Crucibles of light

According to scripture, the Lord sent us all into the world to prove us, to try us, to help us learn and grow (see Abraham 3:25). Thus as part of this life we will each find ourselves in crucibles, agonizing turning points that force us to question our assumptions, examine our values, and assess our faith. These experiences of deep reflection change us profoundly, and we are forever different because of them. A crucible experience might be intensely private or very public; it might last a day or two or the span of a lifetime; it might come about through our own actions or the actions of others. Each person is tried in his or her own crucible. Regardless of the circumstances, our response to the crucible experience is all important. For some, the experience adds up to meaningless suffering and leaves bitterness and disillusionment in its wake. But for those who seek the Lord’s hand in it and call forth the enabling power of Christ, the crucible of adversity can be the greatest of blessings. For one thing, it will provide a context for the grace of Christ to be more clearly manifest. Moments when our backs are strengthened and our burdens become light (see Mosiah 24:14–15). Such experiences can temper and purify us to such a degree that the light of Christ can shine forth and reveal in us the character of Christ. One management scholar has noted: “The most reliable indicators and predictors of true leadership is an individual’s ability to find meaning in negative events and to learn from even the most trying circumstances. Put another way, the skills required to conquer adversity and emerge stronger and more committed than ever are the same ones that make for extraordinary leaders.” 

We will each encounter our own crucibles, times of real darkness in our lives; still, depending on how we face them, those are the times when “light comes through.” The Apostle Paul similarly iterated this truth, encouraging and reassuring each of us in our crucibles: “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, [now] hath shined in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

We might see our crucibles as bleak, torturous ordeals to be endured rather than learned from, that break us rather than build us up, that darken rather than lighten our souls. But by enduring in faith, relying upon the strength of Christ, and facing and embracing light, we will grow into leaders that radiate the Light at home, at church, and in our communities. We will become as “lightning out of heaven,” guiding others toward the Light.