Elder Bruce R. McConkie
A New Witness for the Articles of Faith,
p.257-258
There is a spirit-the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of
Christ, the light of truth, the light of Christ-that defies description and is
beyond mortal comprehension. It is in us and in all things; it is around us and
around all things; it fills the earth and the heavens and the universe. It is
everywhere, in all immensity, without exception; it is an indwelling, immanent,
ever-present, never-absent spirit. It has neither shape nor form nor
personality. It is not an entity nor a person nor a personage. It has no
agency, does not act independently, and exists not to act but to be acted upon.
As far as we know, it has no substance and is not material, at least as we
measure these things. It is variously described as light and life and law and
truth and power. It is the light of Christ; it is the life that is in all
things; it is the law by which all things are governed; it is truth shining
forth in darkness; it is the power of God who sitteth upon his throne. It may
be that it is also priesthood and faith and omnipotence, for these too are the
power of God.
This light of truth or light of Christ is seen in the light of the luminaries of heaven; it is the power by which the sun, moon, and stars, and the earth itself are made. It is the light that "proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space." It is "the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things." It is the agency of God's power; it is the means and way whereby "he comprehendeth all things," so that "all things are before him, and all things are round about him." It is the way whereby "he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things." Because of it, "all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever." (D&C 88:6-13, 41.)
Thus, when the Mosaic account of the creation says that "the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2), and when Abraham records of those same events that "the Spirit of the Gods was brooding upon the face of the waters" (Abraham 4:2), the revealed word is speaking of the light of Christ. And when Job says that "by his spirit [the Lord] hath garnished the heavens" (Job 26:13), and the Psalmist explains that all things were created because the Lord sent forth his spirit, by which also he "renewest the face of the earth" (Psalm 104:30), both are teaching the same truth. Creation itself came by the light of Christ.
The light of Christ is neither the Holy Ghost nor the gift of the Holy Ghost; but that member of the Godhead, because he along with the Father and the Son is God, uses the light of Christ for his purposes. Thus spiritual gifts, the gifts of God meaning faith, miracles, prophecy, and all the rest-come from God by the power of the Holy Ghost. Men prophesy, for instance, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And yet Moroni says: "All these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ" (Moroni 10:17), meaning that the Holy Ghost uses the light of Christ to transmit his gifts. But the Spirit of Christ, by which the Holy Ghost operates, is no more the Holy Ghost himself than the light and heat of the sun are the sun itself.
This light of truth or light of Christ is seen in the light of the luminaries of heaven; it is the power by which the sun, moon, and stars, and the earth itself are made. It is the light that "proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space." It is "the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things." It is the agency of God's power; it is the means and way whereby "he comprehendeth all things," so that "all things are before him, and all things are round about him." It is the way whereby "he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things." Because of it, "all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever." (D&C 88:6-13, 41.)
Thus, when the Mosaic account of the creation says that "the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2), and when Abraham records of those same events that "the Spirit of the Gods was brooding upon the face of the waters" (Abraham 4:2), the revealed word is speaking of the light of Christ. And when Job says that "by his spirit [the Lord] hath garnished the heavens" (Job 26:13), and the Psalmist explains that all things were created because the Lord sent forth his spirit, by which also he "renewest the face of the earth" (Psalm 104:30), both are teaching the same truth. Creation itself came by the light of Christ.
The light of Christ is neither the Holy Ghost nor the gift of the Holy Ghost; but that member of the Godhead, because he along with the Father and the Son is God, uses the light of Christ for his purposes. Thus spiritual gifts, the gifts of God meaning faith, miracles, prophecy, and all the rest-come from God by the power of the Holy Ghost. Men prophesy, for instance, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And yet Moroni says: "All these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ" (Moroni 10:17), meaning that the Holy Ghost uses the light of Christ to transmit his gifts. But the Spirit of Christ, by which the Holy Ghost operates, is no more the Holy Ghost himself than the light and heat of the sun are the sun itself.
The Light of Christ
A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.258-261
A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.258-261
The light of Christ, conforming to the will of that God
whose influence and spirit it is, dwells in the hearts of all men. If it were
not present, life would cease, for it is the light of life as that life comes
from God. It is the instrumentality and agency by which Deity keeps in touch
and communes with all his children, both the righteous and the wicked. It has
an edifying, enlightening, and uplifting influence on men. One of its
manifestations is called conscience, through which all men know right from
wrong.
It is the means by which the Lord invites and entices all
men to improve their lot and to come unto him and receive his gospel. It is the
agency through which the Lord strives with men, through which he encourages
them to forsake the world and come unto Christ, through which good desires and
feelings are planted in the hearts of decent people. It is the medium of
intelligence that guides inventors, scientists, artists, composers, poets,
authors, statesmen, philosophers, generals, leaders, and influential men in
general, when they set their hands to do that which is for the benefit and
blessing of their fellowmen. By it the Lord guides in the affairs of men and
directs the courses of nations and kingdoms. By it the Lord gives ennobling
art, the discoveries of science, and music like that sung in the courts above.
By it he dispenses truth in a host of ways to all who will heed the
promptings.
It is the Spirit, promised of old, that is being poured out
"upon all flesh" in the last days, thus preparing them for the
receipt of the Holy Ghost and that high state of spirituality of which Joel,
speaking in the name of the Lord, said: "Your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see
visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I
pour out my spirit." (Joel 2:28-29.) It is "the Spirit of God that .
. . came down and wrought upon" Columbus, leading him to the Lamanites
"who were in the promised land." (1 Nephi 13:12.)
Truly, man does not stand alone. God governs in all the
affairs of men, and he does it by the power of his Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus
Christ, the light of Christ, which is in all things. In reciting all these
things, the scriptures speak as though this light or power or influence or
spirit strives and entices and enlightens, although it is in reality the agency
through which the Lord himself does all these things.
All men are enlightened by the light of Christ. "I am
the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world," he
says. (D&C 93:2; John 1:9.) The light of Christ is the light of truth. Thus
all men have the obligation to seek the truth, to believe the truth, and to
live the truth. "The word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is
light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus
Christ." This is the Spirit that God gives to all men. "And the
Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit
enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the
Spirit." (D&C 84:45-46.)
All men receive this Spirit, but not all hearken to its
voice. Many choose to walk in carnal paths and go contrary to the enticings of
the Spirit. It is possible to sear one's conscience to the point that the
Spirit will withdraw its influence and men will no longer know or care about
anything that is decent and edifying. "For my Spirit shall not always
strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts." (D&C 1:33.) Such was the
case among the Jaredites (Ether 2:15) and the Nephites (Mormon 5:16) in the day
the Lord withdrew his power and left them to be destroyed by the sword. It was
true among the Jews in Jerusalem when they were led away captive by
Nebuchadnezzar. (1 Nephi 7:14.) It is true among any people who reject, totally
and completely, the words of the apostles and prophets who are sent to them. Of
our modern civilization, with all its evils and carnality, the holy word says:
"I, the Lord, am angry with the wicked; I am holding my Spirit from the
inhabitants of the earth." (D&C 63:32.) When the day comes that modern
man is ripened in iniquity, the Spirit will cease to strive with them and they
will be destroyed by the brightness of the Lord's return.
Those who follow the promptings of the Spirit accept the
gospel and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. "And every one that
hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God even the Father. And the
Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon
you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only,
but for the sake of the whole world." (D&C 84:47-48.) By following the
light of Christ, men are led to the gospel covenant, to the baptismal covenant,
to the church and kingdom. There they receive the Holy Ghost.
Truly, "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has
been from the fall of Adam and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to
the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh
a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord." (Mosiah 3:19.) The Holy
Ghost does not strive or entice; his mission is to teach and testify. But those
who heed the enticements and submit to the strivings of the Holy Spirit (which
is the light of Christ) are enabled to receive the Holy Spirit (which is the
Holy Ghost).
We have no better illustration of the full operation of the
light of Christ upon an investigator of the gospel than what happened to King
Lamoni. After the king had fallen to the earth as though he were dead, the
scripture says that Ammon "knew that king Lamoni was under the power of
God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his
mind." He knew that "the light which did light up his mind . . . was
the light of the glory of God," and that it "was a marvelous light of
his goodness." Ammon knew that "this light had infused such joy into
[Lamoni's] soul, [that] the cloud of darkness [had] been dispelled." As to
Lamoni: "The light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul." (Alma
19:6.) Thereafter, Lamoni was baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
There is really no excuse for men to reject the gospel
message. When they do so, it is because of spiritual blindness or because their
deeds are evil and they love darkness rather than light. If they would but
hearken to the voice of conscience, to the voice of the light within them, to
the voice of the Spirit, they would come unto Christ and receive the Holy
Ghost. If they would but heed the whisperings and respond to the enticings
planted in their hearts, all would be well with them. All things which are good
cometh of God," Mormon tells us, "and that which is evil cometh of
the devil." God entices to do good; the devil entices to do evil.
"That which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually;
wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God,
and to serve him, is inspired of God."
How shall man know good from evil? "The Spirit of
Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I
show unto you the way to judge," Mormon continues, "for every thing
which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth
by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge
it is of God." And "the light by which ye may judge," he says,
"is the light of Christ." (Moroni 7:12
