There are minor changes from Matthew 5:14–16. The change at the beginning of verse 14 is the same kind as the change we saw in verse 13 of this chapter. In Matthew we have the simple statement: “Ye are the light of the world,” and here “I give unto you to be the light of this people.” The most interesting part of that change is the use of people instead of world. Perhaps it is an indication that the New Testament would have a longer and wider distribution than the Book of Mormon.
These verses continue the concept of Christians being the salt of the earth. They are also the light. They are not the world, but a way of enlightening the world by bringing the understanding of Jesus’s gospel to the world.
Therefore, the admonition is to share the gospel. The light is to be put on display, and used for a good purpose rather than be hidden away. In the Old World, this commission often led to the problem of being persecuted for Jesus’s sake. Nevertheless, the mission to preach Christ’s message was more important than the possible persecutions for so doing.