Out of Darkness into the Light

Isaiah, speaking to the House of Israel, promised to restore the blessings of the gospel to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. to quote exactly, he said "I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a convenant of the people, to establish the earth" (1 Nephi 21:8).  Several years ago I was in a history class where my professor was disucssing our term papers. He related a story of a student who had done a beautiful job researching and synthesizing the information, then submitting a well-written paper. "But so what!," the professor yelled. None of it matters unless you can provide some insight about why it matters. In the very next verse of this passage, Isaiah provides the "so what" of why the gathering of Israel matters. "That thou mayest say to the prisoners: Go forth; to them that sit in darkenss: show youselved" (1 Nephi 21:9). What an incredible image. To me, sometimes the gathering of Israel and the Second coming seem so abstract. yet, when I read this verse today, it all seemed to make sense. As I read this my mind conjured up images of people in the forms of shadows dropping the chains which had left them unable to move for so long. Their backs were hunched over from the tight quarters in which they had lived for so long. But as they walked into the light, their faces began to be illuminated by Christ. They were no longer just unknown shadows, but people, living souls even....my friends, my neighbors, my family members and people that I don't even know yet. They began to stand a little taller and even smile with joy. The Restoration of the gospel is the most important event to occur in the last 1000 years. Because of it souls are able "to go forth [and] show themselves [from the darkness]." When we speak of the gospel we must remember this. It is not some abstract concept or indecipherable metaphor. Rather, it is the means by which people throughout the earth "might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25).