The Shadows Flee

Last night, we watched The Saratov Approach, a movie about the experiences of two kidnapped missionaries and their families, and an episode of Once Upon a Time, a TV series in which storybook and fairytale characters are brought to the real world, and there's usually someone who uses dark magic causing trouble of some kind. In both stories, and I don't think it's a coincidence, they mentioned that light overpowers darkness. In addition, I started reading from the hymnal as part of my personal scripture study, and the first line of the first hymn in the book is, "The morning breaks, the shadows flee." It may be that someone is trying to tell me something.

Light eliminates (mild pun on illuminates) darkness. As soon as the light appears, the darkness disappears. From a scientific standpoint, this makes perfect sense because darkness is just the absence of light. This reminds me of something a devil taught in the fictional story, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, that hell is, essentially, everywhere God isn't. Earth can be hell, if we drive away the spirit of God. But Earth can also be heaven, if we do what it takes to always have the Spirit with us.

The Holy Ghost is a strong source of spiritual light, and those who have accepted and keep their baptismal covenants have the promise that the Holy Spirit may always be with them. When we have the Holy Ghost with us, the spiritual darkness that is in much of the world is driven away, making us less vulnerable to temptation, including the temptation to harbor negative thoughts and emotions. In other words, the darkness that is often so presence in the world is repelled by the light of the Spirit. "For while virtue, by choice, will not associate with filth, evil cannot tolerate the presence of light," Elder Boyd K. Packer, Inspiring Music-Worthy Thoughts.

So, if we find ourselves in places of darkness, or if we find any spiritual darkness within us, we can illuminate and destroy that darkness by holding on to spiritual light. We can replace evil thoughts with righteous ones, temptations to commit sin with righteous actions, the presence of tempting spirits with the presence of the Holy Spirit, and so forth. We don't have to remain in darkness, as long as we know how to access the light.