The Light of Christ

By Vicki F. Matsumori

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

What produces light? A candle, a flashlight, a lightbulb, the stars. What is the greatest source of light for us? No, it isn’t the sun. It is Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

This light “is given to every man, that he may know good from evil” (Moro. 7:16). Each of us has the Light of Christ to help us choose the right.

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminds us how we can have spiritual light: “When I was a boy, I used to ride my bicycle home from basketball practice at night. I would connect a small pear-shaped generator to my bicycle tire. Then as I pedaled, the tire would turn a tiny rotor, which produced … a single, welcome beam of light. … I learned quickly that if I stopped pedaling my bicycle, the light would go out. I also learned that when I was ‘anxiously engaged’ in pedaling, the light would become brighter and the darkness in front of me would be [forced away].”

Elder Hales explains that “spiritual light comes from daily spiritual pedaling. It comes from praying, studying the scriptures, fasting, and serving—from living the gospel and obeying the commandments” (“Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light,” Liahona, July 2002, 78).

When we live the gospel and keep the commandments, we can have the Light of Christ with us always.

Stained-Glass Window Picture

Trace the picture on page 6 onto plain white paper, and color the traced picture. Brush your picture very lightly with salad oil, and blot it with a towel. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of Presidency of the Seventy said that when he was growing up, his “chapel had a stained-glass window of Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. Whenever the sun shone on it, I felt that the story it illustrated and what I had learned in Primary about the First Vision were true” (Liahona, Apr. 1999, F3). Place your picture in a window to remind you of the light the Savior provides in your life.

Illustration by Beth M. Whittaker

I Am the Light of the World
John 8:12

Sharing Time Ideas

Divide into groups, and have each group read, illustrate, and share something Jesus did or taught, such as feeding the multitude (Matt. 15:32–38); having compassion (Matt. 14:14); honoring His mother (John 19:26–27); praying (Matt. 6:9–13); and being baptized (Matt. 3:13–17). Explain that the children can help others by being kind, contributing fast offerings, obeying their parents, and following the Savior. Draw a line on the chalkboard, and write along it “Not pleased,” “Somewhat pleased,” and “Well pleased.” Have the children read Matt. 3:16–17 aloud. Place a painting of Jesus above “Well pleased.” Ask, “Where would the world be placed on the line?” Have the children silently decide where they would be placed on the line and where they wish to be placed on the line. Sing songs or hymns about the Savior.
On candle-shaped pieces of paper, write situations such as “You find a cigarette. You and your friends decide to try it,” and “You see your mother cooking dinner. You decide to help her.” Attach large pictures of a hill and a bushel to the wall. Have the children read Matt. 5:14–16, and discuss what it means to have their lights “shine before men.” Have the children take turns choosing a candle, and ask them to decide whether to place the situation on the hill or under the bushel. Sing songs or hymns about choosing the right.

Illustration by Beth M. Whittaker