There are a number of places in the scriptures where Jesus calls himself “the light of the world.” I’m not going to cover each of them here. That can serve as extra credit. But I highly recommend looking those up and studying the surrounding passages of scripture. What a treasure! And I’ll put in a plug for comparing and contrasting John, chapters 8 & 9, specifically. Lots of good stuff there.
For the purposes of this post, I’ll just quote part of verse 16 from 3 Nephi 18:
Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you.
That verse hides a lot in its simplicity, but it serves its purpose here.
Jesus is a standard. He is the highest possible standard for us here on earth.
His light informs us of things that are internal to us—our desires, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and motivations—and as we spend time in the light, we learn things about ourselves that are both like and unlike him. Anything that is like him is light. Anything that is unlike him is darkness.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
And, going back to the previous blogpost, this is why the baptism of fire is so critical.
Repentance entails forsaking all of your sins. That doesn’t just mean that you give up the bad things you do. It also means that you give up the false beliefs that you hold and the false pretenses that you put on—both in public and in private. Is that something you really want? Are you sure? Have you really thought about all of them? There might be more than just the “big ones” that easily come to mind. Even if some sins are more serious than others, repentance requires you to give up the small stuff, too, and anyone who doesn’t will never receive a baptism of fire.
Truly forsaking your sins and the baptism of fire that inevitably follows are what take the backing off of the mirror and allow you to step, more fully, into the spirit realm, where God’s light can more fully show you the things in the spirit that you need to incorporate into yourself. And he can only do this when he knows that you are completely willing to do that with what he has already shown you. Until you do that, you are the darkness that doesn’t comprehend the light.
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. (D&C 6:21)
Some people think that “to comprehend” means “to understand,” but that’s not what it means. “To comprehend” means “to take in.” When the scriptures say that the darkness does not “comprehend” the light, they are saying that the darkness does not “take in” the light. The darkness may very well understand it. It may even recognize it as better. But it doesn’t receive it. And if the darkness inside of you is unwilling (and, therefore, unable) to receive the light that emanates from God, how will your physical form ever be a manifestation of his light within your spirit?
It can’t, and it won’t.
Our physical bodies can only endure the amount of light that we have taken in and incorporated into our spirits. Through that incorporation, our spirits and our bodies are sanctified. The baptism of fire starts us on that path and gives us the hope that that sanctification is possible.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3)