Faith
Lesson Review:"The Birth of Jesus Christ - Good Tidings of Great Joy"
Joseph Fielding Smith - Lesson 25Doctrine:
Jesus came here to fulfill a definite mission which was assigned to him before the foundation of this earth was laid. He is spoken of in the scriptures as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” [Revelation 13:8.] He volunteered to come, in the Meridian of Time, to redeem men from the fall which would come upon them through the transgression of Adam.
… Jesus is the only person born into this world who did not have an earthly father. The Father of his body is also the Father of his Spirit, and the Father of the spirits of all men. From his Father he obtained eternal life; from his mother he obtained the power to die, for his mother was a mortal woman. From her he got his blood, and from his Father he got his immortality. Thus having the power to lay down his life and take it again, he was able to pay the price of Adam’s transgression, and redeem all creatures from the grave.7
Invitation to Action:
When [Christmas morning] comes some will bow their heads in humble supplication to the Father of Lights for the blessings they have received through the sufferings of his beloved Son, and will read the wondrous story with grateful praise. Others, unfortunately, who know little, if anything at all, of the debt they owe to the Son of God, will celebrate, not in praise and humble prayer, but in blasphemous drunken revelry, without the least thought of the significance of the birth of the Man of Galilee. …
How can anyone read this touching story of the birth of Jesus Christ without wishing to forsake his sins? At this season of the year it is well for one and all—the king in his palace, if there are kings in palaces now, the peasant in his humble cottage, the rich and the poor alike—to bow the knee and pay honor to him who was without sin, whose life was spent in sacrifice and sorrow for the benefits of his fellow man; whose blood was shed as a sacrifice for sin. …
… What of this wonderful story? Have we permitted it to permeate and influence our lives? Have we accepted it in its full meaning without reservations? Do we believe that this babe was in very deed the only begotten Son of God in the flesh? Do we have abiding faith in his mission and are we willing to obediently follow him? If the world had so believed and had sincerely heeded his teachings, then it would not have been torn asunder by strife and wickedness all down through the ages. … There has been too much lip-service among the professed followers of the Son of God and too little real worship based upon the integrity of his teachings.
The angel declared to the shepherds on that glorious night, that he brought tidings of great joy which were for all people [see Luke 2:8–10], but quite generally the people everywhere on the face of the earth, have refused to receive the blessings of those tidings. They have not been willing to forsake their sins, to humble themselves and place their lives in harmony with the Master’s teachings. …
Once again I plead to all men everywhere: Turn from your evil ways to the true worship of the Son of God, that your souls may be saved in his kingdom.10
Read or Listen to the entire lesson here:
A couple of articles that go great with this lesson are:
A Broken Sheep and a Contrite Spirit:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/12/fill-the-world-with-christs-love?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/12/fill-the-world-with-christs-love?lang=eng
FAMILY
The Country Kids 4-H Club, other cast member, and the Johnson and Ritchie families invite you to attend a live Nativity performance at 1200 South 6000 West in Rexburg at any of the following times:
Sunday, December 21st - 6:15 and 7:00 p.m.
Monday, December 22nd - 6:15 and 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 24th - 5:30 and 6:15 p.m.
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early, dress warmly for the outdoor performance, and remember to stay for homemade donuts and hot chocolate after. Everyone is welcome.
Christmas Ideas
Here's some practical advice to help you find your ideal Christmas. Simplify the season and you may find that for every minute you spend here, you'll get 10 minutes back to enjoy this holiday more fully.
Top 15 Ideas for Christmas
- Give someone an eCard this Christmas.
- Replace some holiday decorations in your home with reminders of Christ.
- Play more Christmas music. Find Christmas music here, the Tabernacle Choir YouTube page and on the Mormon Channel.
- Donate gently used items to a thrift store.
- Go Christmas caroling.
- Avoid “mad rush” shopping times.
- Say thank you as often as possible.
- Schedule a night to help another person or family.
- Call someone you normally wouldn't to wish him or her a Merry Christmas.
- Delegate some holiday preparations to children or other family members.
- Simplify a traditional activity.
- Find quiet time to pray.
- Write down great memories as they happen.
- Set and stick to a holiday budget.
- Forgive a grudge.
Last Sunday, our lesson was on the birth of the Savior. We talked about ways we are sharing the message of the Gospel with our families and with others. There were some wonderful thoughts shared about Christ centered Christmas traditions. When we meet on Sunday, we hope you will continue to share your thoughts about the Savior, and the ways you are sharing your testimony of Him. As a follow-up, there is a great link on lds.org entitled "10 Ways to Add More Christ to Your Christmas."
Some Family Traditions Shared by Sisters in our Ward:
*Make a Mary's Treasure Box. Discuss the treasures related to Christmas that are stored in the box.
*Attend the Messiah production as a family.
*Act out the Nativity.
*Attend the live Nativity at the Ritchies.
*Have a birthday cake on Christmas to celebrate the Savior.
*Do the 12 days of Christmas to another family or families.
*Pick a gift to give to the Savior. -Example: doing temple work
*Make an advent calendar showing the life of the Savior.
*Celebrate with a Spanish heritage and have a piñata for the children to enjoy.
RELIEF
Have you done your visiting teaching? Please make sure every sister is visited this month. She needs to know of your love for her and feel of the spirit you will bring by sharing the message of Christ's birth and life with her.
***Please also remember those that are lonely this year. I recently visited a couple of the widows in our ward. They loved every minute I could spend with them. They would enjoy getting to know you and your family. A visit is the best gift you could ever give them and it doesn't cost you a thing!
Sweeping the Earth As If a Flood:
If you haven't shared the, "He is the Gift" video on your social media sites or by email - This is the week! You can also visit LDS.org to print pass along cards if you don't participate in social media. It is a beautiful and short video that really spreads the Christmas message and spirit.
Without doubt, the greatest gift of love we could give this holiday season—these holy days—is to share God’s gift with others. To help us do that, the Church launched a media initiative on November 28 titled “He Is the Gift.”
About this initiative, Elder Russell M. Nelson
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Christmas is a time of
reflection on what we can become because of God’s sacred gift. As we discover the gift, we learn of the immeasurable love of God and our absolute need for a Savior. As we embrace the gift, we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to become more like Him. As we share the gift, we follow in the Master’s footsteps, who invited all to hear His message.”1
The initiative includes a new Church website, christmas.mormon.org. Among the information on the website is a powerful video titled He Is the Gift. Also on the site is content helping visitors to:
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Understand why the Savior is God’s greatest gift to mankind.
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Embrace that gift by following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
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Read inspirational stories of modern-day followers of the Son of God.
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Share the video and website with others.
The hashtag #ShareTheGift can be used to send people to the website. The video and website are available in 20 languages.
To
help members share the message of God’s love this Christmas, the “He Is
the Gift” initiative includes images and messages on social media that
members can share (including a YouTube campaign on December 7 in the
United States, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil) and
displays in most Church visitors’ centers to which members can invite
interested friends. A major display will be on view at Times Square in
New York City, USA. Sharing our beliefs about Jesus Christ in these
simple ways will likely result in natural invitations to meet with the
missionaries.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles encourages every member to “visit christmas.mormon.org to find inspiring content to help discover, embrace, and share the gift
of God’s love for us, made manifest in His Only Begotten Son. By using
the hashtag #ShareTheGift, we can sweep the earth with timeless—and
timely—messages of the Savior Jesus Christ.”2
Relief Society Announcements:
Lesson Schedule for January:January 4th - President's Instruction
January 11th - Ezra Taft Benson #1 - "The Great Commandment" - Love the Lord
January 18th - Ezra Taft Benson #2 - "Pray Always"
January 25th - Teachings For Our Time - "Joseph Smith" by Elder Neil L. Anderson - November General Conference
2015 Relief Society Curriculum:
Teachings of President's of the Church - Ezra Taft Benson
*The Bishop has encouraged us to practice more reverence as we come to Sacrament Meeting and prepare for the Sacrament. At October General Conference, Elder James J. Hamula shared the following about the Savior and partaking of the Sacrament:
Brothers and sisters, the most important event in time and eternity is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He who accomplished the Atonement has given us the ordinance of the sacrament to help us not only remember but also claim the blessings of this supreme act of grace. Regular and earnest participation in this sacred ordinance helps us continue to embrace and live the doctrine of Christ after baptism and thereby pursue and complete the process of sanctification. Indeed, the ordinance of the sacrament helps us faithfully endure to the end and receive the fulness of the Father in the same way Jesus did, grace for grace.
Recipes on the blog:
If you have a recipe you would like to share send them to: drbennett1@hotmail.com or call or text them to 208-351-7083. We would love to have your favorite holiday recipes!Visit the ward recipe blog: www.burton4threcipes.blogspot.com
