The Light of Christ is a Universal Influence That Inspires Good

I served a mission as a young man about 50 years ago. I was playing basketball on a

scholarship at a small college up in Washington State but had always planned on

serving a mission. After two years of playing, I left any future basketball aspirations to

serve in the Canada, Toronto Mission. I am now here in Ghana, and I reflect almost

every day about the experiences I am having as a Senior Missionary versus the

experiences I had as a young missionary. Some experiences feel the same, (as I

served 10 months in the mission office in Toronto), while others are totally different. A

few things I know for sure…..my missionary service 50 years ago prepared me to be a

better person, a better husband, and better father. It also helped me with my

professional career (in financial services) as I began sharing my knowledge,

experience, and opinions with clients regarding their financial matters. But most

importantly…..when one serves a mission and is a personal representative of Jesus

Christ….”.there are experiences”, according to Russel M. Ballard, “that occur….. that

will help you come to know “Him” better. You will grow spiritually in serving Him. In His

name, you are sent on errands to serve others. He will give you experiences with

promptings from the Holy Ghost. The Lord will authorize you to teach in His name. You

can show Him that He can trust you and can rely on you.” This all happened 50 years

ago, and I see it happening again with the experiences we are having in Ghana.

You can see once again from the pictures below that I love the beautiful faces of little

children. I am also intrigued with the Ghani people and how they try and figure out how

to get things done. In particular, we have to smile at the way they “jam” as much stuff

as they can into their vehicles to get things moved from one place to another. They

seem to be a very hard-working people, doing jobs that we would not care to do in

America. But it is their way of making a living and we have to give them credit for

that…..at least they are working.

You can also see from some of the pictures below the messages written on their

vehicles….. that they do care about God and are not afraid to let others know how they

feel. One way to share their beliefs is to write on their places of business. The other

way is to live a life that indicates ones love for Jesus Christ. Over 60 years ago, an

Apostle by the name of Richard L. Evans said the following: “Many of us profess to be

Christians, yet we do not take Him seriously. We respect Him, but we do not follow Him.

We quote His sayings, but we don’t live by them. We admire Him, but we don’t worship

Him.” What a different world it would be if our Savior Jesus Christ was given the love

and respect and admiration He deserves. After all, He has given us all we will ever

need to return to live with Him again. The people here in Ghana are trying to show their

love for God and are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as one of the

messages on a vehicle below shows. They have a “light” about them that is hard to

describe…..one just has to see and experience their smiles and their friendly way of

greeting you.

Elder David Bednar, one of our leaders of the Church, has spoken about the “light of

Christ”. Let me share some of his words….

“If I had to use one word to describe light, I would use the word radiance. There is a

brilliance and a sense of direction that comes from light. If you are in a totally, pitch-

dark room and there is the smallest element of light, then that light chases the

darkness….. but the darkness cannot overrule the light. Associated with light is a

warmth and associated with darkness is a coolness. I think these observations are very

significant. The light of Christ is what many people would call a conscious. But it is

more than a psychological effect that takes place in people. Someone can be riding on

a bus, see someone in distress, and feel a compassion and a desire to assist and serve

that person. Many people would say, no….. that is just natural behavior. But it is

more…..it is the influence of God that pulls us, that influences us, to be good and to do

good. Every person ever born in history, now and in the future, is influenced by the light

of Christ for goodness. As we yield to that influence….. to do good and to become

good….. then the light of Christ increases within us. As we disobey, light is decreased

and can ultimately be diminished.” As it says in Doctrine & Covenants 50:24 –

“That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light…..receiveth more light…. and

that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”

And in Moroni 7:16 - “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may

know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing

which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the

power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of

God.”

Whether it is a message on a car, or a sign on your place of business, or a beautiful

smile on your face…....the light of Christ is always present.

This is what we see all the time on vehicles and places of business. They love God.

Pretty impressive what they can fit

David makes "banners" for the missionaries going home. They're very nice and he works outside, along side the road.

The woman in black just got baptized last week. She was Muslim.

Jill showing a little neighbor girl her picture.

Bank sign.... thought it was funny.... they discourage assault.

Making a chair.

At District Meeting

Ghana MTC. Missionaries are here to learn English and get acclimated to the culture.

Brand new missionary from Uganda came all on her own. We went to pick her up.

Elder Abekah is an assistant. He is awesome. Decided to go on a mission rather that his Dad paying for college... His Dad is not a member and did not want him to go. He is now paying for his sister to go to college and Elder Abekah is on his own.

Trying to make friends with the Local Police.

Our chapel with a sign that says "Visitors Welcome"..... if you can get over the barbed wire.

Finally found a golf course.