Lepers and Rays

In Luke 17:11-19, it tells the story of 10 lepers. Jesus Christ heals them all, yet only one comes back. Jesus says "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" verse 17.

Imagine you have a debilitating disease raging in your body that has left you ostracized from society, disfigured, and disabled. People see you and run away screaming as it is viewed as a curse from God. You're with a group of others who also have the disease, when in the distance you see Jesus, the One everyone talks about. Everyone with you pleads "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." verse 13. He tells you to "Go shew yourselves unto the priests." verse 14. As you walk that way to do as He commanded, you see yourself become clean from this disease! How wonderful! Your life looked bleak, with nothing more to look forward to than the sweet release of death. But here you are, clean! Jesus truly is the Son of God. Which Leper do you choose to be? Out of the ten men only one, upon seeing he had been healed, went back glorifying God, his face at the feet of Jesus giving Him thanks and gratitude for this blessing that meant the world to him. Are we the nine, or are we the one. Jesus says to him "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." verse 19.

I asked myself "Which leper am I?" I answered "I want to be the one." How do I choose to be the one? How do I choose to be and act grateful for the healing and blessings in my life? Studying my scriptures, sincerely praying, keeping His commandments, inviting Him to always be with me. By doing as the Savior has done. He teaches us when we are little to study our scriptures, say our prayers, treat others kindly, keep our covenants, keep His commandments. These primary answers are rays of light. As we do them continuously, those small rays add up every day. As we endure by following His way, those days will add up to be a pillar of light, as explained by Elder Alexander Dushku in his talk "Pillars and Rays" (G.C. April 2024).

I testify that to become the one who comes back, our everyday, seemingly small effort will one day become a pillar if we but endure daily until the end. I so testify in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

P.S. From our last blog post, the shirt came clean, and so can you through faith in Him.

~Brad Hill