The Message of Darkness

Before the Savior appeared to the Nephites, their world was made dark for three days. The darkness permeated every nook and cranny. There was no light, natural or manmade, that could dispel the darkness. The darkness was palpable:

And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness;

And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all. (3 Nephi 8:20–21)

And then—“they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe, . . . saying, Behold, I am Jesus Christ, . . . I am the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 11: 8, 10–11).

I cannot think of a bolder testifier of the Light of the World than this extreme juxtaposition between light and dark. Sir Francis Bacon said, “In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” Darkness may have never been more “present” on this earth than these three days of complete, ubiquitous black. Oh, how that Light must have shone!

When I was young, the prospect of experiencing a dark similar to the Nephites was horrifying. I couldn’t imagine a worse reality than the inescapable emotional suffocation of that darkness. Indeed, it was miserable to many who experienced it (see 3 Nephi 8:23–25). While the idea still seems fairly haunting, I’ve started to learn that darkness is so often the preamble to a greater, deeper relationship with God. God’s love and light are so much more remarkable and profound when in immediate contrast to bleak and discouraging experiences. Darkness is like an Elias—like John the Baptist proclaiming that the Lord is coming. Light is just around the corner. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained:

Fighting through darkness and despair and pleading for the light is what opened this dispensation. It is what keeps it going, and it is what will keep you going. . . .

I acknowledge the reality of opposition and adversity, but I bear witness of the God of Glory, of the redeeming Son of God, of light and hope and a bright future. I promise you that God lives and loves you, each one of you, and that he has set bounds and limits to the opposing powers of darkness. I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the victor over death and hell and the fallen one who schemes there. (“Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence,” March 2, 1999)

Jesus Christ is that source of light. He came “to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79). May His light color your life with love and give you hope in the midst of darkness.