I’m in a Pearl of Great Price class this semester, and for tomorrow’s class we have been assigned readings which center around the Creation. Obviously, it’s a story I’ve read countless times. In fact, just this summer I translated the whole story into (not very impressive) English from Hebrew. Something new struck me today though, as I was reading an article by Bruce R. McConkie. It was a simple phrase, but he said:
…“darkness reigned” until the divine decree: “let there be light.”
The word that struck me was “let.” Let there be light.
I’ve never thought about it before, but this is such beautiful symbolism for our lives. How often do we let the “darkness reign” before we turn to the Lord (the Light) and permit His presence to chase it away?
In the Book of Mormon, Lehi has a dream in which he finds himself in “a dark and dreary wilderness.” He sees a man in a white robe and is bidden to follow him. As he does, the darkness surrounds him. Lehi says that after he had traveled “many hours in darkness, [he] began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy”. Lehi is delivered and subsequently experiences the glorious vision of the Tree of Life.
Even prophets of God, such as Lehi, experience darkness sometimes. We all do, and will continue to as we go throughout life, because the devil will never quit trying to get to us and drag us down. The key is how we respond. We can turn away from the Lord, or we can turn toward Him.
Lehi spent hours wandering before he prayed for deliverance. Even if we have spent weeks, months, or years in darkness, it is never too late for us to seek help from the Lord. He loves us and He wants to help us. But we must choose to let Him.