Hey friends, Corinne here. Before we get to the stories in this week's episode, I wanted

to ask a quick favor of you. If you're getting something from these stories that we're

sharing each week, would you take a quick minute and write a review on iTunes for us?

Every written review helps this show to show up on iTunes for more people who could use

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Welcome to This Is The Gospel, an LDS living podcast where we feature real stories from

real people who are practicing and living their faith every day. I'm your host Corinne

Leigh. In this week's episode, we're bringing you a story all about the ways, the light

and the dark move together in the practice of our faith. It's a theme that I think most

of us will recognize in our own spiritual lives. Being human means that there are going

to be times of palpable darkness when the worry, fear or pain may feel like they blind

us to anything good or possible around us. In my weakest moments, it feels devastating.

But in my wisest moments, I understand that these experiences are the key to more fully

recognizing the light of the Savior when his hand reaches to meet me in that darkness.

Our story comes from John who had an experience when he was a young man that taught him about

the delicate balance between light and dark. A lesson that has proven invaluable as he

and his wife Emily battled a disease that often threatens their faith.

When I was 17 years old, I went on a youth activity to a cave. We went spelunking for

a day in Northern Alabama. It was a fun experience. We got the opportunity to crawl around and

experience or explore this cave. After about a half day of exploring this cave, we got

to a point where our guide sat us down and started speaking with us. He may have been trying

to share some sort of object lesson or just teach us something. I don't remember the exact

...