President Oaks speaks about Jesus Christ being the light and life of the world.  He speaks about each of these ideas separately during his talk.

• Jesus Christ is the light and life of the world because all things were made by him. Under the direction and according to the plan of God the Father, Jesus Christ is the Creator, the source of the light and life of all things.
  

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
President Oaks gives several examples concerning how Jesus Christ is the light of the world.

• Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the source of the light which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space.” His light is “the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
• Jesus Christ is also the light of the world because his example and his teachings illuminate the path we should walk to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven.
• Jesus Christ is also the light of the world because his power persuades us to do good.
• 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.

Obedience bring more light into our lives and provides for us a clear path that we need to follow to become more like the Savior.

• As we keep the Lord’s commandments, we see his light ever brighter on our path.

THE LIFE OF THE WORLD

President Oaks outlines two ways that Jesus Christ is the life of the world.

• We come to the Father through the life-giving mission of the Son in two ways. In each of these ways, Jesus Christ is the life of the world, our Savior and our Redeemer.
  • Through the power and example of the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind will be resurrected. Our mortal life came into being because of his creative act. Our immortal life has now been assured because the Resurrected Lord has redeemed us from death. According to the plan of the Father, the Son was “the firstborn from the dead.” “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”
  • Jesus Christ is also the life of the world because he has atoned for the sins of the world. By yielding to temptation, Adam and Eve were “cut off from the presence of the Lord.” In the scriptures this separation is called spiritual death.  The atonement of our Savior overcame this spiritual death. The scriptures say, “The Son of God hath atoned for original guilt.”

Again, obedience is the key to obtaining the gifts that Chris has made possible for us to receive.  Receiving the gifts He has freely given us will help us become more like Him.

• In order to lay claim upon our Savior’s life-giving triumph over the spiritual death we suffer because of our own sins, we must follow the conditions he has prescribed.

President Oaks shares his testimony of the Savior.

• We love the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah, our Savior and our Redeemer. His is the only name by which we can be saved. We seek to serve him. We belong to his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our missionaries and members testify of Jesus Christ in many nations of the world. As the prophet Nephi wrote in the Book of Mormon, “We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

Finally, President Oaks reminds us what it means to be called a "Saint" in ancient and modern times.  He then encourages us to action and encourages us to invite people to come unto Christ.

• What does this knowledge mean to Latter-day Saints? (We call ourselves “Saints” because this is the scriptural term for those who have sought to make their lives holy by entering into covenants to follow Christ.)
• Latter-day Saints invite each other and all men and women everywhere to “come unto Christ.”

I love when prophets talk about light.  Light is a heavenly reference and exists because God created it.  Lighting our souls with knowledge and understanding is possible because God has created that process.  President Oaks speaks of the Savior in such simple terms and provides to us clear understanding of the roles that Christ plays in the plan of Salvation.  It appears to me that there are ways to unlock more light and understanding when we focus on the Savior and his role as the life of the world.  I am going to continue to seek this special light that the Savior gives to the world and invite others to join me in my personal path to true discipleship of the Savior in this life.

Elder Ballard, over the past months had spent a lot of time serving in South America and among the saints in that part of the work.  He uses his experiences there to address the topic of self-sufficiency as he observed many situations were people did not have the financial ability to do things that you and I can do with very little sacrifice on our parts.

• During this past year, the Area Presidencies in South America became concerned with the dependency of the Church there upon financial resources from Church headquarters. Wisely, these Brethren could see that future needs would require more funds than Church headquarters could provide.

As a result of seeing that the financial burden was great, the area authorities decided to not ask for additional donations to help build buildings, or to fund the churches growing needs in the countries.  What they decided instead was to ask the members to provide a meal in their homes for the missionaries that are serving there.  He shares how this decreased the cost of missionary purchases and allowed the spirit to enter the members homes that the missionaries bring.

• Church leaders in South America turned their attention to decreasing the cost of missionary service, the Lord blessed them with a simple but marvelous idea: the members could provide the noon meal each day for the full-time missionaries. This was a task the Saints in South America could do, and one that would strengthen both the members and missionaries. It proved to be the means for the members in this part of the world to perfect the Saints and to proclaim the gospel—two parts of the mission of the Church.

As a result of this change, Elder Ballard points out one of the great benefits that was achieved.

• Something special happens to an individual or to a Church unit when the people become more independent and self-reliant. They feel more confident, positive, and assured, and they reflect these feelings in their actions.

He expresses gratitude to those leaders and members that are willing to sacrifice to build up the kingdom of God.

• I am so grateful to the Lord for the leaders and other members in the Church, both men and women, who are filled with a faith that makes them willing to sacrifice for the building up of the kingdom of God. Such Saints truly feel and live the principle that King Benjamin taught to the Nephites: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

He reminds us that no matter what our financial circumstances, there are blessings that come from sacrifice.  One of the greatest blessings will come to our lives as we pay a generous fast offering.

• Every member can give a generous fast offering.

He concludes with encouraging all of us to help build the kingdom of God.

• Every member can give his time and talents freely to the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth. No member of the Church should miss this opportunity to exercise his faith and feel the spirit that comes from humble sacrifice. Seeing the great good that the Saints in South America do with their meager means helps me realize how much more many of us in other parts of the world could do. We should never forget the Savior’s teaching: “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” He has blessed us abundantly. I think of the teaching words of one of our hymns:
  • Because I have been given much, I too must give; Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live I shall divide my gifts from thee With ev’ry brother that I see Who has the need of help from me (“Because I Have Been Given Much,” Hymns, 1985, no. 219).
    

Sacrifice on the part of members of the church brings real blessings into their lives.  I have seen it.  I have experienced it.  I know it is true.  Elder Ballard has taught us a simple truth.  As a missionary, I learned the power of entering someone's home, partaking of their sacrifice, and leaving with a special blessing on that home for the sacrifice that they had made.  I saw the change it had in peoples lives when we ask for the Lord to bless them for the sacrifices that they made.  Elder Ballard shares many stories in this talk of blessings that come into our lives when we sacrifice our lives for the service of God.  It seems so simple, but sacrificing our time, money, and energy for the kingdom of God will have a profound impact on our spiritual lives.