Line upon Line

Matthew 5:14–16

In the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior taught us the importance of letting the gospel light shine in our lives.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 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.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Light of the World

“Jesus wants every one of us to know him because of the transforming power of that knowledge and because of the indescribable joy it brings into our lives. But the influence of the gospel is to extend beyond each individual. It is to be as a light that dispels the darkness from the lives of those around us. No one is saved solely and simply for himself alone, just as no lamp is lighted merely for its own benefit.”

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Build It Right,” Tambuli, Nov. 1990, 47; New Era, Mar. 1990, 65.

City on a Hill

Ancient cities were often placed on hills to offer greater defense and safety. People could see them from far away and knew where to flee if danger came. How is being a disciple of Christ like being a city on a hill?

Bushel

This word originally comes from an ancient Greek unit of measurement for dry goods (about 8.7 liters) and also refers to the container used for measuring this unit. Imagine covering a candle with a large container like a bucket.

Let Your Light So Shine

“The candle that the Lord has lighted in this dispensation can become as a light unto the whole world, and others seeing our good works can be led to glorify our Father in Heaven and emulate in their own lives the examples they have observed in ours.

“Beginning with you and me, there can be an entire people who, by the virtue of our lives in our homes, in our vocations, even in our amusements, can become as a city upon a hill to which men may look and learn, and an ensign to the nations from which the people of the earth may gather strength.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), “A City Set upon a Hill,” Tambuli, Nov. 1990, 8; “A City upon a Hill,” Ensign, July 1990, 5.

Good Works

Read the words of the hymn “Have I Done Any Good?” (Hymns, no. 223). Write down a few things you can do to help or uplift someone, and plan times to do them. Put your list somewhere you will easily see it.

Editors’ note: This page is not meant to be a comprehensive explanation of the selected scripture verse, only a starting point for your own study.