“You Belong in the Light of Christ”

First and foremost, thank you for your faithful approach to your studies. Thank you for participating in BYU-Pathway. I trust that it’s a great blessing in your life already, and I pray that it will continue to be a wonderful blessing for you and for those you love, in time.

From darkness to light
Today I am standing in an empty arena. It is vast. It’s silent. It’s as if it’s waiting. The purpose of this place is sports games, concerts, public events, and, without those here, it feels meaningless. What it’s symbolizing in terms of what I want to share with you is a world without the gospel, a world without Jesus Christ, a world without His light. It is empty. It is joyless. It is lacking any kind of connection. Now I want you to picture the arena full, alive, purposeful — filled with community and excitement and energy.

I have been here when it is brimming with that energy. In fact, it is very strange to be here when it’s not. It feels cold and empty. But as you imagine the arena full, imagine the light of the gospel — the world without that light — for so long until Joseph went into that wood and described thick darkness at first. Until he was filled with divine light as the Father and the Son, as God our Father in Heaven and as Jesus Christ appeared to him — the ultimate in terms of going from darkness to light.

I’ve always wondered about that: darkness not comprehending the light. And I think of my own journey that was by measures from darkness to light. And it was very hard to understand in some ways that light at the beginning.

You belong in the light of Christ
The Church is full of imperfect people. In fact, we are all imperfect. The gospel is perfect. The love of God, exquisite and perfect. The atoning gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, equally perfect. Now, as you think about this arena full, we realize that even then, even with all of that energy, with all of that light, there will still be struggles. There will be those who are here, aware of their own imperfections. There will be those here who are not aware of their own imperfections. And there will be frustrated fans and players, symbolizing conflict and discouragement and imperfection — whether that’s our internal thoughts or the external experience of being here with a game going on.

Spiritual noise is all around, interfering with our image of our true selves, our understanding of who we really are. Some of the interference, some of the noise that you may have and need to cancel out is the understanding that you belong, you belong in your community, you belong in your study group, you belong in your place of work, you belong in your family. And for those of you who do believe, you certainly belong in the Church and in the gospel. And for those who haven’t yet found their faith, you belong in the family of our loving Father in Heaven and we are all brothers and sisters.

The light of Christ is in all of us. Everyone is born with divine light. We sense this with newborn babies and young children. For those of you who may have lost some of this light, I pray that you’ll find it again. I pray that you will come to a better understanding of repentance: turning around, trying again, finding a new beginning.

Joy in Christ changed everything
You and I are here to help guide our friends from darkness, or relative darkness, toward the light. My own journey began with a sense of joy as I met members of the Church. Joy in Christ changed everything for me as I discovered along the way that he does bring light and life into our lives. He brings happiness, peace, and joy.

I hope that we can love all of those around us. Sometimes that’s challenging when we think again of the sporting events that go on here. We can think of loving those on other teams, showing mercy and love as the Savior Jesus Christ did — even when we may feel rejected.

Wear the colors of your team comfortably and happily. Show who you cheer for. Believe in a way that will have others around you want to join you in your faithful life.

This empty arena is unsettling. It is like life without gospel light. It is directionless and literally cold; yet, we live in gospel light, and, if we aren’t there now, we can.

Yes, there are distractions. They will remain. But so will joy and so will light, and the gospel brings connection, hope, and excitement — and that will displace the darkness.

I pray that you will find this light, this joy, this peace, perhaps for the first time. If the light has slipped away from you a little (or more than that), I pray that you’ll rediscover it. I pray that you’ll live in a way that will help you feel it and be blessed by it. I pray that if you have it brightly with you now that you find wonderful, comfortable ways to share it.

Light does overcome darkness. It can for you. I pray that it is or, if it hasn’t yet, that it will. I pray that you will succeed in every righteous endeavor. I pray that you will come to love your studies, and that they will bless you in many wonderful ways — ways that you are hoping for and ways that will surprise you.

I testify of a loving Father in Heaven. Our Father in Heaven loves you more than you can imagine. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bless you and to take away every sin and so much of your pain and anxiety and suffering. I pray that you will come to an understanding of that, and that you will be blessed, and then that you will share these blessings with those around you. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.