How Saints Can Abide in the Light

1 John 2:7-8; 7-8. 'Brethren, I write unto you about the new and everlasting covenant, which is revealed anew unto you, but which is also the same gospel had from the beginning. It was ordained of God for the salvation of his children and is true, as all of you know, for you have passed from the darkness of the world into its true light.'

1 John 2:9-11; 9-11. 'If we claim to be Christians and to have the light of the gospel in our lives, and yet hate our brethren, we are in fact in darkness. If we live the gospel, we love our brethren and are on the path leading to eternal life. If we hate our brethren, we have strayed onto bye and forbidden paths and are enveloped by mists of darkness which blind us to the truth.' "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:23.)

1 John 2:12; 12. Little children] Members of the Church, who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ and are accounted as his sons and his daughters (Mosiah 5:7), and who now need to grow to that spiritual maturity inherent in the attainment of eternal life.

1 John 2:12; Your sins are forgiven you] Through baptism and the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost.

1 John 2:13-14; 13. I write] 14. I have written] Apparently John is saying: 'I now write you this Epistle, but I have already written you my Gospel.'