"When you are risen on the eastern horizon
You have filled every land with your beauty...
Though you are far away, your rays are on Earth."
Surely there is something to be said about our nearest star!
When was the last time you witnessed a sunrise? A sunset? Have you every really considered the brilliancy and awe of such an event? Or rather, contemplated on the awesome influence its light brings into our world and into our lives? Indeed, there is something truly awe-inspiring about our closest star and its life-giving properties. If you doubt it, go look outside your window. Everything you see is visible and defined because of the Sun. As the only star in our Solar System and single source of heat and light, we would do well to acknowledge the Sun's pivotal role in our lives from time to time. To be more exact, it would behoove us to reflect on the power of light itself and its "activating" and "reactivating" properties within us.
Hugh Nibley, a world renowned LDS scholar and historian, made this statement about light in his book Temple and Cosmos:
"Without light, matter is inert and helpless. It must be improved by the action of light. You've got to put into it some animating principle. Whenever that acting principle is withdrawn, the matter at once falls back into its original lifeless, inert condition."
He then talks about it not being enough to arrange matter in order and system, referring to God's first creative processes as one of organization and order into the universe. "If you organize it," he says, "you've just got a geometrical structure or something similar, but it's still inert." Again, light is the activating agent by which all things become. What is meant by this is light has revelatory properties. Just as we can only see when a room is lit, we are limited, or rendered helpless, when light is withdrawn. Imagine what your life would be like if you were to live in total darkness for one full day. How about one hour? What thoughts and feelings would arise within such a vacuum? Think of how you would react once the time expired and light was once again introduced. After a minute of readjustment the finer details of your surroundings would become clearer and more defined. This natural process is no different than the manner in which we learn and grow. Just as our eyes respond immediately to the presence of great light, so are our minds influenced by pure intelligence when it is before us.
If light brings matter to life then it would follow that in darkness there would be death, or more fittingly, spiritlessness. As mentioned previously, the Sun quickens our world and our own individual selves, enlivening our spirits and all forms of matter to grow and to improve. Interestingly enough, through a process called photomorphogenesis, or "light-mediated development," a plant's conducted sunlight from its uppermost surface to its lower roots serves as a map for such things as how high it will grow, when it will flower, set fruit, and when to age. But if light is able to bring about such great things, why are there still so many disbelievers in God who seek shelter from its influence? Even more, why does virtue so often languish in the shadow while vice triumphs in the sunshine? The answer is readily visible: Fear.
Recall the quiet moments of the night, when the floorboards are heard creaking, the stairwell stirs and snaps, even the windows seem to shake. To many frightful minds a haunting seems afoot reflected by panicked gasps and spousal nudging. But such reactions only reflect an uncertainty of things as they are not supposed to be. In other words, we expect our world to remain constant and static, always the same as if the weather had an accuracy rate of 100%. And truthfully, the sounds that invariably go bump in the night are almost always just that. But despite this higher probability, frightful images still surround our covered faces, leaving us feeling exposed and vulnerable to all levels of influence. To be sure, these fearful moments make our condition even more intolerable yet assuredly improved by our knowledge of a nearby light switch. Surprisingly, many remain frozen in the dark, wallowing in their unpleasantness, afraid of what might actually be revealed to them by light's scrutinizing ray. What is more, just as the Earth radiates absorbed sunlight back into space in equal measure, so does it also sustain its own body core temperature. Carl Sagan, the once famous astronomer and writer, spoke of the Earth glowing "in its own eerie, cool infrared light...not as sunlight reflected...but as the planet's own body heat." The resultant glow is a direct reflection of the amount of sunlight absorbed. To put it more simply, the more light we can permit to come in ourselves, such as through faithful discipleship, the more of it we can radiate back into the world and in the lives of others. Hence, the hotter we are, the greater is our "glow in the dark." Such steadying brightness quickly dissipates the mists of fear and despair. Feeling more sure of our place and ultimate destination, we are now fit to successfully overcome the temptations and snares of the evil one for God's Word will serve as "a light unto my path."
Yet in resisting evil we would also do well to consider the good and its higher, though seemingly less defended purposes. Accordingly, M. Scott Peck made this statement about the problem of evil and the mystery of goodness:
"It is a strange thing. Dozens of times I have been asked by patients or acquaintances: "Dr. Peck, why is there evil in the world?" Yet no one has ever asked me in all these years: "Why is there good in the world?" It is as if we automatically assume this is a naturally good world that has somehow been contaminated by evil. In terms of what we know of science, however, it is actually easier to explain evil. That things decay is quite explainable in accord with the natural law of physics. That children generally lie and steal and cheat is routinely observable. The fact that sometimes they grow up to become truly honest adults is what seems the more remarkable. Laziness is more the rule than diligence. If we seriously think about it, it probably makes more sense to assume this is a naturally evil world that has somehow been mysteriously "contaminated" by goodness, rather than the other way around. The mystery of goodness is even greater than the mystery of evil."
Indeed, there is much good in the world and even greater cause to celebrate its ultimate victory. Typically, when we think about "the world" we consider that which exists outside ourselves such as our neighbors, town, city, or country. However, to the honest man world peace and goodness are sustained and lived within the walls of his own home. This is the place where such vitalizing principles ought to shine the brightest. And if it dims, the good man will not avoid the pain that comes from self-examination, but will rejoice in it until his vision clears and sharpens. Conversely, the wicked man is as "the ghosts of the tribe" in Robinson Jeffers poem, Apology for Bad Dreams, where they "crouch in the nights beside the ghost of a fire, they try to Remember the sunlight, Light has died out of their skies." This lesson reveals an important truth about the presence of light and its absence. When we engage in riotous living and reject the truth in its highest form, choosing to be carried on the stink-wind of popular sentiment, we have no promise. We revert to our most basic state that thrives on pleasure rather than principle. Without this latter guiding light, we are as a blind man attempting to navigate a car on Paris's grand circle road, Place Charles de Gaulle. Surrounded by temptation, with every road promising the same limited happiness, the corruptible man, so beset by indecision, remains in the same self-defeating cycle. In this progress is halted and seemingly displaced, similar to that of an unfree ghost.
The poet and playwright, Henrik Ibsen, spoke of human nature and its associated problems in much the same way:
"I am half inclined to think we are all ghosts. It is not only what we have inherited from our fathers and mothers that exists again in us, but all sorts of old dead ideas and all kinds of old dead beliefs and things of that kind. They are not actually alive in us; but there they are dormant, all the same, and we can never be rid of them. Whenever I take up a newspaper and read it, I fancy I see ghosts creeping between the lines. There must be ghosts all over the world. They must be as countless as the grains of the sands, it seems to me. And we are so miserably afraid of the light, all of us."
"The evil hate the light," Dr. Peck similarly declared, "the light of goodness that shows them up, the light of scrutiny that exposes them, the light of truth that penetrates their deception." The slavish life, the one chained up by external forces such as drugs, alcohol, pornography, and infidelity cannot subsist without our justifying the dark arts with such careless comments as "all is well" and "there is no harm in this." But in the process of self-examination and ultimate nature change, we allow the light to fill our minds and bodies in large measure, absorbing it not as a tiny soft beam we see coming furtively from under a closed door, but rather breaking forth "out of obscurity" as an all-encompassing, all-consuming glow. Hebrews 12:29 states, "For our God is a consuming fire." Thus, by biblical definition, it is heaven, not hell, that is the source for light, heat, purity, and refinement, all of which comprise the central properties of fire. Additionally, the Prophet Joseph Smith saw in vision the heavens opened and declared the following in Doctrine and Covenants 137:
1- The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell.
2- I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;
3- Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son.
Conversely, hell would be chill, isolating, barren, and utterly dark. This notion was eluded to very well in a favorite movie of mine called Sunshine, where a group of astronauts (humanity's last hope) are sent to commandeer a nuclear ship left to reignite the dying sun. I really love this film. There is a scene at the beginning where a member of the crew is viewing the sun from the observation deck. Appearing at only 2% brightness but still magnificent, he asks the computer to behold the sun at 4%, a sight he is told would cause "irreversible damage" to his retinas. As an alternative, he is told he can view the sun at 3.1% for a period of not longer than 30 seconds, which he does. The following scene is nothing short of incredible. Attached below is the actual image from the movie:
As depicted above, at just 3.1% brightness we cannot even begin to fathom the total light produced by our Sun. I marvel at what it would be like to witness such glory in full compared with the supreme majesty of God and His Christ. Soon after his lighted experience, the doctor explains to the rest of the crew his feelings about what occurred. He states:
"The point about darkness is...you float in it. You and the darkness are distinct from each other because darkness is an absence of something, it's a vacuum. But total light...envelops you, it becomes you."
This is why sin is so isolating in contrast to choosing the right which is more inclusive. In choosing the darkness we attempt to cover ourselves from the piercing exposure of our conscience, which serves as an inner mooring during times of mental conflict. In much the same way, the glaringly evident truths which remind us of a loving Creator and Savior are rejected wholesale by the "Mr. Hyde" part of our personalities. In awe of our own shadows, we seem to focus more on the product of light in our cast outlines than the truer features revealed by self-examination and contemplation. When the latter occurs, we are more fit to marvel at the grand majesty of the Sun and the power of God to envelop us with His light, thereby becoming one with Him.
In his short essay on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, John A. Sanford notes that the evil part of Jekyll's personality, that of Mr. Hyde, eventually destroyed itself [himself] by suicide. "For it tells us that evil eventually overreaches itself and brings about its own destruction. Evidently evil cannot live on its own, but can exist only when there is something good upon which it can feed." Indeed, a thing cannot be fully understood without also considering its counterpart, such as the light from the darkness. It is requisite then that we know our enemies, but it is even more dangerous to share our beds with them. A careful examination should never include conversion. As described earlier, the point about darkness is that you seem to float in it, as it is an absence of something. To clarify this point, Hugh Nibley stated that,
"The ultimate form of damnation is "to be like the demons of the air." Satan is the prince of the air (Ephesians 2:2-3), because he has no place for his foot - no sure footing, no base of operations anywhere. As the Pistis Sophia says, "To be deprived of the ordinaces is like being suspended in air, having no place for his foot."
Similarly, in the Book of Mormon, we read of Lehi's Vision where he beheld many profound things,
26 - ...on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
27 - And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
33 - And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.
34 - These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away. (1 Nephi 8)
Soon after, Lehi's faithful son, Nephi, is able to receive further light and knowledge about the same vision and the meaning of that great "floating" structure:
36 - And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (1 Nephi 11)
Herein lies the futility of evil and the efforts of those who attempt to last while in sin. For evil cannot sustain itself for long just as a plane cannot stay airborne indefinitely. It has no foundation. But with the sure light of truth and virtue, the sinner can once again find solid ground, enveloped by light and the tight embrace of a loving Father in Heaven. The following scriptures reveal additional insight into this promised state:
-While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. (John 12:36)
-Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalms 119:105)
-And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. (2 Samuel 23:4)
-Therefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief. (Doctrine and Covenants 106:5)
-Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14)
-That which is of God is light; and 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)
In one particular verse in the Book of Mormon, the word light occurs six times with reference to King Lamoni's conversion after the preaching of Ammon:
6- Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that King Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness - yeah, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God. (Alma 19:6)
In Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen's talk entitled, Light and Growth, he speaks about our spiritual lives and the growth we may determine based on how we follow the Savior. "If we become stiff-necked and cease to look to His light, or if we allow sin to damage our receptors for light, we will die spiritually. But if we obey the commandments, we come closer to God and gain greater light. This increase in light stimulates the "photomorphogenesis" of our spiritual lives and governs our spiritual progress."
As stated earlier, light has animating and reactivating processes. It awakens us each morning and satisfies our lawns. It warms us when we are cold and fills us with joy after a wild storm. It also purifies us from the bitterness of sin insofar as we do not throw it back. Thus, it is imperative that we become lighted, living disciples of Christ. Are we growing toward the light or withering from it? May we let light be the controlling force in our lives. If the old saying is true that, "Light is darkness - lit up," then we ought to consider the way we presently view the problems of the world and our individual responsibilities toward their solution. Then, as our awareness grows, so will our perspective on life shift from that of eye-level to sky-level, where we can more appropriately follow wisdom's paths to its brightest and highest point.
Now, if the sun is out, go take a quick look at it to be reminded of its power. With the naked eye, the event won't last long. It only takes about 8 minutes for sunlight to reach the Earth. Perhaps it's taken you approximately the same amount of time to read this entire post. Maybe you've learned something. It's possible that the rays of truth have already started conducting themselves through you. The question then remains: Has your spiritual self been reactivated? And if so, how long will you permit the light to work within you?
8 minutes?
Long live the fighters
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