(11 February 2008 journal entry)

As I have been rereading the Doctrine and Covenants I have been struck by a sentence which the Lord uses repeatedly to describe Himself.  He says, "I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not."  (D&C 6:21, 11:11, 34:2, 39:2, 45:7).

I have marveled over the symbolisms in that description.  It is like being in a dark room where someone turns on a flashlight, and people refuse to see it.  It would require a willful refusal to see the light.  Would anyone be that dense, stubborn or rebellious?

Amos said, "Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."  (Amos 9:11-12).

The famine that Amos prophesied would be a complete apostasy from the truth, covenants, ordinances, and priesthood authority established by Jesus when He walked the earth.  Historians label the early centuries of the Middle Ages as the "Dark Ages," lasting approximately from the A.D. 400's to the late 900's.  Knowledge, learning and civilization sank low in Western Europe during that time.  (World Book Encyclopedia).

Micah said that "the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them."  (Micah 3:6).  D&C 38:11-12 says that "the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men...Which causeth silence to reign..."

Silence reigned because there were no prophets to whom the Lord could speak.  There were no prophets because people refused to hear them.  Consequently "darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people."  (D&C 112:23).

Isaiah prophesied that the time would come when the Lord would "proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder..."  (Isa. 29:14).  That marvelous work and a wonder was the bringing forth of the "stick of Ephraim (The Book of Mormon—Ezekiel 37:15-20), and the restoration of the Lord's true Church with all of its ancient covenants, ordinances, and authority.  The Restoration is truly a light shining in the darkness.

When I was 19 years old I was given a copy of the Book of Mormon.  It was during the low point of my life.  I was not happy.  From the beginning I have described my experience of reading the book as being able to literally feel light pushing the darkness out of my mind.  Until I started reading I hadn't realized that my head was full of darkness.  Having read the Book of Mormon, I then read Doctrine and Covenants.  Next came the New Testament, which I could finally understand.  Next was Legrand Richards' A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, and then dozens of other books that I borrowed from every library in every home that I visited over the next several years.  I had been starving and then led to a feast.  I was happy—filled with joy.  A great light had come on in my mind.  I have shared that light and joy everywhere I could ever since.

Recently it seemed to me that the time had arrived when my elder sister and her husband could be receptive to the message of the restored gospel.  I stuck my neck out and sent some materials to them, shared my testimony, ordered a gift subscription to the Ensign magazine, and asked the missionaries to visit them.  I had pleasant visions of them becoming excited about the new vistas being opened to them.

Instead I was met by a rebuff.  (See Jean's letter to me dated 2/2/08 in my journal).  They're firmly entrenched in a belief in the Trinity as given in the Nicean Creed, don't believe that marriage and family can be forever, refuse to believe that there can be any scripture but the Bible, and are of the opinion that they are saved if they only confess Christ.

They're right about being saved if they confess Christ.  They're also right when they say that they'll know one another in the next world but not be married.  Alma said, "I know that he (the Lord) granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction."  (Alma 29:4).

My sister and like-minded Christians desire to be saved and to live "separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition..." as "angels of God forever and ever."  (D&C 132:17).

Their desires shall be granted them—but what a pity, when so much more is offered.  The light is shining in darkness, and they refuse to see it.