“I Am the Light and the Life of the World”

George Reynolds, Janne M. Sjodahl

"Verily, thus saith the Lord...I am the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (Isaiah 53:4) Our grief is death, brought about by the Fall of Adam; and our sorrows, the incidents of carnal existence. Instead of death, Christ brought Life Everlasting; instead of sorrow, He brought joy.

We find no better place than here to record our thanksgiving to the Lord God Who is Jesus Christ for the blessing of Life Everlasting, and this by repeating the words of Ammon, son of King Mosiah, spoken to his brethren at the close of their wonderful mission to the Lamanites about a hundred years previous to the events recorded in these verses: "Therefore, let us glory, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of His great power, and of His mercy, and His long-suffering towards the children of men?..." (Alma 26:25) "...for this is my life and my light, my joy and my Salvation, and my Redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the Name of my God...." (Ibid., 26:36)

The Light of the world. In every dispensation of the Gospel, God's inspired servants and teachers have likened truth to light, and have compared error to darkness. "For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God. For 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. 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." (III Nephi 20:39)

To recognize truth when we hear it is a gift of the Spirit. "For the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not." (Psalm 36:9)

I am Alpha and Omega. The first and last letters in the Greek Alphabet. They mean the beginning and the end, the first and last. Alpha (A) is a symbol used variously, as in astronomy to describe or to designate the chief or brightest star of a constellation. Christ is the Chiefest and Brightest Star in the firmament of heaven. He was in the beginning and will remain throughout all eternities; He is endless.

Christ is called Alpha and Omega to denote that He is the beginning and the ending: the Author, Preserver, and Upholder, of all things, and His glory is their end. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. 4:11)

Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 7

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