The other day, I was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the standard works for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in Section 88. It talked a lot about light and truth. To quote a few verses, specifically 6 and 7, " He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; 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." These verses in and of themselves are good and testify the Christ truly is the light of the world, but that isn't what got me thinking.
Over the summer I had the opportunity to be an efy counselor, (an LDS summer camp) and one of the lessons given one week was on light and truth. The teacher had all the kids stand up, and had them do an "action" for every time he said light at truth in that lesson. It was a silly thing to have a bunch of teenagers do, but it drove the point home. Every time I see or hear those words, it makes me want to stand up and share the light and truth that have been given through the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As I continued to ponder this point and the many times I have heard that phrase since that 1 day last summer, it led me to think of all the coincidences that are in our lives. The best part is though, they aren't coincidences at all, they are blessings given to us by our Heavenly Father. The people you meet that are a friend of a friend, were put in your life for a reason. It is not serendipity that made that happen, but the Lord. Just as each one of us has a divine purpose and was placed on the earth at a precise time, so are the people in our lives. It isn't chance that makes you laugh when you find yourself with your friends talking about complete nonsense. It is the love the Savior has for each and every human being. And just as the happy times come, so do the sad. The trials we meet are given to us to make us stronger and increase our faith in God and His divine plan for us.
It is this same faith in God's plan that will allow us to return to live with Him. This faith allows us to believe in the atonement of Jesus Christ, the power it holds, and then to apply it in our lives. The atonement has the power to erase our sins and heal our broken hearts. It is the light and truth that Jesus Christ shared throughout His earthly ministry that will one day lead us back into the presence of our God. It is the same light and truth that makes me smile when I wake up, and brings peace to my heart.
