Bearers of Heavenly Light

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

“He that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; 

and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” 

(Doctrine and Covenants 50:24).

The Light of the World

Jesus Christ said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in [the] darkness, but shall have the light of life.”³

What does this mean?

Simply this: He who humbly follows Jesus Christ will experience and share in His light. And that light will grow until it eventually dispels even the most profound darkness.

It means that there is a power, a strong influence, that emanates from the Savior. It proceeds “forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space.”⁴ Because this power enlightens, uplifts, and illuminates our lives, the scriptures often call it light, but it is also referred to as spirit and truth.

In the Doctrine and Covenants we read, “The word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”⁵

This profound insight—that light is spirit, which is truth, and that this light shines upon every soul who comes into the world—is as important as it is hopeful. The Light of Christ enlightens and saturates the souls of all who hearken to the voice of the Spirit.⁶

The Light of Christ fills the universe.

It fills the earth.

And it can fill every heart.

“God is no respecter of persons.”7 His light is available to all—great or small, rich or poor, privileged or disadvantaged.

If you open your mind and heart to receive the Light of Christ and humbly follow the Savior, you will receive more light. Line upon line, here a little and there a little, you will gather more light and truth into your souls until darkness has been banished from your life.⁸

God will open your eyes.

God will give you a new heart.

God’s love, light, and truth will cause dormant things to spring to life, and you will be reborn into a newness of life in Christ Jesus.⁹

The Lord has promised, “If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.”¹⁰

This is the ultimate remedy for spiritual sickness. 

Darkness vanishes in the presence of light.