The Physical and Spiritual Light of Christ
Discussion Notes:
Readings: David A. Grandy, "Physical Light and The Light of Christ." https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/physical-light-and-the-light-of-christ/ Or https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4557&context=byusq
Podcast: Aaron Franklin on Real Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-swzKnrELQ
Once you start studying light, you notice it everywhere
Light is the power of creation, power of truth, power of intelligence, power of communication
The speed of light allows everyone to feel and see Christ’s love and light
Light has always existed
This article is an attempt to step beyond the merely symbolic understanding of light to see if “the glory of God” might be found in a familiar setting, at least provisionally. “Easter in ordinary,” as one scholar has put it, suggesting that the sacred may be inscribed in the commonplace.
Love “finding the glory of God” in familiar settings” “Easter in ordinary”— that it is not the case that all experience of God is necessarily religious in form or content and, on the other hand, that not everything which it would be appropriate to characterize as "religious" experience would thereby necessarily constitute the experience of God. “That the sacred may be inscribed in the commonplace. . . . Finding “the glory of God” in familiar settings.
“. . . the word ‘light’ is often used in a symbolic fashion in the scriptures.” I certainly agree, but it strikes me that behind its symbolic meanings, light is something in and of itself. At least that is the intuition that motivates this article, and if this intuition is correct, it would seem that the study of light should be spiritually rewarding, particularly in view of the profound significance that scripture ascribes to light. For example: “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth” (D&C 93:36).”
Sunset/sunrise - the light brings everything homeward - page 35 Sappho wrote the poem - https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4557&context=byusq
Light never runs out
Consider: How much spiritual energy does it take to exude His light? What does it take to have that spiritual energy?
God doesn’t create in the darkness—he invites the light and then starts creating
Boundaries of time throughout eternity
Take everything line by line, slow down, ask questions
Perhaps one of the greatest deterrents to effective scripture study is the pattern of reading verses in the same order, focusing on the same insights, and asking the same questions. When I have considered a different perspective in scripture study, I have nearly always discovered new insights, almost as though supplemental verses had been added since my last reading. I found myself asking questions I had not considered and seeing connections I had not recognized. Camille Fronk - Sariah and The Women in 1 Nephi - https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1252&context=jbms
What type of relationship do I want with Christ? Slow down, look for Him, be intentional
Lowell Observatory - the longer you are outside in the dark, the more you see — better without the man-made light -
Four questions to consider during scripture study:
What do you notice?
What does it mean?
Why is it important?
What will you do now?
Questions from: DeAnna Murphy, Creating Engagement Through Ministering Interviews, Leading Saints, April 2018
“When the gift of the Holy Ghost is obtained, we have within us access to the complete source of spiritual energy to bring the Light of Christ to its full brightness in our soul; thus making us like God, who is light (see 1 John 1:5). Once the Holy Ghost is with us and powering radiation from the Light of Christ, the only thing keeping us from turning into our own spiritual spotlight is our “natural man” (Mosiah 3:19), which causes resistance to God (analogous to the resistor in the light bulb circuit). We need more faith, obedience, submissiveness, and, most succinctly, we need to have our “eye single to [God’s] glory” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:67). Drawing closer to God reduces our resistance to the Holy Ghost and increases the brightness of the Light of Christ radiating from within us.” Franklin, Aaron D.. The Spiritual Physics of Light: How We See, Feel, and Know Truth (p. 55). RSC, BYU, and Deseret Book Co. Kindle Edition.
The medium of our body is what we need to progress—the body helps us with the light —
“This is glorious” - this setting of talking seriously about scriptures and doctrine with moms and kids —
We have to know the difference between how the Holy Ghost speaks to us versus how Satan speaks to us.