Let the lower lights be burning
I just attended the funeral of my grandson Christopher. The song that my four sons sang was “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy“. There is this phrase in the song ‘let the lower lights be burning’.
Some years ago I heard a talk by Elder Boyd K. Packer who addressed this subject. The song is an allegory. The "brightly beams" refers to the lighthouse. This is a navigational point to guide sailors. It is a reference point so that people know where they are. It shines at night with an oscillating light so that the ships will have a reference to steer by and it can be seen for many miles. During the daytime most lighthouses are placed in a prominent location so they can be seen for miles. This is exactly what Our Father in Heaven does by shining his mercy out into the darkness of the world.
Most of us don’t have any trouble seeing during the daytime. We do have problems when it is dark. Think about driving a car on an unfamiliar road at night without lights on your car. Now think about trying to navigate a boat in the water at night. There is no road to guide you. If the sky is overcast you will have no reference points.
Perhaps you can see the lighthouse, but you don’t know where the rocks are and a passageway into an inlet where there is a safe harbor. This is where the lower lights come in.
We have GPS now, but in the early days we had to rely on lights.
In order to guide sailors to safety, they would place lights along the shore to indicate where to steer the ship safely.
We are to be the lights along the shore so to speak. It is our light that will help others to find the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ taught that we should let that light shine before men that they would see our good works and then they would glorify God by repentance and come into his kingdom.
We are to lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees by shining our light.
When we visited Dunraven castle, Stanley Bevan told us a story that you can read here. Dunraven castle is where our Butler ancestors came from.
The next time you hear the song “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy“ think of how you can help someone to come into the safe harbor of the mercy of our Heavenly Father. You are the light. Keep it burning bright. My light shines for you.
I just attended the funeral of my grandson Christopher. The song that my four sons sang was “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy“. There is this phrase in the song ‘let the lower lights be burning’.
Some years ago I heard a talk by Elder Boyd K. Packer who addressed this subject. The song is an allegory. The "brightly beams" refers to the lighthouse. This is a navigational point to guide sailors. It is a reference point so that people know where they are. It shines at night with an oscillating light so that the ships will have a reference to steer by and it can be seen for many miles. During the daytime most lighthouses are placed in a prominent location so they can be seen for miles. This is exactly what Our Father in Heaven does by shining his mercy out into the darkness of the world.
Most of us don’t have any trouble seeing during the daytime. We do have problems when it is dark. Think about driving a car on an unfamiliar road at night without lights on your car. Now think about trying to navigate a boat in the water at night. There is no road to guide you. If the sky is overcast you will have no reference points.
Perhaps you can see the lighthouse, but you don’t know where the rocks are and a passageway into an inlet where there is a safe harbor. This is where the lower lights come in.
We have GPS now, but in the early days we had to rely on lights.
In order to guide sailors to safety, they would place lights along the shore to indicate where to steer the ship safely.
We are to be the lights along the shore so to speak. It is our light that will help others to find the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ taught that we should let that light shine before men that they would see our good works and then they would glorify God by repentance and come into his kingdom.
We are to lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees by shining our light.
When we visited Dunraven castle, Stanley Bevan told us a story that you can read here. Dunraven castle is where our Butler ancestors came from.
The next time you hear the song “Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy“ think of how you can help someone to come into the safe harbor of the mercy of our Heavenly Father. You are the light. Keep it burning bright. My light shines for you.
Look to my light and not the lanterns on the tails of the sheep or cattle. There are plenty of Matts of the Iron Hand out there to mislead you. The Father's light shines ever so brightly.
Love,
Grandpa
Love,
Grandpa
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