I noticed this morning that the difference between the words "sacred" and "scared" is just two transposed letters.  I wondered if there was enough relationship between the two words to justify writing an article.

There are many things about the gospel of Jesus Christ that I hold very sacred.  I hold His name sacred.  The Book of Mormon is sacred to me.  The Church and its teachings are sacred.  Joseph Smith and his work to bring about the Restoration are sacred.

I hear people making light of, and even reviling, all of these things.  I suspect that their vileness, and false bravado, simply stem from their being scared.  They have a terror that what the Church and the scriptures teach might be true.  They attempt to suppress that fear by vehement denial, but if they were honest with themselves they would see that there is no valid argument against a Christian life, Jesus Christ, or His Church.

He will not be held guiltless who takes the Lord's name in vain.  He who rejects the Lord's teachings and covenants will find himself in outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.  That thought is enough to make anyone scared.  President Joseph F. Smith had a vision of the redemption of the dead wherein he saw that "the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the warnings of the ... prophets" were in a place where "darkness reigned."  (D&C 138:21-22).

The word "darkness" is always used when describing spirit prison.  I suspect that means actual physical darkness.  Jesus Christ is the light of the sun, and the bearer and source of light.  His presence will not be in the spirit prison, so it is just possible that spirit prison is actually dark.  If so, it might also be cold.  Maybe spirits can't feel heat and cold, but suffice it to say that spirit prison, and associations with the vile and rebellious people of the earth, would not be at all pleasant.  Joseph F. Smith said in the same verse previously quoted that "among the righteous there was peace."  (D&C 138:22).

I would be scared there in the darkness while being surrounded by rebellious people.  I'd much rather experience the peace that accompanies those who hold sacred things sacred.  These, the prophet said, are "clothed with power and authority, and commissioned ... to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that (are) in darkness ..."  (D&C 138:30).

Think how the denizens of the dark would flock to a light that came into their midst.  Finding that there was a light-filled place where they could go, conditioned upon their repentance, would be enough to make even the most hardened heart trade his scared and sinful state for a place of light, peace, and sacredness.

I heard this morning from my siblings a story about my father and his twin sister.  Their parents moved them from their Wyoming ranch to a house in Spokane, Washington where they could attend a proper school.  One of their memories is of the blind man who lived next door.  The family marveled because the blind man was out in the middle of the night pounding nails and building a chicken coop.

I guess it's possible to get used to complete darkness, and to function therein; but I'm sure that even that man would readily trade his situation for the promise of a light-filled world if someone was to come into his darkness and turn on a light.