Reflecting Light

In Elder Quentin L. Cook's talk, See Yourself in the Temple, he described a mirror that was etched with the outline of a temple, so a person looking into that mirror would literally see themselves inside a temple. He also spoke of the mirrors inside the temple, which have a special role in the sealing ceremony which links generation to generation in an unending family chain. Until I listened to that talk, I don't think I've thought much about the symbolism of mirrors, but I have used it in blog posts before, saying that God is the source of spiritual light, and we can reflect that light to shine on others.

Except in astronomically exceptional circumstances, light doesn't bend. It travels in a straight line from its source until it hits an object that either absorbs the light or reflects it. If a person lights a candle in a hallway, its light won't illuminate a picture that's on the wall around the corner. At least, not directly. If another person is in that hallway, they can stand in the corner with a mirror and reflect the candle's light toward the painting which the candle would otherwise not have been able to illuminate.

In our lives, we all have the chance to meet people who have distanced themselves from God and have figuratively gone around the corner from the source of God's light. Such people live in darkness, without the hope, the love, and all the other blessings that the gospel could bring into their lives. Some of them have forgotten God, or have never learned of Him in the first place.

We can help them. We can live in such a way that God's light reflects off of us and shines on them. We can share with them the glorious truths of the gospel and the peace and hope it can bring. We can extend an invitation to those who have turned away from the light, or who have never seen it. Even if they still reject the light, we can at least let them know that the light is there, waiting for them to come around the corner and embrace it. We can act as mirrors to shine God's light on people who would otherwise be difficult for God to reach.

Of course, those people still have the freedom to make their choice. If they prefer their beliefs and lifestyle, we should respect that. But we can at least let them know that the light of God is real and that it has brought great blessings into our lives and that it perhaps might be beneficial for them as well. Then they can make a more informed decision, whether they ultimately choose darkness or light. We shouldn't try to force the gospel on anyone, but we can give them access to at least a reflection of that light, if they want it. And if any of them choose to come into the light once they've seen it, all the better.

God respects others' choices, and we should, too, but He also shines His light in every direction, and so should we. There may be some people we can reach with our reflections who otherwise would never have seen God's light at all. Some people are comfortable where they are, but others would be more comfortable in the light, if only they knew where to find it. We may not be able to shine much light ourselves, but we can reflect God's light to them, to give them a guiding light to follow. There are some dark corners in the world that God's light isn't currently able to reach, but with our mirrors, we can reflect God's light into those places, if only briefly, to the benefit of those who live in darkness but who would otherwise be seekers of light.

Some people don't have God's light in them currently. We can share it with them.