Praise to the Man

April of this year – 2020, will be the 200^th anniversary of what is called the first vision. It is the vision that Joseph Smith had when he saw God and Jesus Christ. This vision started the restitution of all things that the Apostle Peter spoke about (Acts 3:21). Part of that restitution was restoring the Priesthood that Jesus Christ said he would give to Peter (Matthew 16:15-19) and was given to Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). This same priesthood authority was given by Peter, James and John as resurrected beings to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as well as the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist (Doctrine and Covenants 27:7-9, 12). Having the two priesthoods restored once again, Joseph Smith was commanded by Jesus Christ to establish his church again on the earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Doctrine and Covenants 115:3-4).

 Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!

Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer.

Blessed to open the last dispensation,

Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.

Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!

Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain.

Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren;

Death cannot conquer the hero again. (Hymn #27)

We speak of Joseph Smith with reverence and there are those that accuse us of worshiping him. We do not worship Joseph Smith, we worship our Savior, Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith opened the windows of heaven and showed us the real God of Heaven and his Son, Jesus Christ. He taught that we are all sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and we lived with him prior to being born in mortality. He also taught that families are eternal, and marriage does not end at death, it can be eternal if we are married by the proper priesthood authority and are faithful to those marriage covenants.

First let’s look at what Joseph said about that vision with God and Jesus Christ. At age fourteen, Joseph and his family attended many of the religious revival meetings that were being held at that time. Joseph indicated that the ministers of the different churches claimed that their church was the true church. This was confusing to the boy Joseph. He said:

While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture. (Joseph Smith – History 1:11-13)

Joseph Smith did decide to ask God for help. He went into a grove of trees near his home and knelt down and offered up his prayer to God. While he was praying he said he saw a light over his head that descended gradually until it fell on him. He then said:

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (Joseph Smith – History 1:17)

The personages that appeared to Joseph were God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The first thing Joseph learned that day was that God and Jesus were two distinct individuals and not part of a trinity that the religions of his day taught and most still believe today. The purpose of Joseph’s prayer was to know what church he should join. When he asked his question of the Lord, Joseph said:

I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” (Joseph Smith – History 1:19)

What an amazing experience that must have been for a fourteen-year-old boy? Is it hard to believe that such an experience could really have happened? If it were not for the many scriptures in the Old and New Testaments that tell of experiences of other prophets, some old and some very young, that had similar experiences it would be hard to believe. The scriptures say that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. If God appeared to prophets anciently then he could and would do it today.

There are only two possible answers to the question if Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, one answer is yes and the other no. Either he was telling the truth about his first vision with God and Jesus Christ or he was not. There is no partial truth. As you examine the fruits of his teachings and revelations the answer is yes, he was a true Prophet of God. The other important thing to consider is if he was a true prophet then all his revelations and teachings are true whether we understand or believe them or not. If Joseph Smith was a true prophet, you cannot disregard some teaching or principle because you don’t like it or understand it.

The same is true about the prophet that is leading the church today. If Joseph Smith was a true prophet and he did restore the true Church of Jesus Christ on the earth again, then all the prophets since are true prophets including the current Prophet, Russell M. Nelson. What he teaches today is God’s will no matter how much the world disagrees, or others try to persuade us otherwise. There is no middle ground. Either the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ or it isn’t.

To the honest seeker of truth, the promise is the same as it was for the young boy Joseph Smith, if you want to know the truth, ask God and he will give you the answer if you ask in sincere prayer.  Not only is the promise in James 5:1 apply to us today, but also the promise that the Prophet Moroni gave us:

I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:4)

I have tested the promise and can tell you that I know that Joseph Smith did see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, that he did receive the priesthood authority to restore the true Church of Jesus Christ again on the earth, that President Russell M. Nelson is God’s Prophet today, that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God and it is another witness of Jesus Christ and that revelation continues from God to his prophets today.

I add my voice in praise to the man who communed with Jehovah. He was and is the prophet of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that Gospel and priesthood authority is in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

Ask of God - Joseph Smith's First Vision

Enduring Joy

What brings you joy? Pictures of rainbows, or sunrises? Seeing a soldier surprise his family when coming home? Maybe children playing together and having fun? Maybe it is eating that favorite dessert? There are many things that bring us joy, but what is joy and do you have it? If someone asked you to describe joy, how would you respond?

Seeing pictures like the ones described above on Facebook or Instagram make us smile and we feel joy, but then we see another post that we disagree with and the joy is gone! Is joy only found on our good days, or is it possible to feel joy while we, like Alexander, are having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?

President Kevin Worthen, President of Brigham Young University, recently spoke about “Enduring Joy”. In his address President Worthen quoted from a talk that President Russell M. Nelson gave in 2016, he said:

“We can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year!

“My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.

“When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy.” (Joy and Spiritual Survival)

President Worthen suggested that one of the purposes of this life is to learn how to experience the type of joy that our Heavenly Father experiences. “This much seems clear from revelation,” he said. “Joy is not merely a temporary emotion, but rather a more permanent and constant condition” that comes from living according to God’s commandments. “Although one cannot experience “a fulness of joy” during mortality, President Worthen explained that “one of the purposes of this life is to develop our capacity for joy.” Cultivating joy now will result in a corresponding increase of joy in the next life.

We can experience joy, even on bad days. President Nelson said that we can “feel joy regardless of what is happening – or not happening – in our lives”. If our lives are Christ centered and we love God and others as we would have them love us, then we experience the enduring joy that helps us get through the tough times. President Worthen cautioned that if we are not feeling joy during a bad day, we should not think that we have failed:

“Don’t let Satan fool you into thinking that you are failing in your quest for joy because you have tough days,” President Worthen said. “All of us do.”

President Worthen shared six principles about enduring joy:

1. “We need to recognize, and constantly remember, that our ability to have joy in this life — and in the eternities — is not dependent on external circumstances.”
2. “We should recognize and remember that enduring joy, constant joy, does not mean uninterrupted bliss and a life free of challenges. Suffering and adversity are part of the eternal plan, a part of the process by which we come to develop enduring joy.”
3. “Recognize and remember that true joy, enduring joy, … ultimately comes only through keeping God’s commandments.”
4. “Repentance is a critical part of experiencing enduring joy.”
5. “Recognize and remember that joy is a principle of power [that] can increase our ability to stay on the covenant path.”
6. “We begin to have joy when we focus on Christ.” (Enduring Joy)

One example of someone that was experiencing this joy was Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Nephi’s brothers were trying to kill him and so Nephi took his family and those who would follow him and they fled into the wilderness many days. Nephi then said that they “lived after the manner of happiness” (2 Nephi 5). I would think that having my brothers try to kill me would qualify for a bad day and yet Nephi described their life as happy.

So, the next time you have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, you don’t need to go to Australia like Alexander wanted to do. Instead, turn to Christ and lose yourself in service to others. Enduring joy is possible “regardless of what is happening – or not happening –in our lives.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Why Do We Need the Scriptures?

Many have given their lives so that we can have the scriptures. William Tindell wanted everyone to have The Bible and read it and he was burned at the stake because he translated The Bible into English. How many lives were lost while attempting to preserve the writings of the prophets so we could read them? I am grateful for all the those who wrote their prophecies down and for those who preserved them for us today.

Nephi, the first prophet in the Book of Mormon said that his purpose in writing was: “the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved”. (1 Nephi 6:4)

Mormon and Moroni dedicated their lives to abridging the records that had been kept for a thousand years so that we could have the scriptures known as the Book of Mormon. Moroni warned us that one day we would have to face him if we rejected his writings. He said:

“then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things. . . And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.” (Ether 12:39, 41)

How much time do we spend in the scriptures? When we do read them, are we reading them like we do a novel, or do we study hungering to learn everything we can from them? Nephi suggested how we should study the scriptures when he said:

“ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:20)

One of my new goals for the year is to feast upon the words of Christ found in all our scriptures and the modern prophets. We live in the dispensation of the fullness of times and have living prophets to guide us through troubled times. I testify that as we take time daily to feast on the words of Christ, we will be protected from those who would have us stray from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a blessing it is to have all the scriptures that have been preserved by God for us. What are you and your family doing with the scriptures?

I invite you to take the time to watch the following video: “Scriptures Legacy”. As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

We Must All Be Born Again

A new year always brings the idea of new year’s resolutions. I have been making new year’s resolutions for many years, but they do not usually last very long. Some of my resolutions include eating better, exercising more, reading the scriptures more, and the list goes on.

New year images also include a new born baby. One of the many news stories for the new year is the first baby born on the first day of the year. We have hope when we see a new born baby; hope for the future of the child. A new born child is fresh and clean, and his parents are there to protect and teach the child everything she will need to know to succeed.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all start over like a new born child? Not that I want to repeat growing up or experience my rebellious teenage years; but how would it be if we could forget all our troubles and mistakes and start over? We can, through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Jesus told Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus was confused and asked if a man could enter his mother’s womb again? Jesus then explained that he was talking of a spiritual rebirth. President James E. Faust explained:

“Our first birth takes place when we are born into mortality. Our second birth begins when we are baptized by water by one holding the priesthood of God and is completed when we are confirmed, and then cometh a remission of [our] sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.” (Born Again).

President Faust tells of a man that had polio for 22 years and was bed ridden. The missionaries taught him the Gospel and he wanted to be baptized. The man asked the missionaries to fast with him so he would have the strength to be baptized. On the day of his baptism the missionaries carried him to the car and to a bench in the chapel. When it came time for him to be baptized he said:

“Elder Peters and his companion picked up Atiati and carried him to the font. As they did so, Atiati said, “Please, put me down.” They hesitated, and he said again, “Put me down.”

As they stood in some confusion, Atiati smiled and exclaimed: “This is the most important event in my life. I know without a doubt in my mind that this is the only way to eternal salvation. I will not be carried to my salvation!” So they lowered Atiati to the ground. After a huge effort, he managed to pull himself up. The man who had lain 20 years without moving was now standing. Slowly, one shaky step at a time, Atiati went down the steps and into the water, where the astonished missionary took him by the hand and baptized him. He then asked to be carried from the font to the chapel, where he was confirmed a member of the Church.

Atiati continued to progress so that he gained the ability to walk only by a cane. He told Elder Peters that he knew that he would be able to walk on the morning of his baptism. He said, “Since faith can move a stubborn mountain, I had no doubt in my mind that it would mend these limbs of mine.”9 I believe we can say that Atiati was truly born again!” (Born Again).

In the Book of Mormon, we read of King Benjamin’s address to his people before he died. His message was so powerful that the people cried with one voice:

“we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.

“And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.” (Mosiah 5:2-7)

The prophet Alma described how he repented of his sins and was born again:

“said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.

“And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

“And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.” (Mosiah 27:24-26)

The process of spiritual rebirth is not easy, and it does not happen in an instant. It is a process of making the choice to follow the Savior’s example, of keeping the commandments and doing God’s will. Our rebirth may begin because of a spiritual experience as it did with King Benjamin’s people and with Alma, but if we do not have a change of heart and have no “disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” the process will not be complete, and we will not be perfected.

When King Benjamin’s people said that they had no more disposition to do evil, did it mean that they never sinned again? No, that is not possible. We are all imperfect beings and make mistakes. They meant that they would try to keep the commandments and live as God wanted them to live. As it was with them, so we must not expect to live perfect lives. When we sin or make a mistake, we must rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ to wipe away our sins. We must pray daily for forgiveness and continue with our resolve to avoid evil and do good continually.

Years later, Alma asked the people that had been born again after hearing King Benjamin’s address: “if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26)

This is a question we must ask ourselves each day. As we kneel in prayer at the beginning of the day, we should ask The Father to help us to “have no disposition to do evil, but to do good continually”. Then as we close the day we should reflect on our resolve and ask ourselves if we can “feel so now” – if our rebirth process is still on track. If we have failed in any way, we need to repent and rely on the grace of Jesus Christ to help us do better the next day.

As we begin a new year, my hope and prayer is that we will all strive for a new birth in Jesus Christ. I testify that if we have faith in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins everyday that his grace will be sufficient to raise us up, cleansed from all our sins and we will qualify to live with him along with our family.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Wise Men Still Seek Him Today

’Twas the night after Christmas when all through the house

Everyone was posting, and clicking their mouse

The Instagram filters were chosen with care,

In hopes that each image would soon get a share.

The children were all on the couch iPads and tablets in their hands

While images of zombies and Fortnite eat up the WiFi bands.

And mamma with her Mini and I with my Android

Updated our status and sent messages into the void.

I could go on, but I’m sure you can guess the rest of the poem. In many ways Christmas has become a time of getting lost in our gadgets, instead of spending time with family, friends and service. What did you get for Christmas is the question the children ask their friends as we spend time updating our status on Facebook and sharing images on Pintrest and Instagram. How much time was spent talking about the person whose birth we celebrate during this Christmas season? Thomas S. Monson, once said:

“The gifts so acquired are fleeting. Dolls break, dresses wear out, and fun games become boring. Pocketknives are lost, trains do nothing but go in circles, and trucks are abandoned when the batteries that power them dim and die.

“If we change but one word in our Christmas question, the outcome is vastly different. “What did you give for Christmas?” prompts stimulating thought and causes tender feelings to well up and memory’s fires to glow ever brighter.

“Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things.” (“Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings”, Ensign, December 1995).

What Shall I Give Christmas Music Video 

As the Christmas season ends and we look to the New Year, many of us will make resolutions of the things we hope to be able to accomplish during the New Year. Along with the diets, exercise, projects that we want to do I challenge each of us to include service as one of our resolutions. What can we do to help our neighbors, someone that is suffering, lost his or her job or a loved one, or the young mother that is overwhelmed?

President Monson in that same article tells of a family that lived in Star Valley, Wyoming long ago where the father was away from home working trying to support his family. One evening one of the boys overheard his mother praying:

‘Heavenly Father, there is no food in our house. Please, Father, touch the heart of somebody so that my children will not be hungry in the morning.’

“When she finished her prayer, she looked around and saw her son had heard; and she said to me, somewhat embarrassed, ‘Now, you run along, son. Everything will be all right.’ (“Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings”).

 The story continues:

“(the boy) went to bed, assured by Mother’s faith. The next morning, (the boy) was awakened by the sounds of pots and pans in the kitchen and the aroma of cooking food. I went down to the kitchen, and he said, ‘Mother, I thought you said there was no food.’

“All she said to me was, ‘Well, my boy, didn’t you think the Lord would answer my prayer?’ I received no further explanation than that.”

Years later after the boy grew up, went to college and had a family he came home and Bishop Gardner told him the rest of the story. He said:

“I had finished my chores, and we had had supper. I was sitting by the fireplace reading the newspaper. Suddenly, I heard a voice that said, “Sister Ballantyne doesn’t have any food in her house.” I thought it was my wife speaking and said, “What did you say, Mother?” She came in wiping her hands on her apron and said, “Did you call me, Father?”

“‘“No, I didn’t say anything to you, but I heard a voice which spoke to me.”

“‘“What did it say?” she asked.

“‘“It said that Sister Ballantyne didn’t have any food in her house.”

“‘“Well, then,” said Mother, “you had better put on your shoes and your coat and take some food to Sister Ballantyne.” In the dark of that winter’s night, I harnessed the team and placed in the wagon bed a sack of flour, a quarter section of beef, some bottled fruit, and loaves of newly baked bread. The weather was cold, but a warm glow filled my soul as your mother welcomed me and I presented her with the food. God had heard a mother’s prayer.’”

The scriptures tell the story of the wise men that came to see the Christ child and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Matthew tells the story:

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet,

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

¶And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-11)

I hope that as the memories of this Christmas season fades that we will remember how the wise men followed the star that led them to the Christ Child and when they had found him, they presented him with their gifts. What gifts will we present to him? I do not discount the gifts that the wise men gave, but I don’t believe that Christ would have us give him material things, instead I think he would like us to give gifts of love to others, charitable service to those in need and gifts of comfort to those that need our help.

As we give of ourselves in this way we well receive the greatest gift of all from him when he says to us at the last day:

Well done, thou good and faithful servant . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord…Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (Matthew 25: 21, 45)

I invite you to watch this 3 minute video titled “Wise Men Still Seek Him”. Are we wise enough to continue to seek him?

Your comments and questions are welcome. I would appreciate it if you would share this with your social media friends.

Wise Men Still Seek Him - Modern-Day Story of the Wise Men

The Nativity Story – Which Part Would You Be?

Like many families, one our favorite Christmas traditions was telling the nativity story by each family member, once they were old enough, acting in one of the various parts of the story. I was usually the donkey (for more reasons than being the dad – I fit the part!) that Mary rode to Bethlehem.  Our only daughter, Michelle, was always Mary. Whoever was the newest born child being baby Jesus and Michael our oldest, was normally Joseph. As our family grew or when we had visitors join us for Christmas, we were able to add the shepherds, the inn keeper, the wise men, and various animals. This was always one of the most memorable times during the Christmas season and our children loved participating in the story.

In addition to these basic roles in the nativity story, there are many other participants including Zacharias and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna in the temple, the Angel Gabriel, King Herod, and many others. The nativity story also includes all that parts of the ministry of Jesus including, the disciples who followed Jesus, those who were curious, those who hated him, those who believed his testimony, those who were healed or forgiven, the Roman soldiers, those who betrayed him, and so many others.

I hope that if I had lived during that time that I would have been one of the supporting roles and not one of the detractors or one that rejected him. Because of my faith and belief in Jesus Christ now believe I would have been one of the wise men that knew of the prophecies and had come seeking to know where the King of the Jews was and then finding the child I would kneel at his feet and present him gifts. Maybe I would have been among the Shepherds tending the temple flock of sheep that to whom the Angel announced the birth of the baby and then they said: “let us go see”. I hope that I would have gone to see and then having seen testified to everyone that the prophecies were fulfilled, that the Messiah had come.

I could not see myself in the role of the detractors. I would hope that I would not have been the Innkeeper that said there was no room for Christ in his life, or those that rejected Christ because he was from Nazareth, Joseph’s son, or because he taught hard doctrine. I would not be among those that threw stones at Christ, screamed that he should be crucified, or nailed him to the cross.

I could see me being someone in the crowd that heard him and then chose to follow him, that cried to him as he passed by to stop and heal me, to eat with me, or to bless my child. There are so many ways that we allow the Savior into our lives or shut him out. Do we cry out that we should not believe him because he does not follow what we think is the “law of Moses” or are we looking for a better way to love God and our fellow men?

Having accepted the call to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ, my call is to be a witness of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Everyday I put a badge that has his name on it, close to my heart. It testifies to the world that I believe in him, that he is the Christ child that the angels announced to the shepherds and invited them to go and see. He is the Christ child that the wise men presented their gifts to. He is The Only Begotten Son of God, in the flesh. He is our Savior and Redeemer.  

My hope this Christmas season is that whatever role we choose, we choose so that our actions testify to the world that Jesus Christ was born, lived, served everyone, and was crucified so that everyone would have the opportunity to be resurrected and live again. What nativity part would you choose to play?

Your comments and questions are welcome, and I encourage you to share this with your friends and family. I invite you to click on the links below to see some of my favorite Christmas Carols and Hyms. 

Silent Night - Seven Year-old Clair Crosby accompanied by President Russell M. Nelson

The Piano Guys – “O Come, Emmanuel”

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square & David Archuleta – “Joy to the World”

Come and See

In the Gospel of St. Luke, we read the account of the angel’s announcement of the birth of Jesus Christ to the Shepherds. The angel of the Lord said: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). After the angel left the shepherds said: “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass” (Luke 2:15). The scriptures then said the they “came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2:16).

The shepherds not only came with haste to see the Christ child, but afterwards they then told everyone they met about it and then returned to the flocks “glorifying God for all the things that they had seen and heard” (Luke 2:20).

Later during Christ’s ministry, two disciples asked the Lord where he dwelt. His response was “come and see” (John 1:39).

During this Christmas season, in the midst of all the shopping, the parties, and the decorations are we following the example of the shepherds and going with haste to find Jesus Christ? The reason we celebrate Christmas is because of the baby that was born in Bethlehem long ago. Not only is this the most wonderful time of the year, but it is one of the busiest times and we can get caught up buying gifts and baking goodies that we forget what we are celebrating.

I would like us all to take a break from the hustle and bustle and pause next Sunday and go to church to celebrate Christmas. Show your gratitude for your Savior Jesus Christ by taking the time to worship with your neighbors and friends. I would particularly invite you to come and worship with us; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We will be having a special “Christmas” service with music and testimonies focusing on Jesus Christ. 

Like the disciples that were curious about Christ and his ministry, if you have ever wondered what our services are like; I invite you to come and see. Click on the link below for a personal invitation to come worship with us and find the nearest Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints service.