James E. Faust on coming from darkness to light

President James E. Faust (1920-2007) was called as a Seventy in 1976, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve in 1978. He served as a counselor to President Hinckley from 1995 until his death in 2007 at age 87.

"Micah said, 'When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me' (Micah 7:8). We receive light from the Lord. This can happen to us when we study the scriptures, attend sacrament meeting, pay our tithing, sing the hymns, and pray.

"Part of our coming into the light depends upon the focus of our faith. Our faith is not a bundle of beliefs and practices that are too heavy to bear. Those who have come out of the darkness find that their faith carries them. Faith is not heavy; faith lifts and gives us wings to carry us over hard places. As Isaiah promised, 'But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint' (Isa. 40:31).

"Coming out of the darkness into the light frees us from the dark side of our souls, which comes from fear, discouragement, and sin. When we come out of the darkness, the bright sunshine of the Savior comes bursting through....

"The gospel contains the answers to life's challenges and problems. It is the sure way to happiness and the fulfillment of the Savior's promise, which is 'peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come' (D&C 59:23)."

- James E. Faust, CES fireside address given on September 8, 2002; see "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice: Coming Out of Darkness," Friend, Mar 2006, pp. 2-3
Click here to read the full articleSee also Faust, "Put Light in Your Life," New Era, June 2007

At times, we feel darkness in our lives. Not just the physical, temporal kind; but also the emotional or spiritual kind, the emptiness or fear or despair when it seems like hope is obscured and inaccessible. President Faust urges us to remember that the Lord is the source of light; at such times, we must learn to turn to Him and reclaim the light he offers us. We begin to feel light as we involve ourselves in basic acts of worship and obedience: studying the Gospel, serving, participating in meetings, blessing others.

President Faust also teaches about the close linkage between faith and light. Faith will carry and lift us towards the light, so that "the bright sunshine of the Savior comes bursting through."

How easy it is to forget that "the gospel ... is the sure way to happiness and ... 'peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.'"