Without Christ, There Would Be No Christmas

"Without Christ, there would be no Christmas. Without Christ, there can be no fulness of joy. Without His birth and Atonement, we would have no Intercessor, no Advocate with the Father, and no Mediator who makes it possible for us to return to the presence of our loving Heavenly Father and live together as eternal families."

Image from here.

"This Christmas, as the spirit of the season permeates our hearts, let us do something that expresses our feelings in an outward way, showing that we understand that the babe born in Bethlehem is the real Redeemer."1

"This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again."2

I am so grateful for the Savior, who came into this world the same way all of us do: as a tiny, newborn baby. And I am so grateful that because He was born that day, and because He died for us, we can live with God again. I know this to be true.

Have you seen this video yet?

Discover, Embrace, and Share the Gift at christmas.mormon.org.

1. The Reality of Christmas, Gary E. Stevenson
2. The Gifts of Christmas, Howard W. Hunter

The Reason for the Christmas Season

“No worry or anxiety over the choosing and giving of gifts; no enjoyment of holiday feasts; no decorations however modern or attractive; no social parties however jovial, should ever overshadow the fact that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ who came to give life, light, and peace to all mankind, and who marked the way by which these eternal blessings may be obtained. Let us ever remember that ". . . God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16.)

- “Man May Know for Himself: Teachings of President David O. McKay”

Watch the beautiful video and learn more about the reason for the Christmas Season here:

http://www.mormon.org/christmas

God is the Source of Light We Seek

     "Even if you cannot always see that silver lining on your clouds, God can, for He is the very source of the light you seek. He does love you, and He knows your fears. He hears your prayers. He is your Heavenly Father, and surely He matches with His own the tears His children shed...

     "No, it is not without a recognition of life’s tempests but fully and directly because of them that I testify of God’s love and the Savior’s power to calm the storm. Always remember in that biblical story that He was out there on the water also, that He faced the worst of it right along with the newest and youngest and most fearful. Only one who has fought against those ominous waves is justified in telling us—as well as the sea—to “be still.” Only one who has taken the full brunt of such adversity could ever be justified in telling us in such times to “be of good cheer.” Such counsel is not a jaunty pep talk about the power of positive thinking, though positive thinking is much needed in the world. No, Christ knows better than all others that the trials of life can be very deep and we are not shallow people if we struggle with them. But even as the Lord avoids sugary rhetoric, He rebukes faithlessness and He deplores pessimism. He expects us to believe!"

     "He knows that for the faithful, things will be made right soon enough. He is a King; He speaks for the crown; He knows what can be promised. He knows that “the Lord … will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble...

     "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."

- taken from An High Priest of Good Things to Come by Jeffrey R. Holland.

It's Today, It's Today!

     General Conference is on NOW! Listen here!

     And if you think I'm a little overzealous about sharing my beliefs (and maybe I am), read this article. It explains my reasoning perfectly for sharing with you. I hope you can find comfort in the words we will hear this weekend.

Truths I Know: We Are Children of God

     In this post yesterday I shared a little bit about what "Mormon" General Conference is and who will be speaking. Because it is coming up this weekend, I thought I would share some of my favorite teachings from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints through snippets from the most recent General Conference that took place in April 2014. 

     The first teaching I will talk about is that we are all children of God.

     In Genesis 1:26-27 it says, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over ... all the earth... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

     "Mormons" believe that we (everyone, not simply members of our faith) are literal sons and daughters of God, which is why we also refer to Him as our Heavenly Father. 

     "One eternal truth that I have come to know is that God lives. He is our Father. We are His children... Of all the other titles that He could have used, He chose to be called 'Father.'" 
             ~ From a sermon given by a modern-day apostle of Jesus Christ, President Boyd K. Packer, entitled The Witness. 

     I echo the truths shared through word and song in April. I know that we are each children of God, and that He loves us. He is mindful of us. If we are mindful of Him we will see that He is in the details of our everyday lives. 

     This video was also shared at the conference in April. I love it because it shows God's children from all over the world, in many different languages, testifying of their divine heritage through song.

Here are the lyrics to the song they are singing:

1. I am a child of God,

And he has sent me here,

Has given me an earthly home

With parents kind and dear.

2. I am a child of God,

And so my needs are great;

Help me to understand his words

Before it grows too late.

3. I am a child of God.

Rich blessings are in store;

If I but learn to do his will,

I'll live with him once more.

4. I am a child of God.

His promises are sure;

Celestial glory shall be mine

If I can but endure.

Chorus

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,

Help me find the way.

Teach me all that I must do

To live with him someday.

     We can communicate with Him through prayer. I know He listens. He waits anxiously to hear from us, and He always answers our prayers.

     We will be hearing His word through His prophets this weekend. Please join us!

     The upcoming session of this conference will be held on Saturday, October 4th at 10am - 12pm MDT and 2pm - 4pm MDT, as well as Sunday, October 5th, 2014 at 10am - 12pm MDT and 2pm - 4pm MDT.  (MDT = Mountain Daylight Time)

     Watch or listen to any or all sessions here. 

How Great Thou Art

     Lack of sleep is one of the hardest parts of motherhood for me. I have always needed a lot of sleep to be a decent human being, and though I am getting better at running (and being kind) on less sleep, it is still tough for me. All three of my kids are sick right now, so this week has involved lots of middle-of-the-night snuggles, most of which have taken place in the bathroom with a hot shower running so that the steam can unclog stuffy noses and help coughs - which means I have been running on low in the sleep department lately. 

     This morning around 5, Jonah woke up. By the time I took care of his stuffy nose and got him fed and back in bed, it was time for Sam to get up so he could be at work early. A large part of me wanted to crawl back under the covers and go back to sleep, but I decided to get up and jump in the shower instead. 

     I got dressed, and soon after that Sam was on his way out the door. I gave him a kiss and said goodbye to him from the porch. As he opened the car door, he told me to come look at the stars. We live a little ways out of town, so the stars are easily visible without the glare of city lights around us. As I looked up at the beautiful night sky, the first verse of the hymn "How Great Thou Art" came to my mind: 

Oh Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hand hath made,

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed;

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

image from here.

     
     God created such a beautiful world for us to enjoy, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had this morning to feel of His love through one of His stunning creations. This reminder of His love for me has helped me to be a more patient mother than I might otherwise be today, even though I am incredibly tired.

     

One of my favorite renditions of the hymn.

The Book of Mormon: Comfort Through Jesus Christ

     A few nights ago we finally finished reading The Book of Mormon for the first time as a family. It took us quite awhile since we can only read a little bit per night, you know, since toddlers aren't that great at sitting still for more than about 10 verses.

     At the end of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, if offers this promise:

     "And when ye shall receive these things, 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."

     I have taken this challenge - several times, actually. I have asked my Heavenly Father in prayer if what I have read in the Book of Mormon is true, and I have received an answer. I know, without a doubt, that it is true.

     As Jeffrey R. Holland said in his talk given in 2009, Safety for the Soul:

     "Love. Healing. Help. Hope. The power of Christ to counter all troubles in all times...That is the message with which the Book of Mormon begins, and that is the message with which it ends, calling all to 'come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him.'"

     I love this message from the Book of Mormon. No matter what our struggles are, we can find comfort through coming to Jesus Christ. He loves us. He is always listening, and His arms are always outstretched, waiting for us to come back to Him. No matter how far we feel we have strayed from His love, it is never too far.

photo from here.

     To request a free (no strings attached) copy of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, go here. Or you can read it online here.

     To learn more about "Mormons," or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, go here.

     To read about why I choose to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, go here.

Liberated

      I came across this post today at nieniedialogues.com, and it describes how I feel in so many ways. I wanted to share what she says and add a few words of my own.

       Stephanie says:

"As a mother of five children I will not stand around
and let the world decide what is moral,
what is right, and how I should raise my children.
And just because the world changes with
every single trend doesn't mean I will too.
As a Mormon, I want to make it clear that
I can still love everyone but I don't have to 
agree or condone others lifestyle choices that go against the teachings of our 
Heavenly Father and His commandments and words.
If God changed at every single whim and fad, He would cease to be God."

       There are many in the world today that make choices that go against God's commandments. God loves all of His children, despite the choices we have made that go against what He says, just like any parent still loves their child when he makes decisions that go against the parent's wishes. However, that does not mean the parent doesn't wish their child would make better decisions, or that they agree with the choice their child made. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we try to follow the examples of God - our Heavenly Father, and His Son - Jesus Christ, in loving everyone, no matter what choices they make. But this does not mean we condone others' decisions that go against God's teachings. As a steward over my children I will teach them to use God's standards to determine what is moral and right, not the world's standards. 

      God reveals his commandments in many places, including The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, and through His modern-day Apostles and Prophets. In the Doctrine and Covenants section 1 verse 38, it says,"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken ... whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." Through these modern-day leaders, we can learn God's will for us today. (Learn more about the book of scripture called The Doctrine and Covenants here. To read God's most recent words through His prophets given in October 2013, click here. To learn more about why we need these leaders today, click here.)

       Another phrase from Stephanie's blog post that stood out to me was:

"I have heard it said that people think that being good, having a family, and following moral rules means you are stupid, and uneducated."

       I agree with her that this is absolutely not true. Many people look at members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or "Mormons," as blind followers of a prophet who do not think for themselves. This is also not true. I follow God's prophets because I have prayed and received a personal witness that they speak God's will. I choose to follow God's will because it brings me true joy.

       Like Stephanie said,

"I can't tell you how liberating it is to follow rules, follow a living prophet of God, and to teach this to my family."

     
       "Liberating" is the perfect word to describe my feelings. I feel liberated because there is no question in my mind of what is right, and I know exactly where to turn when I have questions about God's will - to the scriptures or to the words of the living prophets. I feel liberated because in these references I have a sort of "instruction guide" to aid in teaching my children what they need to know. And I feel liberated because I know that I do not have to cater my standards to the world's in order to fit into today's society, because God has His own set of standards that do not change.

To learn more about the 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 

also called the "Mormon" Church, 

go here.

Mormon Temples

     I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Some people call us "Mormons" after The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a book of scripture unique to our religion. The Book of Mormon is a record of ancient times in the Americas. Learn more about The Book of Mormon here. You can request a free copy here, or read it online here.

     Chances are if you have heard of the "Mormons," you have heard of our temples. There are 141 operating temples throughout the world. This is a picture of the Rexburg, Idaho Temple that is a few miles from my house.

Picture found here.

     Many people wonder what goes on in these temples. Today I found a video online that explains our Sunday worship, what goes on in Mormon temples, and why temples are important to us.

     This video is an interview with Elder William R. Walker, a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that oversees temples worldwide. It takes you through a virtual tour of a few temples, and describes what goes on in each area.

      If you want to learn even more about temples, visit this website. 

      I am so grateful that I live close to a temple, and that I have received the blessings that are offered there. Because my husband and I were married by the sealing power discussed in the video, we can be together forever - as a couple and with our children. I know that the Spirit of the Lord dwells in these holy temples.

    If you want to know more about what Mormons believe, request a time to speak with your local missionaries - wherever you are - here.

     If you have any other questions, don't be afraid to ask me!
   
Love,