A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

 

I often hear members of the Church expressing that the Saviour is bound to come very soon because of the overwhelming wickedness in the world. Certainly, the world is wicked but its wickedness in no way surpasses that of the ancient world in which the Saviour came for the first time.  Consider this view:

“…in the time set apart for our Lord’s coming, corruptions and evils were everywhere. A few righteous souls – a Zacharias here, an Elisabeth there – stayed, as it were, the plagues of destruction, but the wickedness of the world was everywhere and the stench of sin covered the earth.

“Even the covenant people, in the main, had gone astray. No longer were they a leaven to the worldly lump……nothing but a new day of righteousness and light, ushered in by one greater than the prophets, could bring hope again to men”.

-        Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 289-290

Elder McConkie went on to say that such state of the world’s wickedness had not been upon the earth since the flood in Noah’s time. Knowing the condition into which the Saviour was born to bring balance to the world of darkness by His light, helped me understand the Omnipotent Wisdom of God in choosing the proper and right time for the birth, ministry and death of His Son.

All things are done in the wisdom of Him who knows all things, even the planting of His Son on the earth when it needed His saving power the most. The Messiah was meant to come in a dark and dreary day, as the Son of David, to deliver his people and redeem the nation from sin.

When He comes again, He will come at the perfect appointed time; once again, according to the Omnipotent Wisdom of God. Only this time it will be vastly different.

When He returns, the light of His glory will cleanse the world of all unrighteousness. The knowledge of Him will not be contained by one nation but will cover the whole earth.

All who have been free from wickedness and corruption will survive the cleansing and the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea…..and all who live during the Millenium will eventually know the Lord and will join His Church (see Jeremiah 31:31-34; D&C 84:98; also Doctrines of Salvation, 1:86-87; Journal of Discourses, 21:325).

This, however, is in greatest contrast to the Saviour’s first advent:

“When the New Jerusalem is eventually built, and Jesus Christ returns to earth in glory, the need will disappear for the sun and the moon to give light to God’s covenant people. The Lord Himself will be an everlasting light……Zion will not need the sun when the Lord is there, and all the city is lighted up by the glory of His presence.”  (The Institute Manual commentary for Isaiah 60:19-22; Orson Pratt, in Journal of Discourses, 14:355-56, see also D&C 133:57-58)

Is this not something we should look forward to??? And we’ll owe it all to the babe in the manger…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Tender Shepherd by Eva Koleva Timothy)