May 10–16

Doctrine and Covenants 49–50

“That Which Is of God Is Light”

“He that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24). Ponder how you are receiving light by continuing in God.

The Savior is our “good shepherd” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:44). He knows that sometimes sheep wander and that the wilderness has many perils. So He lovingly leads us to the safety of His doctrine, away from dangers such as “false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:2). Following Him often means letting go of incorrect ideas or traditions. This was true for Leman Copley and others in Ohio who accepted the restored gospel but still held on to some beliefs that just weren’t correct. In Doctrine and Covenants 49, the Lord declared truths that corrected Leman’s previous beliefs about topics such as marriage and the Savior’s Second Coming. And when the Ohio converts “received … spirits which [they] could not understand,” the Lord taught them how to discern true manifestations of the Spirit (Doctrine and Covenants 50:15). The Good Shepherd was patient; He knew that these early Saints were—like all of us—“little children” who “must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:40).