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Lesson 12

The Light of Christ and Gift of the Holy Ghost

Approximate reading time = 3 minutes

We must step aside from our devotion to “no opinion, interpretation or bull-pucky with some required commentary on two subjects within one lesson. Our objective continues to be to organize all of the Prophets’ given truth on a subject to clarify the entire subject.

Lesson 11

Once one has progressed from curiosity to hope to belief to faith in Jesus Christ to repentance to baptism they are positioned to receive the priesthood ordinance of The nomination to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Understanding this gift requires understanding of the spectrum of the Light of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord, the spirit and the Holy Ghost/spirit.

Teaching about the Spirit of Christ and the Gift of the Holy Ghost is best accomplished via the use of a parable like the Lord did when He taught invisible, intangible truths to His disciples.

To describe the Light or Spirit of Christ, we will compare or liken it to the light of the sun. Sunlight is familiar to everyone; it is everywhere present and can be seen and can be felt. Life itself depends upon sunlight.

The Light of Christ is like sunlight. It, too, is everywhere present and given to everyone equally.

Just as darkness must vanish when the light of the sun appears, so is evil sent fleeing by the Light of Christ.

There is no darkness in sunlight. Darkness is subject unto it. The sun can be hidden by clouds or by the rotation of the earth, but the clouds will disappear, and the earth will complete its turning.

According to God’S plan, we are told that 

2 Nephi 2

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one. 

While SUNLIGHT IS ALL AROUND YOU, this Light of Christ, which gives life, is around you and within you. The evil one will attempt to obscure it. It can be so clouded with confusion so far as to convince you that it does not even exist.

Just as sunlight is a natural disinfectant, the Light of Christ can cleanse a confused spirit.

Every soul, no matter who or where or when, is a child of God. The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that 

Job 32

8 there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.(

Even without the Gift of the Holy Ghost, every child of God can receive a manifestation of the Holy Ghost, if earnestly seeking for the light and for truth. The Holy Ghost will come and give the testimony the child is seeking, but then withdraw without the Gift. Without the Gift of the Holy Ghost, however, the child does not have a claim upon another visit or constant visits and manifestations from him. Children of God may then have the constant guidance of that other Spirit, the Spirit or Light of Christ.

The Spirit of Christ is always there. It never leaves. It cannot leave.

Everyone everywhere already has the Spirit of Christ, and while the Spirit of the Holy Ghost can visit anyone, the Gift of the Holy Ghost is obtained by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel after developing faith in Jesus Christ, after sincere repentance and after submitting oneself for baptism by immersion followed by the laying on of hands by those with authority.

And, finally, when the Holy Ghost decides to give His gift He will do so in an undeniable manner. This provides the recipient claim for more than visitation. The Gift of the Holy Ghost entitles one for constant companionship with Him, the Holy Ghost.