Dear Reader,
When I first came to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I carried with me not only my experiences from recovery but also my early spiritual roots in the Christian Science faith. As I now study the revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants, I sometimes hear echoes of Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. One such place is in Section 93—a chapter that speaks of Christ as the Light, the eternal nature of truth, and our own divine potential.
In D&C 93, Christ identifies Himself as “the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” This message has companions across centuries. The Apostle John wrote: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:4–5). Mary Baker Eddy echoed this idea: “Truth and Love enlighten the understanding, in whose ‘light shall we see light’” (p. 510). C. S. Lewis later expressed it beautifully: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
Another theme in this revelation is the nature of truth itself. Joseph Smith recorded that truth is “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” Luther, centuries earlier, declared: “Peace if possible, truth at all costs.” Truth in scripture, in reformation, and in modern revelation remains consistent: it is eternal, not relative, and it calls us to build our lives on what endures.
Section 93 also speaks of Christ growing “from grace to grace” until He received a fulness of the Father’s glory. This phrase gives me hope. It reminds me that spiritual progress is not instant but step by step. St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Eddy likewise wrote: “The human capacities are enlarged and perfected in proportion as humanity gains the true conception of man and God” (p. 258). Together, they remind me that growth—whether in sobriety, faith, or family life—happens one day at a time, grace for grace.
There is also a very personal rebuke in this revelation: Joseph Smith and other early leaders were chastised for neglecting their families. The command was to bring up their children in light and truth. Paul urged something similar: “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Eddy likewise emphasized moral and spiritual teaching at home: “Children should be taught the Truth of creation, that the real man is made in the image of God” (p. 236). For me, in recovery, this responsibility now extends to the way I show up in every relationship—with honesty, patience, and the willingness to carry the light I have found.
Finally, what is the invitation of Section 93 for today? To walk in light, to grow in grace, to honor truth, and to nurture it within our families. For me, the journey is no longer about choosing between the voice of Christian Science and the voice of the restored gospel. It is about hearing how both prepared me for a deeper understanding of God’s love through Christ.
Reflection: As a man in recovery and as a new disciple in the restored Church, I am learning that the light of Christ has always been reaching for me—whether in the words of John, Luther, St. Francis, C. S. Lewis, or Mary Baker Eddy. Today that same light calls me forward: to live truthfully, to grow patiently, and to walk humbly toward the fulness of God’s glory.
I testify to this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
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