Post # 58 –Light the World Week Three – Light Your Family

Dear Family and Friends

Hello Everyone. I am back for week three of the “Light the world” campaign. How have you been serving over the past two weeks? If you have been keeping up with us, the first week we were to focus on serving in our communities and around the world. Were you able to check out the wonderful ideas on the light the world website? I love the ideas they have there, which has been good for me.

 Were you able to check out the’ Follow Our Savior Jesus Christ, in 25 ways over 25 days’. It says “Every day leading up to Christmas is a chance to look at the things Jesus Christ did and resolve to do the same. To help, we’ll be providing daily inspiration, suggestions, and encouragement on how we can follow the example of Jesus Christ and #LIGHTtheWORLD.

If you have not had a chance to check it out, please do. It’s not too late to begin, you can even do a couple each day from now until Christmas if you want to. Just get started guys. You will be pleasantly surprised. Each day of the month they have a video to watch along with great things to do, and there are a lot t do with your family – or of you are like e you can do them alone – again I say just get started! You can begin here:

https://www.mormon.org/2016/christmas/in-25-ways-over-25-days

Here is a little bit about the days that have already gone by this month – just in case you would like to do a couple of things each day instead of just one. There re lots of things that you can do. If you are out of ideas there are plenty on the LighttheWorld web page for you to check out. You can d them as a family or with friends or alone, it’s up to you, just decide that each of you are going to try to do something to follow the Savior – your Savior and mine too.

December 1: Jesus Lifted Others’ Burdens and So Can You. Matthew 11:29-30

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your soul.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

You do know that the Savior can and will help us get through all of our trials in life, all we need to do is ask Him. We can reach Him through prayer, thoughtful, sincere prayer. Pour out your heart to your Father in Heaven – He is there, and He will answer your prayers, I promise. He has always answered mine – not always in the way I thought He should or as fast as I thought He should, but He surely has.  

December 2: Jesus Honored His Parents and So Can You. Luke 2:36-51

46 And it came to pass; that after three days they found him in the t4emple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

48 And hen they saw him, they were amazed, and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?

50 And they understood hot the saying which he spake unto them.

51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

December 3: Jesus Helped Others to See and So Van You. John 9:6-7

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by Interpretation, Sent)  He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

December 4: Jesus Worshipped His Father and So Can You. John 17:1-2

1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that my Son also may glorify thee:

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

December 5: Jesus Healed the sick and so can you.  Matthew 8:2-3

2 And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying; Lord, if thou wilt; thou canst make me clean.

4 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying; I will be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy as cleansed.

December 6: Jesus Read the Scriptures and so can You.  Luke 4: 16

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the nook, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

December 7: Jesus Fed the Hungry and So Can You. Matthew 14:19

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took th five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

December 8: Jesus Prayed for Others and so Can You. Matthew 6:9-13

9 And after this manner therefore pray ye: Pout Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

December 9: Jesus Visited the Lonely and So Can You. Matthew 25: 35-36

25For I was an hungered and ye gave me meet: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drinl: I was a stranger and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

December 10: Jesus Helped People to Walk and So Can You.  John 5:5-9

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thity and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath

December 11: Jesus Ministered to Children and So Can You. Mark 10:13-14

13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for so is the kingdom of God.

December 12: Jesus Taught Others and So Can You. Matthew 5:1-3

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came up unto him.

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying.

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

December 13: Jesus Showed Humility and So Can You. Luke 22:41-42

41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed.

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

December 14: Jesus Clothed the Naked and You Can Help. Matthew 25:38-40

38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

December 15: Jesus Worshipped Through Song and So Can You. Matthew 26:26-30

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said: Take, eat: this is my body.

27 And the took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it:

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

December 16: Jesus Showed Compassion and So Can You. Matthew 14:14

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

That brings us right up to this week. Are you ready? Let us begin another week of focusing on and following our Savior, Jesus Christ. The following is right from the website, where you can find lost of easy things that you can do for this week. Are you ready to make the most of this Christmas season? Try giving as Jesus gave, one person at a time. Join us as we #LightTheWorld in our homes. Communities. And around the globe. And now in your own family, what can you do for each one of your family members?

Week 3: Light your family

Serving with your family can bring you closer together but serving your family members can bring the light of Christ into your own home. This week, focus on as you can serve the people you love the most,

Get Started

You can bring light to your family however you’d like, or you can begin with these suggestions:

Call your parents or other family members.

Write a handwritten note to a family member.

Learn about an ancestor and share his or her story. Visit familysearch.org.

As a Christmas gift, purchase a picture of Jesus Christ for your child’s room.

Attend a special Christmas church service near you.

Request a free Bible and read the original Christmas Story

Watch this year’s #LightTheWorld videos.

Giving Machines: Donate clothes, food ---even goats and chickens.

Be sure to leave a comment in the comment box and let me know how you and your families showed your light to lift and Light the World in your own way so far.  It can be really fun to do service projects with your children no matter what their ages.  It is not always easy, but it will be totally worth it in the long run. It is so very important that we teach our children to serve one another, beginning in our own homes. If our children get into the practice when they are very young, they are more likely to continue serving others as they grow up😊

I think I told you about the time when I had one of my students who had his father over in Afghanistan. We made all kids of things to send over to his dad and his platoon while he was over there. I took pictures of each of the children on a rainbow cushion, which then became the feathers of the turkey. The picture of his child became the wing of the turkey. I just cut the pictures in the corresponding shapes and glued them onto the turkey I had prepared on cardstock.  Those children helped me to fill boxes with goods to be mailed over to those servicemen in his platoon.

We made handprint turkeys of each of the students several times and put them into zip loc baggies with a few different types of candy and a little verse to thank them for their service. The turkey had to be cut into either four or six pieces to fit into the boxes. Then we send one part of the turkey in each box. A little bit off a game for them – to look forward to another package in the mail. I tried really hard to think of all of the other soldiers in his unit when we sent the packages, because I didn’t want anyone left out – just in case they weren’t getting mail from home for one reason or another. I would think that it is hard enough being out there in a war one with all of your loved ones far away and then not to receive any mail from anyone – that would make it a lot harder, I think.

Anyway, it was a great experience for all of my students as well as for myself. Being a part of some type of service can uplift your spirits in a way that nothing else can do. We continue sending things up into the new year. We sent a giant Christmas tree what the kids mae with their handprints of green paint, and the ornaments opened up Christmas tree like you find on advent calendars. Only these pictures were all over the tree in the shape of ornaments. Each one opened to show something that his child was doing during the year, so that the dad didn’t miss out too much on his child’s activities while he was gone.

Again, we had to cut the Christmas tree into parts and sent it one piece in each box with instructions on how to assemble it when their received all of the pieces. I hope it was fun for all of those soldiers in his unit. But as I was saying, my students were amazing all were 4 – 5 years old and they listened to my instructions and counted out the items that they were assigned to put into the box or bag in front of them.  They did a wonderful job and the contention in our classroom during those months was at an all time low. There is much to be said about serving others – it takes you away from your own problems; it helps you focus on what Jesus would do if He were here – and He would help others, any way that He could.

You know I received a very nice thank you from a few of those soldiers many months later. They took a picture of themselves with Santa hats on and they were standing behind the turkey that we had made and sent over to them. And they sent that picture back to us, so, our turkey went across the globe and back again😊 then when his dad came home, he presented the 4-year-old class with a flag. Not just any old American flag – oh, no, it was the flag that had hung in the compound in Afghanistan where he had been serving.

He had asked a local villager to make him a glass fronted triangular box to hold that flag. This very same flag graces the welcome center of out YMCA, even though that student moved away a few years ago, the flag is still there as a reminder of the service of a class of 12 amazing children in our Four- year-old class. And I feel that if those little children can do such selfless service for someone that they had never met – we can each do something as well to give our Savior a gift this Christmas season. Remember, remember, that is what Christmas is all about! Until my next post, keep up the good that you have been doing for your country, community, neighborhood, and this week for your families😊

Post # 57 --In Search of the Christmas Spirit

Dear Family and Friends

In today’s post I would like to share the Frist Presidency message from the December issue of the 1987 Ensign, titled: “In Search of the Christmas Spirit” by President Thomas S. Monson, who was the Second Counselor in the First Presidency at the time. He talks about Temple Square and how the thousands of lights lighting up the square, and the traditional nativity scene, with the carolers singing as we walk through the Square. The lighted statue of the Christus. He tells of a visit that he made to the Primary Children’s Hospital and then of a story about a boy named Michael, who wins a shopping spree in a toy store for five minutes. During his thoughts of their experiences with Christmas he shares the following quote:

“The true Christmas spirit is never found in a surfeit of things. It is less obvious in arrival and more lasting in impact.”

 I have always loved the stories that President Monson has told over the years, he seems to be able to put things into perspective in our lives and help each of us know that we are loved and that we can truly apply gospel principles into our daily lives if we sincerely try to do so. I think you will agree with me just a little bit after reading a few of his talks. Who knows, maybe even after reading his stories below😊

• December 1987
• In Search of the Christmas Spirit

First Presidency Message

In Search of the Christmas Spirit

By President Thomas S. Monson

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

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Temple Square in Salt Lake City is known throughout the world. It is particularly attractive at Christmastime, with its thousands of twinkling lights, traditional nativity scene, carolers singing those songs so dear to us all, and, of course, the lighted statue of the Christus, which seems to say to the world, “The spirit of Christmas is indeed the Christ spirit.”

As I make the long-awaited family trek to Temple Square each year to observe its Christmas adornment and to renew more vividly the meaning of this special season, my thoughts inevitably turn back to Christmases of long ago, and there courses through my memory a cherished experience.

As a very young elder, I was asked to join the president of my quorum in a visit to the old Primary Children’s Hospital, situated then on North Temple Street in Salt Lake City, to provide blessings for the sick children who desired to receive them. As we entered the large front door, we noted the Christmas tree with its bright and friendly lights. Carefully wrapped packages were spread beneath its outstretched limbs. Then my heart was penetrated and my spirit subdued as I read a specially prepared message that had been framed and placed on the wall:

I wonder, what does Christmas mean,

With its stars and shiny balls?

Is Christmas more than Christmas trees

And toys and games and dolls?

Of this I’m sure: There’s something more,

For I’ve heard many say

That in a strange and far-off land,

A child was born this day.

And Christmas is to celebrate

His coming from above.

He showed us how we all should live

And told us we should love.

We walked through the long corridors in silence. It was a hallowed scene. Tiny boys and girls—some with a cast upon an arm or upon a leg, others too ill to stand or sit—stared with looks of appreciation. We walked toward the bedside of a small boy, who greeted us with the question, “What are your names?” He then asked, “Will you give me a blessing?” The blessing was provided, and, as we turned to leave his bedside, he whispered a reverent “Thank you.” We walked a few more steps and then heard his feeble call, “Brother Monson.” We turned and heard him say, “Merry Christmas to you,” and a bright smile flashed across his countenance. That little one had the Christmas spirit. It was contagious. We walked from the hospital more appreciative of our priesthood callings, more grateful for our blessings. We had received the Christmas spirit.

How different was this boy when compared with seven-year-old Michael and his Christmas experience? The newspaper heading read “Christmas Spirit Comes to Michael,” then continued: “For five minutes on Saturday morning, Michael lived in a fantasy world that seven-year-olds dream about. He spent the five most exciting minutes of his life in a toy department hauling away every item he could put into, onto, around, and through a grocery cart. And it was all for free.

“That dream-come-true was his prize for winning a contest which sought the number of lights on Salt Lake City’s community Christmas tree. His guess was 9,624—one shy of the 9,625 lights on the 65-foot tree which stands on Main Street. Bespectacled, dressed in tennis shoes so he wouldn’t slip, and with his two front teeth missing, Michael took the controls of a giant grocery cart he barely could see over at exactly 11:00 A.M.

“Five minutes later … his toy list included a bicycle, two road raceway sets, a tommy gun, camping set, western rifle, a long toy snake, a dart set, an astro- track space toy, and countless small cars.

“Remaining amazingly calm throughout the five minutes, Michael attracted a large crowd of shoppers who moved aside as he pushed his cart through the aisles.”

As I read the account, the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson seemed to acquire a new depth of meaning: “Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself.” (Essays: The Poet.)

The true Christmas spirit is never found in a surfeit of things. It is less obvious in arrival and more lasting in impact.

An unknown author wrote:

I am the Christmas Spirit.

I enter the home of poverty, causing pale-faced children to open their eyes wide in pleased wonder.

I cause the miser’s clutched hand to relax and thus paint a bright spot on his soul.

I cause the aged to renew their youth and to laugh in the glad old way.

I keep romance alive in the heart of childhood and brighten sleep with dreams woven of magic.

I cause eager feet to climb dark stairways with filled baskets, leaving behind them hearts amazed at the goodness of the world.

I cause the prodigal to pause a moment on his wild, wasteful way, and send to anxious love some little token that releases glad tears—tears which wash away the hard lines of sorrow.

I enter dark prison cells, reminding scarred manhood of what might have been, and pointing forward to good days yet to come.

I come softly into the still, white home of pain; and lips that are too weak to speak just tremble in silent, eloquent gratitude.

In a thousand ways I cause the weary world to look up into the face of God, and for a little moment forget the things that are small and wretched.

I am the Christmas Spirit.

This is the spirit each true Christian seeks. This is the spirit I pray each may find. This is the Christ spirit. No quest is so universal, no undertaking so richly rewarding, no effort so ennobling, no purpose so divine. The Christmas season seems to prompt anew that yearning, that seeking to emulate the Savior of the world.

This search for Jesus is not new. In his touching and tender farewell to the Gentiles, Moroni emphasized the importance of this search: “And now I, Moroni, bid farewell. … I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written.” (Ether 12:38, 41.) For generations, enlightened mankind anxiously sought the fulfillment of prophecies uttered by righteous men inspired of God. For did not Isaiah declare: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa. 7:14.) And again, “For unto us a child is born … and his name shall be called … The Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6.)

On the American continent, God’s prophet declared, “The time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent … shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay. … He shall suffer temptations, and pain. … And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mosiah 3:5, 7–8.)

Then came that night of nights when the angel of the Lord came upon shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock, and pronounced, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11.)

Did these shepherds, personally invited to undertake a search for the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, concern themselves with the security of their possessions? Did they procrastinate their search for Christ? The record affirms that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem. … And they came with haste.” (Luke 2:15–16; italics added.)

Wise men journeyed from the East to Jerusalem, asking, “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. … When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when … they saw the young child with Mary his mother, [they] fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matt. 2:2, 10–11.)

With the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, there emerged a great endowment—a power stronger than weapons, a wealth more lasting than the coins of Caesar. This child was to become the King of kings and Lord of lords, the promised Messiah—Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. During His earthly ministry, He taught men the higher law. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life. To us He has said, “Come, follow me.”

As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others. This noble transition is exemplified by an entry dated 24 December 1847, in the pioneer diary of Mrs. Rebecca Riter. She describes that first Christmas in the valley of the Great Salt Lake: “The winter was cold. Christmas came and the children were hungry. I had brought a peck of wheat across the plains and hid it under a pile of wood. I thought I would cook a handful for the baby. Then I thought how we would need wheat for seed in the spring, so I left it alone.”

We are prone to say, “Oh, those were difficult times, times of stress and trial,” and they were. But I would also reply, “These times in which we live are also difficult times in their own way.” There is no shortage of opportunities to forget self and think of others. Such opportunities, however limitless they may be, are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved.

Go gladden the lonely, the dreary;

Go comfort the weeping, the weary;

Go scatter kind deeds on your way—

Oh, make the world brighter today.

(Deseret Sunday School Songs, no. 197.)

If we remember, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17), we will not find ourselves in the unenviable position of Jacob Marley’s ghost. When he spoke to Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ immortal A Christmas Carol, he spoke sadly of opportunities lost. Said he, “Not to know that any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness! Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunities misused! Yet such was I! Oh! such was I!”

Marley added: “Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!” (In The Best Short Stories of Charles Dickens, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1947, p. 435.)

We can learn a treasured lesson from the pen of Dickens and from the example of Christ. As we lift our eyes heavenward and then remember to look outward into the lives of others, as we remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive, we, during this Christmas season, will come to see a bright, particular star that will guide us to our precious opportunity.

Such was the experience of a Sunday School class some years ago when a wise teacher placed aside the manual one Sunday morning as Christmas approached. With her class members listening in, she telephoned me. I was serving then as the bishop of a large ward situated in the central part of Salt Lake City. The teacher inquired, “Are there any poor in your ward—people who need a sub for Santa?” She then described her own neighborhood as one of affluence and mentioned that she wanted her class to remember this particular Christmas. I responded that our members had the necessities of life but mentioned a family that would welcome a special experience—one that would also greatly benefit her young class members.

The family I had in mind had recently emigrated from war-torn Germany and had rented a humble, older home in our area. The children were new to America, and, while they were learning to speak our language, they were shy and reluctant to mingle with others. Their personal possessions were few; they had lost so much during the war.

In a private telephone conversation with the teacher, I suggested an appropriate evening when her class could accompany her to our ward meetinghouse and together we would journey to the home where the Mueller family lived. Again the teacher stated that she wanted her choice class to remember the true meaning of Christmas. I responded, “Could I suggest, then, that each child bring with him or her a gift that has a special meaning to the individual; a gift the person treasures and would rather keep for himself.”

Just four days before Christmas, the class journeyed to our ward. Several adults brought them in large, expensive automobiles. Such an array of wealth had never before graced the parking area. We then walked to the Mueller home, singing carols along the way. The laughter of the children and the hurried pace of their steps reflected the anticipation of Christmas.

It was at the Mueller home, however, that the frills of Christmas became the spirit of Christmas. I watched as one girl looked into the eyes of one of the Mueller children, a girl about her age, then tenderly handed her a beautiful doll she had received on her own birthday, a gift she herself loved. She anxiously told her newly found friend how to dress the doll and hold it ever so tenderly in cradled arms. I observed a normally rowdy boy take from his left hand his genuine leather baseball glove, which bore the replica signature of Joe DiMaggio, and place the glove on the left hand of a German-speaking boy who had never seen, far less worn, a baseball glove. He then explained how to catch the baseball in the special pocket of the glove, which he had hand prepared hour after hour with a particular oil. Such was the experience of each child with each gift.

As we left the Mueller home and walked back to the meetinghouse, not a word was spoken. One could hear the crunch of the newly fallen snow as young feet, guided by happy hearts, made the two-block journey. We entered the building, there to have donuts and apple cider. In the blessing that was asked upon the food, a beautiful girl, her voice choked with emotion, described the feelings of all as she prayed, “Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the best Christmas we have ever had.” That night, as children who had found the real spirit of Christmas filled the automobiles, left the parking lot, and disappeared into the darkness, I recalled the meaningful words from the hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem”:

How silently, how silently

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of his heaven.

No ear may hear his coming;

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him, still

The dear Christ enters in.

(Hymns, 1985, no. 208.)

And so He had. The quest for the Christmas spirit had been rewarded.

Here are some thoughts that were at the end of this Presidency message to share with the families that each home-teacher visited so long ago, I wanted to share them with you as well. There are some questions as well, if you want you can find them here: 

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1987/12/in-search-of-the-christmas-spirit?lang=eng&_r=1

1. The true spirit of Christmas is the spirit of Christ. We best commemorate Christmas by remembering whose birth and teachings we honor.
2. The gift our Heavenly Father wants us to offer him is the gift of obedience.
3. The giving of gifts at this season should have the spirit of Christ in it.
4. The spirit of Christ can be found and treasured by each of us at Christmas if we concern ourselves with the care of others.

I found out that this talk is also in a book.:

As always, I hope, and I pray that each of you have felt the Spirit as you have been reading my blog. And that you have enjoyed this message and I hope you are participating in the Light the World campaign with us this month. So, until my next post, get out there and give a gift to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Remember, He is the )reason for the season😊

Post 56 – Christmas is A Time For Angels

Dear Family and Friends

I have been thinking a lot about Angels lately because angels are my youngest daughter’s favorite thing to collect. She has collected angels since she was in a car accident in the winter time in the mountains. I usually try to find her a new angel to add to her collection each Christmas. that is why I have had angels on my mind so much, but also in reading the Christmas Story with my students and my grandsons the angels seem to jump out at me. I guess I will share the story about my daughter and her friend.

She and he best friend were coming home from college for a visit over their Christmas break -- back then it was okay to call it Christmas break – now a days I think it is called Winter break. They were on their way home over the mountain through a local canyon pass when they hit a patch of ice which sent them over the cliff. Their car went head over heels down into a ravine 150 feet down from the road.

I have never been able to imagine what they both went through that night I mean I have been in a few accidents in my lifetime and s few involving snow and ice, but never over a 150-foot cliff. I don’t know that I would have been able to climb up out of that ravine – even in my better health days😊 I know that we do some unheard of things when our adrenalin gets flowing within us, and I know that I have done some irregular things myself in my lifetime that I never would have imagined myself able to do prior to that particular moment in time, but those are to tell in other posts😊

I know that I have accomplished many things which I would not have ordinarily been able to do in my lifetime – especially when it involved my children or other family members. My daughter needed to get help for her friend who was in worse shape from the accident than she was. Her friend was badly injured so she couldn’t walk herself, to help herself up the mountainside. My dsughter was able to get her friend out of the car with a lot of effort on her part – and a lot of pain as well. The storm was getting worse, she was worried that the car might slide further down into the ravine. The she made the decision that she was not going to leave her best friend to die in the snowstorm.

 At first, they started together up the mountain ravine. If I remember it correctly my daughter got her out of the car and onto a blanket or something that they had in the car. She was able to drag/lift her a few feet at a time, sometimes only a few inches because of the foliage in the ravine. Each time they rested she would look up the ravine to watch for car lights to see if there were any cars traveling on the road that they had so abruptly left a while before.  So, my daughter and her friend together made the decision that she would climb up those 150 feet with her aching shoulder. My daughter did not want to leave her friend, there in the snowstorm, but when she wasn’t able to move her friend any further, she knew that she had to do something, or her friend  and she herself would surely die.

 My daughter went back to the car and found everything she could find that might help keep her friend warm. She covered her completely and promised her friend that she would be back with help as soon as she could. she said it seemed like hours that it took her to climb up out of that ravine, she couldn’t feel the pain in her shoulder any more because of the cold. I think that the cold was in their favor that night despite the frostbite of the limbs that could have happened to them both and worse things.

When she got back up to the highway, she literally dropped down in front of the first car that came down the mountain. She said she waited to long for a car to come she was afraid her friend would freeze to death before she could get her the help that she needed.  I believe those two girls had angels with them until help arrived. It just so happened that 2 vehicles were traveling together and hard strong young men in both vehicles. They too, were angels sent to help those two stranded, injured girls get home to their families, during that long-ago Christmas season.

They put my daughter in one of the cars and put blankets around her to keep her warm, while the young men  went down the mountain and carried her friend back up the mountain with her on one of their back while the other one made sure that she didn’t fall off while trying to get her up to the highway. They wrapped her friend in blankets while they waited on the ambulance to come to transport them both to the hospital.  The first emergency person to arrive at the scene on the side of the mountain was the sheriff – which happened to be the fiancé of her best friend, who happened to be on duty that night.

When my daughter called me to say that they were leaving svhool, I told them that we were getting snow on our side of the mountain. I told them to be very careful during their drive and if the roads were too bad they should turn back and give us a call. This was before cell phones – so we had been waiting for them to show up.  We knew they would be driving in any minute now. My husband had already gone to bed and I had a migraine headache and I had taken sleeping pills to help me rest so my headache would get better. It was just as I was slipping into a deep sleep when I got the phone call that every parent worries about getting after their children learn to drive and are out on their own.

I am here to say that my adrenalin started pumping and wore through the effects of those sleeping pills and I was at the local hospital as soon as safely possible. We arrived to find our daughter in x-ray and her friend in surgery.  I don’t remember the extent of all of her friends’ injuries, but I do know that she was hospitalized for a while. I do remember that she had frostbitten fingers and toes, which my daughter felt was all her fault for leaving her alone in the storm.

As it turned out my daughter had broken her shoulder in the accident, but she was fixed up and ready to be released. She would not leave the hospital until she knew that her friend was going to be okay, so we stayed at the hospital and waited for the doctor to tell her parents of the outcome of the surgery and her recovery time. My daughter felt so bad for lraving her friend in the snowstorm and ‘causing’ her to get frostbitten fingers and toes.it didn’t seem to matter what I said to her, until I told her that when she had left her friend there in the snow, she saved her life. I don’t think she believed me at the time.

I told her that when she left to get help for her friend I believed that the Lord had left one of his angels with her friend and sent another one along with my daughter to help her get back up that mountain to get the help that they both needed. I am not sure that she believed me about the angels at the time I told her about them, but she has been collecting angels ever since. I am certain that the Lord had His angels watching over those girls that night. I still believe that to this day all those years later.

We talked with the EMTs that were on the scene while we were waiting on some news about the girl’s condition. They told us that those girls were lucky. I asked them why. They said that the place where their car had gone off the road into that ravine could not be seen from the highway above. If my daughter had not been prompted to leave her friend and climb up out of that ravine they both would have died because no one would have known where they had disappeared to in that storm. Their car tracks had been covered in the storm rather quickly after they had gone over the edge.

The EMTs said that they are usually called in to retrieve the bodies in the spring time when a hiker will have wandered upon their car after the spring thaw. Usually the bodies are so decomposed that there isn’t much to identify them except from the car registration, and if there are more than one body it is even harder to find out who they are after being there for so long. I do not ever want to receive a phone call like that, the one about being in an accident is enough for me.

I do not even want to thing about this any more it is too depressing.  I mean decomposing bodies and all, it’s too gruesome to think about any further don’t you think? I just want to let you all know how grateful I am to my Heavenly Father for watching over those girls on that stormy night. For sending His angels to their rescue in that snowstorm that had blizzard conditions for several days afterward. For bring them safely back home to their waiting families. For giving all of us as parents the peace and comfort that we needed that night. So, to change the subject – or get back to the subject of Angels -- I found this talk about Angels that I wanted to share with each of you this Christmas season. It’s called ‘A Season For Angels’ By Elder Merrill J. Bateman who served as a General Authority from 1992 50 2007.

 At the beginning of each Christmas season, our thoughts turn to the birth of the Savior. For believers, Christ’s birth and death are the two greatest events in the history of the earth or, for that matter, eternity. It is almost an anomaly that in the untold years the universe has existed, its two greatest events occurred within a 33-year span in a vassal nation on a small planet the Lord calls His “footstool” (see Isaiah 66:1).

Christmas carols are a special feature of the season. They bring feelings of joy to our hearts as they describe the events and significance of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that many Christmas hymns speak of angels. This is because the biblical record contains numerous accounts of heavenly beings speaking to mortals before and at the time of His birth. An angel announced His pending birth to the young woman Mary and to Joseph, her espoused husband (see Luke 1:26–33; Matthew 1:20–21). An angel accompanied by a heavenly choir heralded the birth to the shepherds in the fields (see Luke 2:8–14), and angels kept watch over the family during the early years when Herod tried to destroy the young Jesus (see Matthew 2:13, 19–20). Not only is the story of the Savior’s birth replete with heavenly messengers, but heavenly beings were also present at significant events throughout His life.

One might ask, “Why were angels so prominent at the Savior’s birth? And why were they such an important part of His life and ministry?” The answers are twofold. The first pertains to the nature and mission of the personage whom they were heralding—a divine Being, the Son of God, the Only Begotten in the flesh who came to earth to save all of God’s children. The second concerns the ushering in of a new dispensation, a period of time when the gospel would be restored in its fulness. The ministry of angels is to assist in the ushering in of dispensations (see Moroni 7:29–31). Let us discuss each of these reasons to provide a clearer understanding of the wonderful moment represented by the “meridian of time.”

Heralding the Savior’s Mission

For thousands of years, ancient prophets had looked forward to the time when the Son of God would come to earth and atone for the sins of mankind. From Genesis to Malachi and from 1 Nephi to 3 Nephi, the Lord’s messengers prophesied that the God of ancient Israel, the Son of the Father, would come to earth and ransom His people. The Lord told Adam that Satan would bruise the heel of their offspring, but that the seed of the woman (Christ) would overcome Satan’s power as He bruised Satan’s head (see Genesis 3:15).

Moses wrote of “a Star out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17); the Psalmist spoke of the special relationship between the Father and the Son, of the Father’s withdrawal during the Crucifixion, and of Christ’s death (see Psalms 2:7; 22:1, 16; 34:20; 69:21); and Isaiah spoke of His miraculous birth, mission, and death (see Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 42:7; 53:5). The Book of Mormon contains even more detail concerning Christ’s birth, mission, death, and resurrection (see Topical Guide, “Jesus Christ, Prophecies about,” 252).

Prophets spoke often of Jesus’s birth together with His death because these two events are inextricably linked—the nature of His birth as God’s Only Begotten Son created an infinite life that could only be extinguished voluntarily. Jesus said: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:17–18).

The Savior’s Godly status was preserved through His birth. His infinite and eternal nature gave Him the capacity to atone for the sins of all mankind and the power to rise from the grave and make possible a resurrection for every person who had or would live on the earth (see Alma 34:10, 14; John 1:1–3, 14; 11:25; Romans 8:11). As the “lamb without blemish and without spot,” He maintained the inheritance of “divine power” to bless us with “life and godliness” during His earthly sojourn (1 Peter 1:19; 2 Peter 1:3).

The birth of Jesus Christ was extraordinary in that it involved the condescension of both the Father and the Son—two eternal beings. When the prophet Nephi was seeking to understand the meaning of the tree of life, an angel showed him in vision a beautiful virgin in the city of Nazareth and asked the question “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” Nephi indicated that he knew God “loveth his children” but did not “know the meaning of all things.” The angel then showed Nephi a woman “carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time.” Nephi then saw her “bearing a child in her arms.” The angel said to Nephi, “Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?” (See 1 Nephi 11:13–21.) Nephi exclaimed that he now understood God’s great love for His children, a love so great that He would give His Only Begotten Son for the salvation of men and women (see 1 Nephi 11:22; John 3:16). The Father condescended in sending His Son; the Savior condescended in taking upon Himself a mortal body and offering Himself as a sacrifice for sin. Is it any wonder that angels were assigned to declare the Savior’s birth?

The first such angelic declaration was to the priest Zacharias. As he entered the Holy of Holies in the temple, he saw an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar. The angel said, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee … glad tidings” (Luke 1:19). Gabriel explained to Zacharias that he and his wife, Elisabeth, would have a child and that he was to be named John. Gabriel also explained John’s mission as an Elias, or forerunner for Christ (see Luke 1:11–17).

A short time later, this same angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary and announced that she would be the mother of the Son of God. She exclaimed, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34). Gabriel then stated that “the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Although the name of the angel who appeared to Joseph is not given, it may well have been Gabriel who had the assignment. When Joseph learned that Mary, his espoused wife, was with child, he contemplated a private disengagement. But then an angel appeared in a dream, telling him not to fear to take Mary as his wife, “for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:20). The angel also told Joseph that the child was to be named Jesus (see Matthew 1:21).

The next angelic appearance occurred in the fields near Bethlehem when an angel of the Lord announced to lowly shepherds the Savior’s birth. The angel declared: “I bring you good tidings of great joy. … For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11). Other angelic hosts appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). The shepherds then hurried to Bethlehem, where they “found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2:16). Since it was springtime (see D&C 20:1), it is quite likely that the shepherds were recently engaged in the lambing process. Thus, the shepherds who delivered and cared for the lambs became witnesses of the birth of the Lamb of God to those in the surrounding area (see Luke 2:15–17).

Following the appearance of the Wise Men and Herod’s decision to kill all the male children under the age of two, Joseph was warned by “the angel of the Lord” to take Mary and Jesus into Egypt and “be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13). When Herod died, Joseph was once more instructed by the Lord’s messenger to “take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel” (Matthew 2:20).

Ushering In a New Dispensation

The last prophet of the Old Testament was Malachi, who lived 400 years before the birth of Christ. At that time Israel in large part had turned away from the covenants made with Jehovah. Consequently, they were in apostasy. Although the Aaronic Priesthood was on earth when Jesus was born, the Melchizedek Priesthood had been taken from the earth. Therefore, there was a need for the priesthood and the gospel to be restored in their fulness.

Moroni taught that angels play a special role in the early stages of a new dispensation. He indicated that “the office of their ministry is … to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels [prophets] of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him. And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts” (Moroni 7:31–32).

At the beginning of a new dispensation following a period of apostasy, there is no one with priesthood authority to administer the covenants in their fulness. Consequently, the Lord sends messengers from the other side of the veil to return priesthood keys and the gospel plan to the earth.

It is not surprising then that an angel visited Zacharias and instructed him with regard to the mission of his son. Angels appeared to Jesus in the wilderness following the temptations of Satan and administered to Him in preparation for His ministry (see Matthew 4:11). The Apostle Paul indicates that “Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.” Paul continues, indicating that Christ was “called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedec” (Hebrews 5:5, 10). In other words, the higher priesthood came to Jesus from the other side of the veil.

After Jesus promised Peter “the keys of the kingdom” (Matthew 16:19), He took the three chief Apostles, Peter, James, and John, up into a high mountain where He, together with Moses and Elijah, bestowed upon them these keys (see Matthew 17:1–2; 18:18; Bible Dictionary, “Transfiguration, Mount of,” 786). Why did Moses and Elijah appear? Moses returned the “keys of the gathering of Israel” while Elijah brought the sealing keys (see D&C 110:11, 14–15).

In three other key events, angels appear to prepare Jesus for the Atonement and the Resurrection. The first occurs in the Garden of Gethsemane when “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43). Although the Savior was to complete the Atonement on His own, instructions and support were given in the early stages.

The second event occurs at the tomb on the Sunday morning following the Resurrection. The women came early to the tomb with spices and ointments to care for the body, which had been hastily encased as the Sabbath approached. To their surprise, they found the stone had been rolled away from the sepulcher. Two men in “shining garments” stood before them and said: “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:4–7).

Why heavenly messengers at the tomb? Prior to the Savior’s resurrection, a few mortals had been raised from the dead, but no one had experienced the change from mortality to immortality, from corruption to incorruption. No one prior to the Savior had been raised in glory (see 1 Corinthians 15:42–43). Two witnesses from the other side of the veil provided the assurance that Jesus had been resurrected.

The final event occurs at Jesus’s ascension. Again, two men in white apparel assured the Galileans that “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

These marvelous events associated with the Savior’s ministry and ascension required heavenly witnesses who left their testimonies written indelibly in the hearts of Church leaders who remained behind to carry on the work.

What is the lesson for us today as we enter a new Christmas season? Who will minister to those in need? Who are the angels that will prepare the way for His return? I have noticed that during the early stages of a dispensation, angelic ministers come from the other side of the veil, but as time elapses and the number of faithful members increases, more is expected of those in mortality. For example, when a new country is opened to the gospel, missionaries learn that many have been prepared in miraculous ways to receive the gospel, and miracles occur with some frequency to advance the work. Once a core of members is established, however, the Lord’s assistance changes as He provides opportunities for the members to become the miracle workers.

Consequently, miracles during this Christmas season require our faith and works. As we sing the hymns of Christmas and speak of angels sent to earth to witness the Savior’s birth in the meridian of time, may we rise to the occasion and minister to those in need in our day. May we be reminded of our promises to “bear one another’s burdens, … to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places … and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that [we] may have eternal life” (Mosiah 18:8–9).

I bear witness that Christmas is a season for angels. As they ministered to the Savior and others in the “meridian of time,” may we, as angels of mercy, minister to other families and to those in need in the “fulness of times” so that the Lord’s work may move forward.

I loved learning about the angels in the Christmas Story.  I hope that my story wasn’t too long for you. Also, that you enjoyed learning about Angels as well as reviewing the Christmas Story with me through this talk. I will be posting more information about Christmas as often as I can throughout the month of December – so until my next post, you know what to do… make it a great week!