Doctrine and Covenants 123:12-14 -- On Bringing Hidden Things to Light

"For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—
Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—
These should then be attended to with great earnestness."
Doctrine and Covenants 123:12-14


This was an interesting thing to read today, and it reminded me of a post I was reading the other day at work, about work situations and how much effort you should invest in them. Some people were saying that they put in extra effort and were rewarded for it, and others were saying that they tried putting in extra effort, got overlooked or cheated, and so they backed off, and now they just do the job and have stopped trying to make a bigger difference. I think that reflects people's attitudes towards life in general as well. Some people have hope, and others don't, and are just plodding along, trying to survive.

I think that a lot of that lack of hope is caused by the "hidden things of darkness" that this verse is referring to. When it was written it was specifically referring to the horrible things that were done to the "Mormons" as they were chased from their homes and driven away, but I think it applies to all of the horrible things that are done to everyone, even just as a matter of course or policy in some organizations. So much discrimination and cruelty still exists, not just against one religion, but against so many people in so many different ways, and bringing those things out and shining a light on them can help people find hope, and believe that life can be better than it has been thus far in their experience.

Today, let's work to eradicate darkness and mistreatment, and to shine the light of hope into people's lives that have not perhaps seen it in quite a while. Let's make sure that people know where to go to find the truth, and that we are working with God and shining a light for the people around us, and aren't joining forces with the darkness to cover things up.