“Even in the most difficult and darkest of times, there is light and goodness all around us,” said Elder Mark A. Bragg, General Authority Seventy, in his Saturday morning conference address.
Speaking during the 187th Annual General Conference on April 1, Elder Bragg explained that the Lord, with perfect understanding of current challenges, promised, “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24).
“We are children of God,” Elder Bragg said. “Receiving light, continuing in God, and receiving more light is what we are created to do. From the very beginning we followed the light, we followed our Heavenly Father and His plan. Seeking the light is in our spiritual DNA.”
He then suggested three areas where light can always be found.
First, “the Church is a beacon of light to a darkening world,” he said. “This is a wonderful time to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
The Church will always have critics, Elder Bragg said. However, “we cannot allow such criticism to dull our sensitivity to the light that is available to us. … In a darkening world, the light of the Church will shine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.”
Second, “the light of the gospel is the path that ‘shineth more and more unto the perfect day’ (Proverbs 4:8) and it shines brightest in our families and in temples throughout the world,” he said.
Elder Bragg promised that as individuals establish families of “faith, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, and compassion” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”), they will feel an increase in love towards the Savior and one another.
Third, “you cannot speak of the light in the world without speaking of the Light of the World.”
The Light of Christ is given to everyone, Elder Bragg said, and will help individuals see others through the Savior’s eyes, be more loving and patient, and understand the plan of salvation. “It gives life, meaning and purpose to all that we do,” he said.
