Where There is No Light

By Elder Bryson Glen Snow

June 2023

Just six months before my mission, my world felt destroyed. I felt like I could relate to the people in 3 Nephi who had to suffer through a “terrible tempest . . . [that] did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder” (3 Nephi 8:6). After many years of marriage, my parents suddenly separated. I was left feeling lost and self-conscious. Like the Nephites who survived the storm, I could feel a “vapor of darkness” settle on me, and it seemed like “there could not be any light at all” in my life (3 Nephi 8:20–21).

It was during this experience that I grew to appreciate Enos and Alma the Younger more. Just like those great missionaries, I remembered the words of my father, teachers, and Church leaders about the “joy of the saints” (Enos 1:3). During an interview with my bishop, I had one of the strongest spiritual impressions of my life. I felt that if I would serve a mission and dedicate myself to God’s work, I could find the healing I was longing for. I took the leap of faith and left to serve a mission.

The people in 3 Nephi noticed that a “marvelous change . . . had taken place” after the storm (3 Nephi 11:1). As a missionary, I soon found that I had also experienced a marvelous change in my life. Working through my struggles helped me to recognize how Christ’s healing and compassion were helping me all along the way. I know that through His Atonement, I was being healed.

My feelings about prayer were evidence of this change. Previously, I had been self-conscious about praying, but because of the Savior’s Atonement, I became more comfortable praying. I began to study my identity as a child of God and what that means. I have come to discover that I have the same divine potential as everyone else. I have since overcome my depression, and I can now bear record of how personally Jesus Christ ministers to each of us.

Participating in God’s work has helped me find direction, and I have discovered that Jesus Christ set the perfect example for me. I have been able to feel His presence and influence in my life. I know that I have been healed by Christ’s Atonement and that each one of us can experience the same blessing as we turn our lives over to Him.