a fool? Did his death end his ministry? No, no, and NO! Never! There is a saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Who cares what other people think and say of you. You take that chance to share the gospel to anyone without any second thoughts. Either you will feel the momentary pain of rejection, or the eternal joy of acceptance. I don't know about you, but I will take those odds. It says in the Doctrine & Covenants, "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" It only says that we need to one soul unto repentance to have this joy. Just one. How easy is that, to just share the gospel with a single person and to find that they are accepting of the message that you have. I would say it is pretty easy, and that we can all do it. I would like to read on to the verse right after this one as well. "And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" Having that happiness with one soul is amazing, so how cool would it be if we can feel that happiness again and again by inviting all to come unto Christ? I would have to say, we would be a very happy people indeed. So, light up the world with the gospel, and see what it can do for those around you. I know you will find many great blessings as you go about and do this.
So my friends, it is time for us to light it up the world. Light the match and start that fuse. This is going to be one of the greatest light shows that anyone has ever seen. We are the orchestrators of it, so we need to make sure that it gets done so that others can witness it, and be able to enjoy it. My friends, I know that God lives, and he loves and cares for us. I know that he prepared us to come down to the world at this time for the second coming of His Son. I know that the Lord will bless us infinitely if we but share our light with others. I know that even though some may feel that they are the weakest among us, that they can receive the strength they need through Christ. I know that we are that city on a hill that cannot be hid, and that we must let our light shine for all, so that they may glorify our Father which is in Heaven. It is time to light it up. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Jensen
I am just going to say, that I started to write for this set of scriptures, but I just did not feel like I was doing it right, so I cut it all out and will, start again. So, when I read this passage, I think there are several points to it that ought to be mentioned.
1. "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill that cannot be hid." Everybody is watching us. Like, seriously. One of the major stereotypes that people has of latter-day saints is that they are nice people. This is something that we can't just brush off. The things we do and the things we say are exactly what people are going to think of us. And there is nothing that we can do to stop that. So what do we do? Well we have two options.
2. Option A. "...light a candle, and put it under a bushel..." We can take the things we do, and hide them. What do I mean by that? Here are some examples. Billy is a good youth. He goes to church every Sunday, and Seminary every morning. He is the Priests Quorum 1st assistant, and actively engages in mutual. But when a friend asks about his beliefs, he quickly changes the subject to something else to avoid a conversation about religion. Joyce is a great help around the house. She likes to keep things neat and tidy around the place. When an opportunity comes to serve a member of her family, she does so. But when that opportunity comes and it is for a stranger, or even another member of her ward, she puts out an excuse and thinks nothing of that opportunity. This is putting your candle under a bushel. What did they do? They both had their candle, and it was a bright candle, but they did not use it in a way that would be a benefit to those around them, which is an essential part of Christ's church. When we look at the life of Christ, we see that he is always out serving others. He never thought of himself. That leads us into the other option that we have.
3. Option B. "...light a candle, and put it...on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."
What does it mean to do this? To me, it is showing to others through our actions what we are all about. One is bearing your testimony. By sharing our testimony, we can share that light we have with all those around us who will listen. Bearing testimony is also the easiest way to invite the Spirit into any situation. It provides a way for the Spirit to verify the things that you are saying to the people you are sharing it with. Without testimony, what does the Spirit have to go off of? Service is another way to put your light on a candlestick. Willing service shows to people that you are someone that is willing to help at all times and that you also seek out those opportunities. People will notice this, and they will want to know more about it, which is a great missionary opportunity. In a way, I believe that family history work is a way that we can put our light on a candlestick. Why is that? By doing our family history, we learn how we can do it and in the process learned about our ancestors. In doing his, we can share these stories with others and begin them down the road of finding names that they too can take to the temple and do their work.
4. "Let you light do shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Here we go! The that light we have, and let it shine before men! I like how it says here "that they may see your good works". That is how we get people's attention. A lot of the time, people really don't want to hear what we have to say. For some reason, that just puts them off. However, once they start to see you good works, and they way that you act, that is when they get interested. Why are these people giving service? What drives them to do the things that they do? Why are they smiling all the time? How can someone be so happy in a world like this? These are the kind of questions that we want people asking when they see the things that we do. Then they are willing to talk. Then when you talk with them, you can introduce the gospel, and all the happiness that it has brought you. Testify to them of its truthfulness, and then let the Holy Ghost take lead. That is when, I feel, that those who ask questions can act on the second part of this scripture, "and glorify your Father which is in heaven." How great will be their joy when they receive these truths! And why were they able to receive them? Because you let your light shine for them.
Now, there will be those that will reject you light. This is not something to be discouraged about. Never beat yourself up over the fact that when you tried to share the gospel that they did not accept it. Something that I have learned on my mission so far is that a successful missionary is one that invites. If you invite, you are acting, and the Lord sees that you are acting in faith, and He will bless you for that. After the invitation, it is no longer your agency that affects the situation, but theirs, and there Sister nothing you can do to change that. They have to decide whether or not they want to accept the gospel or not. If they do, awesome! If not, the they are just not ready for that message yet, and will accept it at a later point in their life. They must be prepared to receive the gospel, and if they aren't, then it is good that they rejected because then it will give them more time to prepare themselves to get ready to receive the gospel later.
Something else that I wish to address pertaining to our light. We must make sure that our light is shining for all, all the time! We read in Mosiah 18, "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places". That pretty much covers everywhere, and leaves no wiggle room. And why should we look for it in the first place? We should be glad for opportunities to share our light with others. Maybe it is just me, since I am a missionary, but still, I feel that we should always be looking for such opportunities.
Alright, now I shall go to the title. I titles this "Light It Up!" So, why do I give this text such a title. Well, things that I would attribute it to is that we should light up the we should light it up with our good works, our testimony, and with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, our works. I believe that I have touched on this a bit earlier, but I am going to go back into it because no one can stop me anyway, so HA! Let us think of ways that we can light up the world through our good works. Service is at the top of that list for me. Through diligent and willing service, we can touch the lives of many and just be helpful in general. This can cause great gratitude from those we serve, and they will be much more willing to want to get to know us, and maybe hear the things that we want to say to them. I also know, that I am just happy when I give service. I mean, this is something that I want to do because of not only what it can do to these that I help, but it can help build myself up as well and make me a much better person. Good woks could also mean the example that we set for others. Well, what does that mean Elder Jensen. I will tell you! Here is an example to help illustrate my point. You are walking down the road, and you see this phone on the ground, and there is nobody around it. So, you pick it up. Now you have it, what do you do with it. Two options. 1a. Keep the phone for yourself, and try and sell it for your gain. 2a. Take it to a Police Station or a phone store, and turn it in there. Let us now take a look at the consequences of those actions. 1b. You make a little money and you are satisfied and never give a second thought to what has happened to that phone ever again. 2b. You show forth your good example, people notice what you have done, the person potentially gets their lost phone back, and the Lord blesses you for what you have done. I don't know abut you, but option 2 sounds like a much better deal for me. Now, what does that have to do with setting a good example to others? It shows that you are honest in your dealings with your fellow men. This example can inspire so many other to do good, and try to be honest themselves. That is beginning to spread your light, and to light up the world.
Now, testimony. Oh what a wonderful thing testimony is. It is probably one of the most powerful tools that we have under our belt. What exactly is a testimony to begin with? The literal definition of a testimony is: "An assertion offering firsthand authentication of a fact." So what are the facts? Jesus Christ lives. He suffered for our sins so that we could return to the presence of our Father. He was resurrected so that we can as well receive this wonderful blessing. Those are just some of the facts, and makes up my testimony. You know, there is a really cool thing about testimony. It is that it is your own, and there is nothing that anyone can do to make you say ANYTHING that is contrary to your belief. Isn't that something. I want to touch on those two parts just a little bit. A testimony that is your own. This is something that you have gained through much study and prayer, and have found for yourself to be true. Now, there is a thing called a "borrowed testimony". This is not a bad thing. Having a borrowed testimony is where we all start out. It is what will get us through the beginning phases as we start to develop our own testimony. However, this is not something that can last us forever. We must gain a personal testimony for ourselves. It is imperative that we do so. Why? It shows that we have taken the time and effort to really understand and gain a knowledge of what you believe. This shows that we truly know what we believe, and we care deeply about it. It is not based on memorized facts and words of others, but on the faith you have developed and the knowledge that you have gained. It truly is a wonderful thing. Ok, now how can we use testimony to light the world? Share it with all that you meet. Sharing your testimony is one of the surest ways to invite the Spirit into any situation. If your testimony is out there for others to hear, then he can testify of the truthfulness of the things that you say. Then they have their two witnesses, so they can know that it is true, and they can act on it. This does not mean that they always will, because people do have their agency, and that is something that we can have basically no effect on, but how they decide to act on you invitation does not matter. You will be considered successful if you invite all, and act on that prompting ot share your testimony.
Finally, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is something that we must use as we light up the world. It is essential that all receive the opportunity to hear this message that we have to share with them. The knowledge that the true church of Christ has been restored on this Earth today is the most important news that anyone will ever hear! How can we not go out and tell everyone all about it? Several reasons/excuses come to mind. You are scared. You want to fit in. You don't think that you are ready to tell people about the gospel. You are afraid that those you tell will mock or scorn you. There are many other things that people tell themselves that they feel justify them in not sharing the gospel to others. These. Are. Lies! Let me address each of the points that I have put forth to you here, and if any of these excuses apply to you, I want you to listen very closely. Firstly, you are scared. I have but a scripture that can answer this for you. "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whither soever thou goest." Never be afraid. The Lord is standing right behind you, and He will support you always. Remember, faith and fear can never exist together. Now you want to fit in with the crowd. You are afraid of being the "black sheep", and standing out. Does this scripture not say that we are "a city on a hill which cannot be hid"? We are not meant to fit in with the crowd of the world. We are meant to be an ensign to the nations, and all should look to us and see the things that we do as an example to them. This gospel cannot be hid. And guess what. There is a whole crowd of people that agree with you. They are the members of the church, and we are millions strong today. We are the crowd, and you are apart of it. Do not worry if your non-member friends reject you at this time for the things that you share with them, and you, for whatever reason, feel alone. You are never alone. You have a family that loves you. Young Men and Young Women to stand at your side. Elders and High Priests who will aid you. A Relief Society that will comfort you. A Bishop to council you. A prophet to lead you. A Savior who understands you. You are already apart of the crowd, and trust me when I say this, others should be trying to be apart of this crowd. The next worry of people is that they don't feel ready. Trust me, you are. The Lord knew that these last days would be some of the hardest. So he prepared. Read with me Abraham 3:22-23. "Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born." We were chosen before we were born to come into the world at this time, right before the coming of Christ. We were among those noble and great ones, for God knew that we were some of His strongest children, and we would be able to fight the battle against sin at the time that it is at it's worst. You are strong in spirit, and He knows that you are ready to spread forth this gospel to everyone that you meet. He will prepare people for you that need to hear this message from you, but you will NEVER find them if you are to afraid that you are not ready to speak to them. Now, you are afraid of people mocking and scorning you for sharing this message with them. I want you to think of Christ. He was rejected of his own. He was called a lair and a blasphemer. He was spit upon. He was scourged. He was crucified. Did he ever once not take an opportunity to serve, to teach, or testify? Did he ever deny the gospel when those around him called him a fool? Did his death end his ministry? No, no, and NO! Never! There is a saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Who cares what other people think and say of you. You take that chance to share the gospel to anyone without any second thoughts. Either you will feel the momentary pain of rejection, or the eternal joy of acceptance. I don't know about you, but I will take those odds. It says in the Doctrine & Covenants, "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" It only says that we need to one soul unto repentance to have this joy. Just one. How easy is that, to just share the gospel with a single person and to find that they are accepting of the message that you have. I would say it is pretty easy, and that we can all do it. I would like to read on to the verse right after this one as well. "And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" Having that happiness with one soul is amazing, so how cool would it be if we can feel that happiness again and again by inviting all to come unto Christ? I would have to say, we would be a very happy people indeed. So, light up the world with the gospel, and see what it can do for those around you. I know you will find many great blessings as you go about and do this.
So my friends, it is time for us to light it up the world. Light the match and start that fuse. This is going to be one of the greatest light shows that anyone has ever seen. We are the orchestrators of it, so we need to make sure that it gets done so that others can witness it, and be able to enjoy it. My friends, I know that God lives, and he loves and cares for us. I know that he prepared us to come down to the world at this time for the second coming of His Son. I know that the Lord will bless us infinitely if we but share our light with others. I know that even though some may feel that they are the weakest among us, that they can receive the strength they need through Christ. I know that we are that city on a hill that cannot be hid, and that we must let our light shine for all, so that they may glorify our Father which is in Heaven. It is time to light it up. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Jensen
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