Fill the House With Light

A Dream:

I had a dream a while back that was significant to me. It took some time before I understood it. I was looking out at the Great Salt Lake, but it looked like a regular lake and was located in a different part of the valley. There was something specific I was waiting for. The lake started bubbling with volcanic gases that were being released from underneath it. Some young boys in their swimming suits ran by to swim in it, and I stopped them, warning them that it was dangerous. They shrugged off my concern, and this made me question myself. I began to think, Maybe it's not dangerous, and I amended my concern to them, saying that they should ask their moms before going in.

I continued to wait by the lake. I'm not sure what if anything happened to the boys, but I think they jumped in and were fine. At this point I knew what I was waiting at the lake for. Someone I trusted had told me that it would all begin with the meeting of the gypsies. I knew of a meeting of gypsies that was supposed to start any minute at the lake. I waited and waited and saw nothing, though I knew they would be meeting there. I gave up and went to my house, that was across the street from the lake. It was really cold and dark inside. The gas fireplace had broken, and the electricity was out. There was a strange girl as well that wasn't supposed to be there. I was trying to figure out how we'd keep the house warm all winter.


What makes this interesting:

This may seem really irrelevant and boring at the moment, but I'll explain why it stuck out to me.

I was so busy trying to warn others, waiting and watching for signs, that I didn't even know what was going on in my own house. I didn't even know that I was completely unprepared for the coming winter.

Later, I discovered that my house in this dream, represented myself. I was too busy looking outward, at what was wrong around me, and things that might be happening, that I had no light and warmth inside myself. I was not prepared for the cold of the coming winter, and there was a stranger inside my house instead of the things that should have been there.


What's my point?

It won't matter what's wrong with everything around us, it won't even matter if the immediate signs of the end of the world are outside our windows...

if we aren't prepared for it...

spiritually.

We may have all the physical preparations for surviving a disaster or a zombie apocalypse, but if we aren't prepared spiritually, it will all be for naught.

Our houses will be without light and warmth.

Kind of like this:

D&C 93:32

Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light.

And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation.

What's the deal with this light?

Jesus also spoke of a light when instructing the 12 disciples from among the Nephites.

3 Nephi 12:15-16

Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;

Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

What is the light I should be trying to gather within my house?

Jesus clarified this for us too, just five chapters later.

3 Nephi 18:24

Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up--that which ye have seen me do.

Also, D&C 6:21

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 14:9

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, a light which cannot be hid in darkness.

D&C 50:24

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.

D&C 84:45

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.

Summary: Light = Jesus Christ = that which is of God = word of the Lord = truth = Spirit

Got all that?

Light is truth (which is the word of the Lord). That light can only come through Him, and if we continue in Him, we will receive more truth, more and more of the "word of the Lord," more light "until the perfect day."

I could sum up my dream with these scriptures:

D&C 84:43-47

And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves (my dream also felt like a warning about this), to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.

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 Sprit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.

And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.

We receive light by hearkening to the Spirit, and this is how we come to our Heavenly Father. So, by hearkening to Jesus Christ, who is the Spirit of truth (D&C 93:26), which we receive by listening to the Spirit, we are then lead to the Father. Some HUGE promises here.

How important is hearkening to the voice of the Spirit?

D&C 84:52

And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.

If we're not of Him, and acquainted with His voice than we won't have a place with Him in the life to come. This is completely like the Parable of the Ten Virgins, now that I think about it.

D&C 45:56

And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived--verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.

We must be wise, receive the truth (which is also receiving Jesus Christ, and the word of God, and this must be continually, not just a one time thing), and the Holy Spirit needs to be our guide.

Conclusion:

So there it is, the way to fill our metaphorical houses with light.

We ought to find out if we hold the required light within ourselves, much as Enos did. We need to understand our individual standing before the Lord. See here and here if you are unsure of how to do that.

There's always a starting point. We need to make sure we grow from there. We have been given the tools we need in order to accomplish this. Everything we need to know, the Spirit will testify to us, if we will receive it.