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Last month on a quiet afternoon I hiked the Lakeshore Trail at Holliday Lake.

Though beautiful in every season, Holliday Lake was really past the height of leaf viewing by that point. In fact, looking around, it seemed that the few remaining leaves on the trees were brown and dead, soon to fall themselves.

However, as the sun advanced through its course, a remarkable thing happened. Illuminated and accentuated by the sun’s rays, the leaves appeared to explode with beautiful colors as they were engulfed in the sun’s light.

My heart was touched as I considered the spiritual lesson of this experience.

Like the leaves that appeared weak, perhaps past their prime and soon to fall, we too can be conduits of Christ’s light if we allow His perfect example and teachings to illuminate our path.

Jesus Christ declared: “I am the light and the life of the world.”

As we apply Christ’s teachings in our lives and follow His perfect example, His loving and infinite Atonement can bring out our best colors and make us shine In turn, we can help others find the source of true joy in this life and through eternity by sharing our faith and channeling the light of the Savior.

Dallin H. Oaks, of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, explained that “Jesus Christ is the light of the world because He is the source of the light that quickens our understanding, because His teachings and His example illuminate our path, and because His power persuades us to do good.”

Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently issued an invitation to share the light of the Savior with those around us through acts of kindness and love:

“When so many around us are burdened with fear and uncertainty, I invite you to make room in your heart for those around you who may be struggling to see the light of the Savior and to feel His love. No gifts will mean as much as acts of pure love you offer to the lonely, the worn down and the weary. These are gifts that remind us and them of the true reason for the season: the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who was born to cast out all fear and bring everlasting light and joy to all who follow Him.”

May our eyes be opened to opportunities to follow Jesus Christ’s teaching to love one another (see John 13:34-35).

This is the perfect time of year to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Through recommitting ourselves to daily acts of service, regular scripture study and sincere prayer, we can draw closer to the Savior and stay firmly on the covenant path that leads back to God’s presence.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

DR. BRENT ROBERTS is the Elders Quorum President in the Sandy River Branch, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and also Dean of Greenwood Library at Longwood University. He can be reached at brentsroberts@ hotmail.com.