Choose the Light

By Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Of the Seventy

If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you (D&C 88:67).

When I was a little boy, I was sometimes afraid of the dark. I often heard strange sounds at night. Before I went to bed, I would lock all the doors and check under my bed. I looked in my closet too. I wasn’t sure what I was afraid of, but I still felt fearful sometimes.

As I learned to pray, I felt great comfort and peace. I noticed a feeling of light, and I knew that I would be safe and well.

One of my earliest memories is also of light. When I was young, my brother and I were sealed to our mother and father in the Salt Lake Temple. I remember my family and others dressed in white, the great light in the temple, and the peace I felt that day.

Even though these are memories from years ago, I remember what it is like to be afraid in the dark and the joy I felt in the light of the temple. When we seek to live the gospel, we are filled with light, and there can be no darkness in us. Light and faith do not coexist with darkness and fear. When we are filled with light, we feel happy and peaceful and safe. I hope we can always choose the light.

Illustration by Greg Newbold