Look to the Light

As a boy scout, I once set out on a backpacking trip in the mountains of northern Utah. The drive was long to reach the trail head, and our troop arrived much later than we had anticipated. We decided it would be best if we set out anyway, and we thought that if we hiked quickly, we could reach our campsite before dark.

We were wrong. The sun went down just as we scaled a rocky plateau, and we were completely exposed to the cold night wind.

Many of us had brought flashlights; we flipped them on, following the beams along the trail. Reaching the edge of the plateau, we began to descend into what we hoped was the valley in which we were to camp. The trail had many switchbacks to soften the slope, but we were all worried that one of us might slip and fall down the steep shale mountainside. It was a pitch black night. I was shivering from the cold. We relied entirely on the light from our flashlights, though we could only see just ahead of us. We had no idea how long it would be until we reached our destination.

I remember that we began to sing.
The hymns brought a heavenly presence, a peace. We felt the protection and safety of our Heavenly Father. We continued to sing as we hiked the slippery trail.

At last, we arrived by the edge of the lake we had sought, thankful for our safety and thankful to our Father in Heaven.

In life, the path is sometimes dark. The road is sometimes treatcherous. We don't always know where we're going. Challenges come to all, and those challenges are often severe. The Savior Himself suffered immensely during His life, even though He was perfect. Trials are a natural part of life, and are necessary for our growth and learning. No matter what the source of our challenges, or how severe, the Savior Jesus Christ has the power to heal us. He knows the way out and He knows the way up.

He is the "Light and the Life of the world".
He will lead us out of spiritual darkness and into peace and fulfillment if we follow Him.
Following Christ means learning all we can about His life. We can learn about Him through the Bible and the Book of Mormon. We can learn about Him from prophets who live today. Most importantly, we must learn about Him from the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of God.
This is my testimony.