Release the Secret Weapon!

Hi everyone,

This is Josh in for Meagan for husby week. So whenever I see Meagan working on or reading this blog, the title always makes me think of Fievel Goes West (you know, the one about there being no cats in America and the streets being paved with cheese...). Anyway, in the pivotal moment of that movie, the mice shout "release the secret weapon!" and finally get the cats.

I thought I'd blog about a secret weapon I was reading about in my scripture study this morning. It was quoted in President Eyring's jolly December article "Home for Christmas." In it, he mentions many worthwhile things, one of which is D&C 50:23-25 which speaks of the light of Christ. I'll quote it in its entirety

23. And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness
24. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
25. And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you.

The thing that caught my eye in particular was the word chase. As in, we chase the darkness away. It's not that the darkness eventually goes away, or that we can wait and hide until somebody else releases a secret weapon for us. We indeed do have a secret weapon that we can use to not only defend ourselves from the bad, but to actively chase it out of our lives and homes. In terms of the "armor of God" scripture in Ephesians, the sword we have to hand is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17).

I think it's the Light of Christ and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Every child of God has the light of Christ and receives more and more light as they act on that light. The sword gets sharper and sharper. And the Gift of the Holy Ghost is like a whole new model of sword: more powerful, longer lasting, stainless etc. etc. all the better for chasing the darkness out of our lives. I think there's also significance in the second part of that Ephesians verse "which is the word of God". To me, that sounds like it's not just the Spirit, but it's the Spirit and the knowledge it teaches us applied in our lives.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost is truly a gift. Wilford Woodruff said this:

"Now, if you have the Holy Ghost with you—and every one ought to have—I can say unto you that there is no greater gift, there is no greater blessing, there is no greater testimony given to any man on earth. You may have the administration of angels; you may see many miracles; you may see many wonders in the earth; but I claim that the gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon man. It is by this power that we have performed that which we have. It is this that sustains us through all the persecutions, trials and tribulations that come upon us." (Deseret Weekly, April 6, 1889, 451, emphasis added by Josh)

So, in conclusion, appreciate that gift, that secret weapon. Use it. Take it out and polish it. We should put it to work on the offensive in our lives and chase down and squish our weaknesses, lingering sins, guilty pleasures, and I-wish-that-I...'s. There really is no greater gift we can receive in this life. If we really use it and relish it to its fullest potential, I know the light will grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day, as promised.