The Book of Mormon, another Testament of Jesus Christ, is the religious history of a people that inhabited the Americas from around 600 BC to 400 AD. It was translated by Joseph Smith from an ancient record by the gift and power of God. As its title indicates, its teachings about Jesus Christ combine with the teachings of the Old and New Testaments to help form the foundation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; the nickname “Mormons” comes from its title. In the Book of Mormon, Jesus himself talks about how He no longer requires animal sacrifices. Instead, He requires the sacrifice of a broken heart:

I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost…

Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin (The Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 9:18-21).

In his new book, Enabled by the Power of Christ, E. Richard Packham describes how a broken heart can bring us to our Savior, Jesus Christ:

One day a number of years ago, I was using an unabridged dictionary to look up the spelling of a particular word. As my finger ran down the column of words, all of a sudden a very familiar term jumped out: broken heart. I could not help but stop and see what Mr. Webster had to contribute to my understanding. One concept proposed that the term meant, “A theological term meaning to be crushed spiritually.” The thought ran through my mind, “What is there in the gospel that would cause us to be crushed spiritually?” Every gospel principle that is taught brings joy and happiness—eternal marriage, the resurrection, the Plan of Sa1vation, and so forth. All of a sudden, the thought filled my being that perhaps as people, we come to understand the profound suffering of the Savior’s Atonement by realizing that we personally contributed to that suffering. We then are “drawn to Christ.” In this realization, it breaks our hearts and brings a contrition of spirit, increasing the commitment to a changed life that can come in no other way. It penetrates us to the point of not wanting to make that great offering of love, an offering made in vain. It produces godly sorrow to the point of breaking our hard hearts, opening ourselves to the commit-ment, and changing our lives to be completely submissive to Him who gave so much…

I obtained permission from Lynn McKinley, a retired professor at BYU, to quote a sacred, personal experience that profoundly describes this process as it happened to him:

Such laboring in the spirit I have never known before. My wife and children were away for an hour or so, visiting her mother, and I was in the house alone. I felt the old familiar earthborn loneliness but was entirely unprepared for that which came. I knelt down beside the couch, began to pray to draw the Spirit to my breast for comfort and relief. But soon I felt an overwhelming power fill my being—not a power of light and exaltation which I wanted and expected, that I’d tasted measurably before at times, but a power that seemed almost to bruise my flesh and crush my spirit with the awful knowledge of my earthly guilt. The shameful vivid memories of sins that I had committed—tore my heart apart as they passed before my eyes and settled in my bosom. I could almost feel the anguish that the Master bore for me there in Gethsemane; the aching sorrow that I felt, to know with burning knowledge every sin I had committed or—God help me—I might yet commit, had of necessity to be absolved by bitter pain within his own pure, perfect, patient body. How the sobs tore through my throat. My spirit groaned with grief. With all the strength in me I bared my soul, confessed as deeply as my consciousness could stretch and still beyond, and plead forgiveness at the feet of him, my Savior and my King. I offered him my life, whatever it was worth to him. He bought it with his blood, the blood that oozed from every pore.

Could such a total commitment come without an awareness of the incomprehensible suffering of the Savior? Truly, a broken heart is the final capstone in the repentance process that provides the commitment, the purging, and the cleansing that allows a knowledge of forgiveness to come. (Enabled by the Power of Christ, by E. Richard Packham. 2008. Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, Inc.)

When we truly allow ourselves to experience the effects of the atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, it will break our hearts with a knowledge of our sins. But when our hearts are broken, they can also finally be purged and healed through His marvelous love and power as we turn our lives completely over to Him.

In Humility, Our Savior

In humility, our Savior,

Grant thy Spirit here, we pray,

As we bless the bread and water

In thy name this holy day.

Let me not forget, O Savior,

thou didst bleed and die for me

When thy heart was stilled and broken

On the cross at Calvary.

Fill our hearts with sweet forgiving;

Teach us tolerance and love.

Let our prayers find access to thee

In thy holy courts above.

Then, when we have proven worthy

Of thy sacrifice divine,

Lord, let us regain thy presence;

Let thy glory ’round us shine.

(“In Humility, Our Savior,” by Mabel Jones Gabbott and Roland Prichard, Hymns #172)

Additional Resources:

Jesus Christ is the Way

A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit

Jesus Christ

by Nora

Just before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ kept the passover with His disciples. He spoke to them with great love as He comforted them concerning His impending death. He blessed them with His peace:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).

After washing their feet, sharing this special meal with them, teaching them, expressing His love for them, and praying for them, the Lord Jesus Christ left for the Garden of Gethsemane, where the suffering of the Atonement began. Jesus’s disciples, who did not really understand that He was about to suffer and die for mankind, felt great anguish and despair as they watched Him die and be laid in the tomb. Where could they find peace?

As a young member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (inadvertently called “The Mormon Church” by the media), I learned about the atonement of Jesus Christ at a very young age. I prayed in His name, was baptized in His name, and partook of the bread and water of the sacrament weekly, just as He did with his disciples before his crucifixion (Luke 22:18-19). In my prayers, I promised God that I would follow Jesus and serve Him with my life; if I had broken one of His commandments, I asked forgiveness. I worshipped and asked for help every day. In my early 20′s, I went to the temple, where members of The Church of Jesus Christ (Mormons) covenant to follow Christ, keep His commandments, and sacrifice all they have to Him. Yet it was not until I reached the age of 31 that I truly came to understand what Jesus did for me when He suffered in Gethsemane, died on the cross, and was resurrected.

Needing the Savior

I spent Christmas of 1991 in the hospital, fighting for the lives of my unborn twin daughters. They were not due for 12 more weeks, but because of serious complications their lives were in danger. I had blown up like a balloon and was at constant risk of going into labor. My husband and I prayed constantly for our babies’ health and safety, but still felt continual fear. Our three little boys could not understand why Mommy was not home for Christmas.

Three days after Christmas, one of the twins died, and the other was delivered by Caesarian section. Her life, too, hung in the balance as she was rushed to a nearby children’s hospital, given three full units of blood, and placed on life support. In shock and pain, grieving the loss of her sister, we continued to pray for the miracle of health for our remaining daughter, whom we named Sarah.

In a few weeks the verdict was in: Sarah, although healthy in body, had suffered an almost complete loss of mental capacity. Her brain was damaged beyond repair, with only enough healthy tissue left to keep her heart beating and her lungs breathing as the rest slowly died and disappeared. We were devastated. How could God have treated us this way? We were His beloved children, and we worshipped Him and followed our Savior, Jesus Christ, who had miraculously healed the sick and brought the dead to life! Where was the Lord when we needed Him?

As we brought home our tiny, four-pound premie, I tried to settle into life as the mother of a profoundly handicapped child. Sarah required round-the-clock feeding and attention. She did not sleep normally; she fed listlessly; she could not keep her tiny meals down; she cried and arched her back painfully whenever she was not being held. With three other young children who needed me and a still grieving heart, I felt completely overwhelmed. Again I sought help from God through prayer. One day, as I was reading in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I came across the following lines in Mosiah 24:13-15. Jesus Christ said to a group of ancient Christians who were enslaved to their enemies:

“Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; …and I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs.”

The Miracle of Grace: Lifting our Burdens

Grace is the miracle the Lord God offers to us, through the atonement of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, that lifts us to Him beyond anything we can do or ever hope to do in this life. “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (The Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23). We must put forth our very best efforts all through our lives to keep the Lord’s commandments–but we will inevitably fall far short. Grace is the gift through which God strengthens us along the way and makes up the difference. One of the three essential gifts we receive by grace through the atonement of Jesus Christ is the gift of comfort and healing. Alma, an ancient prophet, calls it “succor:”

And [Jesus Christ] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people…and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities (Book of Mormon, Alma 7:11-12).

Relief and hope flooded my heart as I read the words of the Lord. I began to pray differently: not that my Savior would remove my burdens, but that, through the atonement, he would “ease my burdens” and provide succor for my soul. It was then that our miracle began–not a miracle of the flesh, but a miracle of the heart. I began to sense the presence of my tiny daughter’s pure, magnificent soul, and the presence of the angelic spirits who tended to her as she endured her physical trials. Earthly angels entered my life in the guise of loving friends, wise doctors, and understanding social workers who eased my burdens of worry and exhaustion. By the time a few months had passed, I was rejoicing in the opportunity to nurture my beautiful daughter.

 

The Miracle of Healing our Bodies

In order to heal, I needed a second gift of grace. As a Mormon, I believed Sarah’s damaged body housed an immortal spirit that was a literal spirit child of God the Father. Although her brain could not function, her spirit was still experiencing mortal life through her body. When she felt pain, I suffered, knowing she could not remember or anticipate it. Nor could she organize the continual bombardment she experienced through her senses. She could not, for example, tolerate both a breeze and a song at the same time. Nevertheless, her mortal experience was important to her eternal life. I had faith that after this life, she would remember and learn essential truths from what she experienced here. I sang to her, and her spirit responded to the sounds. She would relax in my arms, a rare blessingfor her, as I sang her  a favorite children’s song from a songbook published by The Church of Jesus Christ:

          I Will Follow God’s Plan

My life is a gift; my life has a plan.

My life has a purpose; in heaven it began.

My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth

And seek for God’s light to direct me from birth.

I will follow God’s plan for me,

Holding fast to his words and his love.

I will work, and I will pray.

I will always walk in his way.

Then I will be happy on earth

And in my home above.

“I Will Follow God’s Plan,” by Vanya Watkins

I had faith in my heart that, through the grace of the resurrection of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, Sarah would one day fully experience life in a healthy, perfect immortal body. By understanding her past as a spirit daughter of God, her present mortal experience, and the perfection to which she would one day be raised, I found comfort despite her occasional sufferings.

On a trip to visit family just seven months after her birth, Sarah contracted a sudden, severe case of pneumonia. In the whirlwind of rushing her to the emergency room trying to help her breathe, I was forced to decide if the doctors should use oxygen or a ventilator in order to save her life. Visions of her early suffering in the NICU arose in my mind. There was no time to calmly review each choice, and although we prayed, answers were not immediately evident. I tried to see my daughter’s life in terms of the learning and growth of her immortal spirit, and made a decision to withhold treatment. She died in our arms at home just a few hours later, breaking my heart once again.

The Miracle of Forgiveness

The last grace I needed through the atonement of Jesus Christ was perhaps the most serious of all. While I had made the best decision I could, I had made an irrevocable choice in allowing my daughter to move on in her eternal life by leaving this one. If that was a mistake, it was a big one. Like all parents, I agonized over my imperfections. Like all mortals, I was lost unless my Redeemer intervened in my behalf. Without the Savior’s atonement, Sarah was gone forever; and I was cut off from God unless Jesus Christ atoned for all my sins. I reached up and grasped His promises with both hands. Isaiah’s promise was a light in the darkness to me: 

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Amazing Grace: The Atonement of Jesus Christ

The world has never been the same for me since Sarah lived and died. Sarah brought me face to face with suffering, sin, and death, and my own great need for a Savior and Redeemer. Despite my best efforts, in the depths of my need, I was indeed lost. Through the sacrifice of the blood and body of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I was strengthened, healed, forgiven, and found. He has paid my debt, and I owe every breath of my life to Him. I live in hope of a glorious resurrection where Sarah will be reunited with our family, our physical bodies made perfect, to continue to grow in God’s presence for all eternity. Through Jesus’ grace we have been saved, after all we could do. It is indeed Amazing Grace to me.

Nora Moore Hess

          Nora Moore Hess is a writer and musician living in Lindon, Utah. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon). Nora and her husband, Bret, are the parents of seven biological and three adopted children.

Additional Resources: 

Jesus Christ, the Son of God

Jesus Christ, Our Savior

The Living Christ

Amazing Grace Video

Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and serves as a High Priest Group Leader in the Annapolis, Maryland Ward.

The tiny babe who in Bethlehem’s manger lay was no ordinary child. Some people called Him the son of David. Others called Him the son of Joseph. The scriptures call Him the son of David, the son of Mary, the son of man, the Son of God. He whose name is Immanuel, meaning God is with us, was born to be the King of kings and the Lord of lords. This child was the promised Messiah – even Jesus the Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God. For hundreds of years prophecies had foretold the birth of a Messiah, and on that starry night in the city of David, the One who would fulfill those prophecies was born in a humble stable with a manger as His cradle.

In the Book of Mormon, in 3 Nephi 1: 13 we read, “Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.”

Whether by His own voice or by the mouth of His holy prophets, God always fulfills His promises. In the Grand Council in Heaven, our Heavenly Father promised to send a Savior who would atone for our sins so that we could live with Him again. The Apostle John testifies of this and tells us in his words as recorded in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

How did Heavenly Father send His Son to the earth? He sent Him as a newborn baby and He allowed Him to learn and grow, just as we learn and grow. We learn in Luke 2:40 that “the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” Throughout His mortal life He did all things according to the will of His Father who had sent Him. And because of His great love for us, He would willingly give His life as a ransom for us by becoming sin’s final sacrifice. But, the Good News is that the story does not end there. Three days later He triumphantly arose from the grave and lives forever more seated at the right hand of God the Father. And because of His glorious resurrection, death has been forever conquered, and we too shall be resurrected and live again. What a wondrous blessing Jesus Christ is to mankind. Heavenly Father had promised to send a Savior, and He kept His promise.

Before His humble birth in Bethlehem, prophets of old taught about the Messiah who was soon to come, and did indeed come. Let us take a brief look at some of the things that they taught.

More than 700 years prior to the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah, as recorded in Isaiah 7:14-15 prophesied that the Messiah was to be born of a virgin. We read, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.”

The prophet Micah, as recorded in Micah 5:2 prophesied that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. We read, “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Among the ancient prophecies we also learn of the lineage of Jesus Christ. We learn that the Messiah was to be a descendant of Abraham. In Genesis 12:3 we read, “. . . .in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” The fulfillment of that prophecy is found in the genealogical family tree recorded in Matthew 1:1, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Following the line of Abraham, the Messiah was also to be a descendent of David. We read in Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” We find the fulfillment of that prophecy in Luke 1:31-33:

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

We also learn of the purpose of Jesus’ birth. We read as recorded in the words of Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 61:1-3 these words:

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

And in the New Testament in the Gospel of Luke, in the fourth chapter and verses 16-21, we read about the Savior Jesus Christ in Nazareth:

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 for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, 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,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Brothers and Sisters, for some, Christmas day is nothing more than another day to have another celebration. It is a time to celebrate; however, we should be rejoicing in the fact that two thousand years ago our loving Heavenly Father gave to the world the greatest Christmas gift ever known to mankind. It was a very special gift, wrapped in the Divine love of the Father Himself. That gift was His Only Begotten Son – He who was born King – the Messiah – the Savior of the world – the Redeemer and Lover of our souls – the Lord Jesus Christ. When asked, “What is the true meaning of Christmas?” those are the things that we should be willing to share with family, friends, and all those we come in contact with this season.

Sadly, there are those who doubt Him and say they don’t need Him. There are even those who will argue that He was just a man. Yes, He was a man, but not just an ordinary man. He was both God and man. He lived and walked among men, yet the life that He lived was not an ordinary life. His life had a major impact on the entire world. No other life can begin to compare to this One Solitary Life.

Down through the ages He has been ridiculed, despised, and rejected and yet wise men still seek Him today. Regardless of what men say about Him, it does not change the fact that He has always been and always will be the Eternal Son of the Living God. One day, as the Scriptures clearly teach us, at His name “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11). He is the One about whom the universe revolves; in whom the hopes and fears of all the years have found their joyous fulfillment. O’ Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord!

I leave these thoughts with you humbly, in the name of Him whose name is indeed Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace – He who is the Light and the Life of the world, even the Lord Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Additional Resources:

The birth of Jesus Christ is one of the most significant events in Christianity. Learn more at the official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon, which also testifies of the birth of Christ.

Attend a local meetinghouse.

We are not left alone on this earth. Jesus Christ was sent to this earth to give us the strength to overcome challenges, problems, and sin. To overcome sin. He asks us to look to Him with faith that He knows what is best for us. There is a pathway that the Lord Jesus Christ has provided for us so that we might be able to find peace in this life and eternal life in the next life. He has given us the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord prospers all those who follow the gospel of Jesus Christ. In The Book of Mormon, a record of the teachings of Jesus Christ that God gave to the ancient inhabitants of the American continent, it says:

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

In the Holy Bible Jesus Christ said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34).” I have found that some of my greatest joys in life come from serving other people. As I try to show the love for others as the Savior did for me, He blesses me with peace, and He helps me love others even more. I know that true happiness only comes to those who seek to love and serve God and all His children. Listen to these words of a modern day apostle of Jesus Christ.

Additional Resources:

Get a free copy of the Holy Bible.

Read a modern apostles words on becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ at the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, the “Mormon Church”).

Learn about how a belief in Jesus Christ can help you.

S. Michael Wilcox is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (“Mormon Church”). He is the author of To See His Face and Choosing the Fulness: Wickedness or Righteousness.

Spirit of Christmas as a Child

When I was a little boy, people told me that the true spirit of Christmas was the spirit of giving; but I didn’t believe them. I knew that the true spirit of Christmas was getting. I could hardly wait until Christmas morning when my mother would stand at the door to the living room that separated me from a wonder of toys. She would peek through and tell me Santa had been here and express her surprise that he had given me so much. Then I was obliged to eat breakfast, make my bed, brush my teeth, and get dressed. The anxiety and anticipation this caused is impossible to describe. By the time I attacked the neatly wrapped packages and saw the delights they contained, I was filled with a joy and relief I have not found comparable to any joy on earth.

I remember the year I grew up. That was the year Christmas lost its magic and I began to say, like the adults around me, “The true spirit of Christmas is giving.” I found there was satisfaction in giving. But the magic never returned, and each year as the tree was decorated and the lights were hung on the front porch I wondered if Christmas wasn’t a whole lot better when I thought more about what I received and less about what I gave.

The years went on and I became a man, giving to my children and secretly envying their sheer delight at receiving the marvelous gifts of Christmas.

Spirit of Christmas in the Book of Mormon

A few years ago I read very carefully the story of the first Christmas in the Americas. To my wonder and delight I discovered I had been right as a child— the true spirit of Christmas was the spirit of receiving. Since then, the wonder of Christmas has returned.

Let me take you in your imagination back to Zarahemla in the year 5 b.c. and let us live together the most marvelous Christmas story ever written.

The year 5 b.c. is an interesting and challenging time to be a Christian. Our generation is an unstable one. We have seen the people shift from wickedness to righteousness and back to wickedness again. We have seen the slow erosion of our laws until Nephi II, our great prophet and chief judge, gives up the seat of government, weary with his inability to cause positive reform. He decides the only way to reform and save his people is in “bearing down in pure testimony,” as his ancestor Alma had done.

We have seen the rise of the Gadianton robbers. They have filled the judgment seats. They have assassinated their opponents, and they wield great power. About ten years ago we saw Nephi bring the people to their knees in repentance through a prolonged famine that ended for a time the self-destructive wars of our people. But the people quickly forgot the lesson and have been slipping ever so quickly back into their materialistic and proud ways.

Most marvelous of all, we have witnessed the end of an era of interracial wars between the Nephites and Lamanites. As youth, roughly twenty-five years ago, we witnessed the conversion of the entire Lamanite nation through the preaching of Nephi and his brother Lehi.

We are adults now with families. Nephi is older, though still actively leading the Church and preaching the gospel. But there are dark clouds on the horizon. The strength of the Gadianton robbers is growing again, and the intensity of faith seems to be waning in the Church. As prosperity flourishes, the lessons of the past are forgotten. It is an interesting and challenging time to live.

Recently there has been a Lamanite prophet named Samuel preaching in the streets and markets of Zarahemla. Though we don’t know it, he is about to test our faith and the faith of all the Christians in the land.

The Nephites, unwilling to listen to the exhortations of Samuel, have cast him out; but as we enter the city, we notice a large crowd in a state of great excitement gathered near the walls. There on the wall stands Samuel. He has returned. His message has not changed from his earlier warnings.

An acquaintance of ours approaches us as we listen. He is one who has relinquished his faith and is caught up in the materialistic greed of a Gadianton society.

“What do you think of this Lamanite?” he asks us.

“He is a prophet,” we answer.

“So he proclaims. Then you believe in his predictions?”

“We accept all the words of a prophet.”

Spirit of Christmas: Prophecy of Jesus Christ’s Birth

As we listen, Samuel begins to speak of Christ, predicting his birth after five years pass. This is not a new or strange prophecy, for Lehi predicted the Savior would be born six hundred years after he left Jerusalem. Those with faith and a calendar know He will come in five years, but our acquaintance asks us, “Do you believe this, that Christ will come after five years?”

“Yes,” we reply. “It has been prophesied from the very beginning by many prophets.” Our acquaintance comments with a mocking tone about the “convenience” of having Christ born across the sea, in another land, making true verification impossible. And had Samuel not continued under the inspiration of the Lord, our faith would not be tried; but Samuel continued.

“And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.

“Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.

“And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.”

Let us pause a moment in our narrative. I have often wondered how I would have accepted that pronouncement. I am sure I would have looked at the sun with a certain uneasiness. I am sure I would have watched it set that night and felt with a growing fear the darkness settle over the land. I cannot think of a single prophetic utterance in all of scripture so completely remarkable as this one. What boldness and courage it took to utter it! What faith and courage it took to receive it!

As we try to comprehend the impact of this prophecy, our acquaintance, with a certain delight, turns and asks, “You certainly don’t believe that, do you?”

We hesitate. If only Nephi II had uttered it, not a Lamanite prophet newly arrived in Zarahemla. Our acquaintance notices our hesitation.

“Because of course,” he continues, “it is absolutely and utterly impossible for the sun to go down and it remain as light as day. You know that, don’t you?”

I would like to believe that I would have had the faith and the whispered assurances of the Spirit so that I could have answered the critics and the mockers. I would have wanted to say, “Yes, I believe Samuel has spoken under the direction of the Holy Ghost and that this sign will come.”

Perhaps our skeptical friend would have answered, “Then you’re a bigger fool than I imagined. But for your sake I hope it comes.”

There is the hint of a veiled threat in his words that we do not yet comprehend. We listen with uneasiness to the rest of Samuel’s message, but the words “one day and a night and a day” haunt our thoughts. The crowd becomes more and more agitated. Suddenly they are shooting arrows and slinging stones at the figure on the wall; but they cannot hit him, and the words of Samuel continue. When they approach to bind him, his message delivered, Samuel leaps from the wall to return to his own people. “He was never heard of more among the Nephites.”

What reflection is contained in that single last line in Helaman! In the coming months and years, how often would we have wanted to hear Samuel assure us that his words were inspired, that he knew the sign would come, that he was sure of God’s promise and the coming of the Christ child? But he would not be seen among the Nephites again.

How often would our scorning friends pick at our faith, during those months and years, seeking to enlarge the tiny doubts we try to keep from entering our minds.

“Where is your Lamanite prophet?” they would ask us. “Why do you suppose he’s never returned? He didn’t stay to see the sun set, night after night, did he? But I imagine even a Lamanite prophet knows when he has uttered foolishness. Give up this ridiculous belief. It will always be dark when the sun sets. How can it be otherwise?”

The Lord knows how to test his people. There is, however, one thing that we would have had on our side—Nephi. He is still the prophet, and he assures the faithful “of things which must shortly come.” The Nephi to whom God gave all power is with us. The Nephi who humbled these same people with famine leads us. The Nephi who stood face to face with the corrupt lawyers and Gadianton robbers, predicting their assassinations, revealing their evil plans, and bearing witness of their sins, stands at our head. With Nephi our fears are calmed; but every night we watch the sun set, and every night the darkness returns.

When would the fears and doubts, the straining for faith, have become almost unbearable? The first year? The second? The third? What would have been our thoughts as the opposition grew and their mocking became increasingly threatening? How strong would our faith have been when the fifth year began and the sun set and the night came? How would our fears have increased when the power of the unbelievers became great, and they proclaimed a day on which all the believers who did not renounce their faith would be put to death if the sign didn’t come? I wonder how I would have felt as I watched the twilight deepen night after night and thought of my children sleeping and the fate that awaited them if the night grew dark one time too many.

More and more we would have turned to Nephi to hear his calm assurance of faith—”The sign will come, the sign will come.” But there would have been other voices; and though we would have tried to shut them out, at night in the stillness they would have come and repeated the question asked so often, “How can there be light when there is no sun?”

Sometime during that last year a new factor enters the test. Nephi II, the strength of our people, is taken by the Lord. He gives his son Nephi III charge concerning the plates and “departs out of the land, and whither he went no man knoweth.”

How would this knowledge have greeted us? What doubts would it have sparked anew? If Nephi II had died, we could have mourned his loss; but there would have been no awakened opportunity for doubt. But when he just disappears, it is hard to deny new suspicions.

“Where is your great prophet Nephi?” the unbelievers might have challenged. “Has he abandoned you to your deaths as Samuel did? Why do you think he left the way he did, sneaking into the wilderness to save his own life? Even he knows the sign is an impossibility. Are you still so stubborn in your old traditions that you can’t face reality? There will be no Christ!”

On and on the mocking and challenging continue, and as we eagerly wait for the sunset each evening the smiles of silent reproach widen on the faces of those who anticipate the appointed day of destruction.

How would we have felt those last weeks as we “watched steadfastly for that night and that day”? Would not our prayers have been fervent and deep and full of meaning? How does it feel to have hope dashed with every setting sun?

How would we have felt the last days while our enemies prepared themselves for the coming slaughter? On the last day Nephi, with deep concern, kneels and cries “mightily” for his people. The Lord speaks peace to him saying, “On this night shall the sign be given.” But Nephi cannot spread those words of comfort in a single day. The people’s faith will be tested to the last rays of the setting sun.

The scriptures are not clear on the method of destruction planned for the believers. Perhaps they were rounded up into the center of their cities or outside the walls where at sunset they would be put to the sword. Perhaps mob rule prevailed and every man sought out his neighbors. As believers, with our families we watch from our homes the setting sun. If given a final chance that afternoon to save our lives by renouncing our belief in the Savior, would we have done so? Would we have thought that if the sign didn’t come, life would have no meaning, for a life without Christ is no life at all?

Spirit of Christmas: Birth of Jesus Christ

Holding the hands of our families we step into the open light of late afternoon and watch what may be our last sunset. There is that moment when the sun hangs trembling at the brink of the horizon. It slips out of sight. There is a moment of hesitation, watching, hoping, and questioning. “Is it getting dark? Are our lives forfeit?” Then there is that moment when the realization enters our hearts that the darkness is not gathering. It is getting, on the contrary, lighter and lighter.

If we can picture that moment, if we can transport ourselves past barriers of time, place, and culture, we will hear a sound. It is the sound of Christmas. It is the sound of weeping, the sound of gratitude, the sound of joy and triumph and faith renewed and vindicated. It is the sound of mankind receiving with a love beyond words the incomparable gift of the Son of God into the world. It is the true spirit of Christmas—which isn’t the spirit of giving at all, but the spirit of receiving, receiving the love of our Father and His Son, and in its reception with thankfulness giving God the only gift He seeks, that of a broken heart and contrite spirit. What a moment and what a sound that is! May its sound ring through all our Christmases. May we hear it again and again.

What a night that would have been! With what “wondering awe” would we have searched the sky as the hours passed and the light grew as bright as noonday. We would have gathered our children around us and reverently taught them the meaning of a night with no darkness. We would have gathered in small groups of joy and happiness, almost not daring to believe what our eyes testified was true. Perhaps we would have sung the hymns of our belief. It would have been a night never to be forgotten.

With what emotion would we have greeted the rising sun after long hours of rejoicing? And when the star appeared, our wonder would have been born anew. I do not believe that an unlearned farm boy from New York could create such a story. I do not believe any kind of fiction could describe in such simple and undramatic language a moment, a time, a test, a faith, as sublime as the Nephite Christmas story. There was such a night of wonder and gratitude.

As a child I felt the wonder of Christmas in a worldly way. As a man the wonder has turned to a deep appreciation and reverence. It is my hope that we may feel this wonder all of our lives, especially on those nights when we watch the sunsets that settle the world into darkness.

Additional Resources:

The true gift and spirit of Christmas revolves around the birth of Jesus Christ. Learn more at the official site for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church”).

Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon and read more about the birth of Jesus Christ as it pertained to the people on the American continent.

Attend a local meetinghouse.

Gerald N. Lund is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (“Mormon Church”). He is the author of The Coming of the Lord, as well as several adventure novels, among them The Alliance, The Freedom Factor.

The Christmas Story Began in Nazareth

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth.” (Luke 1:26.)

The rabbis of ancient Israel had a saying: “Judea is wheat, Galilee straw, beyond Jordan, only chaff.” The urbane and worldly wise Jerusalemite, privileged to dwell in the Holy City, looked down on all others with faint condescension; but they especially viewed the Galileans as crude, unlearned, and earthy peasants. For the most part the people of Galilee were men of the soil and of the sea. This kept them in touch with basic values; and in spite of the feelings of the Judeans, they were known for being hard-working and warm-hearted, and for showing unrestrained hospitality and uncompromising honesty.

As for Nazareth itself, like many other villages of Judea and Galilee, it sat amid steep, tree-covered hillsides so as not to utilize precious agricultural land. For a village now so famous to us, it seems to have been of singular insignificance then. It is not even mentioned in the Old Testament or in the extensive writings of the ancient historian Josephus. Nathanael expressed what must have been a common feeling even among the Galileans when he said, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46.) Evidently, the suggestion that the Messiah had come from such a civic backwater was unthinkable.

But that is not to say that this home village of Mary and Joseph, and later the Master Himself, was a drab and dull setting. One writer describes it as follows: “You cannot see from Nazareth the surrounding country, for Nazareth lies in a basin; but the moment you climb to the edge of the basin . . . what a view you have. Esdraelon lies before you, with its twenty battlefields. . . . There is Naboth’s vineyard and the place of Jehu’s revenge upon Jezebel; there Shunem and the house of Elisha; the Carmel and the place of Elijah’s sacrifice. To the east the valley of Jordan, . . . to the west the radiance of the Great Sea. . . . You can see thirty miles in three directions.”

This was the setting in which our story begins.

“To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.” (Luke 1:27.)

As we are dropped into the midst of their lives, Joseph and Mary are “espoused.” (Matthew 1:18.) Espousal among the Hebrews was significantly more binding than are our engagements today. It was entered into by written agreement and was considered the formal beginning of the marriage itself. While the couple might not actually live together for as much as a year after the betrothal—a time designed to allow the bride to prepare her dowry—the espousal was as legally binding as the formal marriage.

No hint of the age of either Mary or Joseph is given in the scriptural text, but from existing sources we can make some educated guesses. We know that puberty began somewhat earlier in the Middle East than is common in Western countries today. Therefore, marriage at earlier ages than to which we are accustomed was the general rule. Speaking of men, one rabbi described the stages of development as follows: At five he began study of Torah; at ten, study of the Mishnah (the oral laws); at fifteen, the study of Talmud (the extensive commentaries on the scriptures); at eighteen, marriage; at twenty, he pursued a trade or business and so on. For a girl, probably the most common age of marriage was fifteen or sixteen. Sometimes it was later, sometimes earlier, but it is likely that Mary was around sixteen and Joseph, her espoused husband, only two or three years older than that.

Nazareth was a small village. Joseph and Mary must have known each other well. How fascinating it would be to know the circumstances that brought them to the point of betrothal. Much is made of the fact that in those days marriages were arranged by the families through the auspices of a matchmaker. No doubt that was true, but that does not mean that the individuals involved had no voice in the matter. We know from contemporary sources that, once the arrangements were made, the consent of the couple was required. The man had a direct say in the choice of his bride, and the woman could refuse the marital arrangements if not to her satisfaction. So what was it that drew these two together?

We know Mary must have been of unusual loveliness. Nephi saw her in vision six hundred years before her birth and described her as “exceedingly fair” and “most beautiful and fair.” (1 Nephi 11:13, 15.) But was it only the outward beauty Joseph saw, or did he sense the same qualities that caused Gabriel to declare that this woman was “highly favoured” of the Lord? (Luke 1:28.) No wonder Joseph loved her! Imagine finding a woman of such remarkable grace and beauty in a small village in the mountains of the Galilee.

And what of Joseph? What was it about this man that caused Mary to give her consent to the marriage arrangements? Only a few scriptural verses tell us about Joseph. He was a carpenter, that we know. (See Matthew 13:55.) And because fathers commonly taught their sons their own trade, it is likely that Joseph was raised in a carpenter’s shop at the knee of his father. His hands would have been rough and callused. He was a man of labor, a man who created things through his own craftsmanship.

Matthew also describes him as a “just man.” (Matthew 1:19.) It is a simple phrase, yet it speaks volumes, for those same words are used to describe men such as Noah, Job, Nephi, and Jacob. Was it purely by accident that such a man was in Nazareth waiting to be Mary’s partner in this most significant of dramas? Surely God the Father had seen in Joseph a man worthy to raise His Son and help prepare Him for His mortal ministry. While it would not be Joseph’s privilege to actually father the “Firstborn,” it would be his labor that would provide for His needs, his voice that would encourage His first steps, his hands that would guide the boy’s fingers across the sacred scrolls of the Torah in those first Hebrew lessons. It was also Joseph who would put a mallet and chisel and plane in those smaller hands so that one day this boy from Nazareth would also be known as “the carpenter.” (Mark 6:3.) No wonder Mary loved him!

Mary the Mother of Jesus

“And the virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:27.)

One of the most common feminine names in the New Testament is Mary, or Miryam (Miriam) in Hebrew. One concordance identifies at least seven different Marys in the New Testament, so it is not surprising to find a virgin of that name in the village of Nazareth. But perhaps there is more to it than that. Among the prophets, even a hundred years before the birth of the Savior, the actual name of the woman who was to mother the Messiah was known: It was to be Mary. (See Mosiah 3:8; Alma 7:10.) If that was so among Book of Mormon prophets, is it not possible that it was also known among Old Testament prophets as well, and therefore among the people of the Holy Land?

We know from existing records that the people at the time of Christ‘s birth generally believed that the birth of the long-awaited Messiah was imminent. What mother would not hope that her daughter might be the promised vessel for such an honor? Such maternal optimism might explain the frequency with which daughters were named Mary at this period of time. But for whatever reason, Mary’s mother fulfilled prophetic promises when she named her child, little dreaming that it would indeed be her daughter that would do so.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. (Luke 1:28-31.)

It was August in Galilee. The heat, even at night, can be stifling and oppressive. Luke indicates that Mary and Joseph were likely of poor families. If that be the case, the house of Mary’s family would have been small, no more than one or two rooms curtained off for sleeping and privacy at night. We are not told if it was day or night, or if she was alone in the house; surely she must have felt a sudden clutch of fear when she looked up and saw a personage standing there before her. All of us have had someone come up behind us, or appear in a doorway unexpectedly and startle us. We give an involuntary cry of surprise and feel the quick burst of adrenalin that leaves the heart pounding, the palms sweaty, and the mouth dry. So it is not difficult to imagine the shock of having not just a man appear suddenly in your room, but a being of transcendent radiance and glory.

But the shock of Gabriel’s sudden appearance could not have been any greater than the stunning impact of his words. First there was the “impossible” announcement that she was about to conceive. Her response is so spontaneous, so logical. It adds even further to the power and simplicity with which Luke tells us of this night. One can almost picture her blurting it out, in spite of the glory of the being that stood before her: “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34.)

But that was only the first of the stunning pronouncements. The Messiah had been foretold for four millennia. Now to realize that the long centuries of waiting had come to end, that the Messiah was about to be born, and she—Mary of Nazareth—was to be the mother! Add to that the declaration that, for the first and only time in the history of the world, this was to be a virgin birth, and the revelation was even more staggering. This simple, pure woman from a little-known city in Galilee was to carry in her womb the divine offspring of the great Elohim Himself. Her son would also be the Son of God!

Only when we consider the magnitude of those statements do we begin to appreciate how marvelous is Mary’s answer. There were no questioning looks, no stammering demands of “Why me?” There were no murmurs of doubt. There was no disputation, no hesitation, no wondering. She simply said, in glorious and touching simplicity: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38.)

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1:18.)

At the command of great Gabriel, Mary left Nazareth to visit her cousin Elizabeth, wife of Zacharias the priest, living in Judea, now six months pregnant with a miracle of her own. There Mary abode with her kinswoman about three months until it was time for Elizabeth to deliver.

Consider for a moment what it must have meant for Mary to come back to Nazareth at that point. She suddenly, unexpectedly departed from her home for an extended stay far to the south. When she returned, the growing within the womb was pushing outward, expanding now to swell the mother’s belly. It is not a secret that can be hidden for long.

This was not a society like our own where immorality is not only tolerated but often openly flaunted. Modesty and virtue were deeply ingrained into the fiber of the nation and was especially strong in the small towns and villages of Israel. Imagine the effect on that tiny village when Mary returned and the first of the village women began to notice the change in her.

Anyone who has ever lived in the tightly knit, closely bonded society of a small town or village can predict with some accuracy what happened next. At first there would have been only questioning looks and quick shaking of the heads. Surely such could not be so. Not Mary. Perhaps she was just putting on a little weight. And then more and more voices would have questioned, not openly, of course, but in whispers, at the well each day as they came together for water, or while doing the laundry on the banks of a stream.

Was Mary allowed to tell others of her visit from Gabriel? Matthew’s comment, “she was found with child,” would imply not. But even so, would such a “wildly fantastic” claim have quelled the rumors? A virgin birth? Mother of the Messiah? A child fathered by God Himself? Either she was mad or took them for absolute fools to imagine they would believe such a story. Now her departure from the village “in haste” took on new and ominous significance. (See Luke 1:39.) And poor Joseph. Victim of such infidelity. What would he do now?

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife. . . .Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife. (Matthew 1:19-20, 24.)

Neither Luke nor Matthew gives us much detail, but we can read the pain and embarrassment between the lines. Here was a good man, faithful in every respect. What pain must have filled his soul to learn that his betrothed was with child! How could it be? Surely not Mary, not his lovely and chaste Mary. We can only guess at the agony of spirit he must have experienced at the confirmation of her “unfaithfulness.”

How many men would let the bitterness and anger of such betrayal fester and boil over into the blind desire for revenge that causes one to strike out, seeking to hurt as deeply as you yourself are hurt? By Mosaic law, adultery was still punishable by death. (See, for example, John 8:5; Leviticus 20:10.) He could have taken her to the elders of the village and demanded justice. But, in spite of the pain he must have felt, in spite of the personal humiliation, he would not put his beloved Mary through the shame and danger of a public trial. He would simply dissolve the marriage contract quietly.

And then again, in one blinding instant of revelation, all was explained and put right. In response to the incredible announcement by Gabriel, Mary had simply said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” Now Joseph heard the same stunning pronouncement. We gain a glimpse of the greatness of the man from his response. Matthew says it in one phrase. “Then Joseph being raised from sleep. . . took unto him his wife.” (Matthew 1:24.)

Again, as with Mary, the fantastic nature of the declaration was accepted without question. There was no vacillation. Surely he knew his fellow villagers well enough to know that a hasty marriage in the middle of the night would only fuel the rumors. All he would accomplish by such an action would be to bring the onus of doubt and shame upon himself. But the angel had spoken. His doubts were resolved. His Mary had been proven faithful. And so he arose from his bed and took her to be his wife.

continued… Reflections on the Christmas Story Part II: The Birth of Jesus Christ

Additional Resources:

The Christmas Story (birth of Jesus Christ) is integral to the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church”).

The Book of Mormon is a second witness of Jesus Christ and also foretells of His coming. Request your free copy today.

Attend a local meetinghouse.

by Jacob L., member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and student at Brigham Young University (BYU).

Often in testimony meeting, we hear members say how they are grateful for the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Indeed, we have all felt and do feel God’s love for us as we draw nearer to him by obedience to His commandments, and even when we feel we are undeserving of His love. But as I read and reread Enoch’s vision of God, I learned more of the nature of God the Father and Jesus Christ than ever before. Indeed, learning about God our Father that He is magnificent and glorious, that He has passion and eternal feelings, that He can at times feel devastated when we don’t love our brethren and choose to neglect Him. The other piece of doctrine that I have learned from analyzing Moses 7 is that of God’s law in dealing with His people collectively. I will compare the land of Canaan with the people of Enoch. Doing so has given me a deeper understanding of what eventually can happen to a righteous people if they fail to keep the commandments of God.

About God: God feels compassion for us         

First, I had no idea that God could weep. This means that our Heavenly Father has feelings just like ours, but I imagine eternally profound and deep, more than I can understand. We see this when Enoch, during the vision of seeing all of God’s creations turns towards God and sees Him weeping. Enoch must have been shocked! He must have been so amazingly stunned to see the most powerful being in the universe weep! I would have! I quote from the text “And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? And also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever; And peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep?”

I personally, found it somewhat unusual to believe at first. That the most merciful, peaceful yet most glorious being in the universe (for we know that one has to be transfigured as to not wither away because of His glory) would weep because of His people. Why do we cry as normal human beings? Maybe we have had a bad day. Maybe we are going through a hard time in our marriage. Perhaps we have lost one of our family members to addictions, or even lost a loved one to a fateful illness. Nevertheless, God the Eternal Father weeps because “They are without affection, and they hate their own blood”. Knowing about God, that He is so full of passion(something that many faiths do not believe) is amazing and wonderful to me. How much God really does love His children that He weeps for them when they do not love one another.

About God: He blesses those who follow Him

Second, as I was analyzing the verses 8 through 23, I was reminded of a recurring theme and also learned much more about that principle. It is one that we have seen time and time again in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. It is that the Lords righteous make covenants with God and are given a promise that where they can be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth if they will diligently keep the commandments of God. But if they will not, they will be cast out of the land of their inheritance, usually by their enemies. As I studied about God and the theme of making covenants with God in order to be blessed and remain in the Promised Land, I studied other examples in the Bible that dealt with those who for one reason or another, ceased to keep the commandments and therefore, lost the privilege and right to remain in the land of their inheritance. For example in Leviticus 18:25 we read “ And the land is defiled: Therefore I do visit the iniquities thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants”. 

So how does the Lord vomit out her inhabitants from the Promised Land? He does it by ceasing to protect them from their enemies. For example, we have seen this with the Jews being taken captive in Babylon. The Lord also curses the land if His people become unrighteous. “For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the  barrenness thereof shall go forth forever;  Have we not seen this with examples of the Latter-Day pioneers who did not pay their tithing? Or when Joseph’s people experienced a terrible famine? One thing that I learned was most interesting and usually sparks the interest of Latter-Day Saints and nonmembers alike. The rights and privileges of ones Promised Land can be taken away if a people break their covenants with God. For example, the Jews, who covenanted with God that they would be the people of Jerusalem and there be blessed and prosper were taken away when they fell away and broke their covenants with God. As a result, the Jews were scattered upon the whole earth and taken away from their covenanted land. Today, we see that the Jews are seeking to reclaim their land in Jerusalem. But, we know that they have broken their covenant and lost their rights to the land and therefore, should have no legal rights to it. However, the Jews have taken much of their land by force because they see themselves as descendants of Jews who once lived there. How incorrect they are! How unjustly have they killed and taken lives in order to lay claim upon a land that isn’t rightfully theirs. No one can reclaim lost land after thousands of years saying that the land is rightfully theirs. We should seek never to break our covenants with Heavenly Father or we will lose our promised blessings.

What we should seek is the example of the city of Enoch. His people were the righteous ones that eventually we taken into the bosom of the Father. Not only did they prosper in the land of their inheritance, but they eventually were taken up to live with God. It is hard to know exactly at what point a people is considered righteous enough to be taken into heaven. We know that us as individuals are God’s creations but have come into a fallen world to learn to obey God and become like Him, a thing that takes time. Knowing that a people actually achieved this is somewhat puzzling (not saying that it is not possible). Perhaps God had other reasons to take them up unto Him. We read “, And lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven”. Nevertheless, examining God’s dealings with His children in all ages have helped me come to understand the necessity of being “one” in purpose, as a people. It was interesting to compare civilizations, especially the two that were talked about in Moses 7. As a result of this, I now know how important it is for God’s people to love one another and to serve God as one.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about the nature of God.

The Book of Mormon helps us know more about who God is. Request your free copy.

by Eric Kotter, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon“), Eric is a student at BYU-Idaho studying communications.

Have you ever had just a strong desire to know something? You may be confused with how to do a certain math problem, or it might be something bigger such as understanding how to find more meaning in your life. This is the same way a young 14 year old boy felt. As a young teenager, a boy by the name of Joseph Smith wondered about religion and salvation. He wanted to know and understand the things that God wanted him to do in order to return back to Him.

In around 1820, Joseph Smith started to get involved with some of the religious excitement that was going on at the time where he was living in Palmyra, New York. Using his own words from Joseph Smith History it says,

During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong (Joseph Smith History 1:8).

Joseph Smith wanted to find truth. He wanted to understand what was right, good, and true. He went to many different religions trying to study things out and figure out what was the right thing to do. During his search, he was reading in the Epistle of James in the King James version of the Bible, and he came across a verse, James 1:5 whi, “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.” Joseph Smith said, “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” (Joseph Smith History 1:12).

There have been many many times in my life when I have lacked wisdom. There was one time in my life that I was feeling overwhelmed with a problem I was facing in my life. I wanted to overcome some challenges in my life, so I prayed for God’s help. One day I went to a fireside (inspirational meeting) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, “The Mormon Church”). The speaker at the fireside gave a very good talk. I really felt like the things that he said applied directly to me in helping me to overcome my concerns. Basically, the speaker talked about self improvement, and how we need to improve ourselves one step at a time so that we don’t get overwhelmed. This experience showed to me that the Lord is very aware of me and my needs. He answered my prayer and continues to answer my prayers. I know that God will answer everyone’s prayers as we seek out the answers. Joseph Smith followed the counsel of James 1:5 and decided to ask God.

On a spring day in April 1820 Joseph Smith went into a grove of trees near his house in Palmyra, New York. He went there and knelt down and began to offer up the desires of his heart. As he did so he began to feel overcome by darkness. The adversary of all righteousness was trying to stop him from seeking the Lord’s help, but Joseph called out to God for deliverance, and these are the words of his experience of what happened next:

I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. 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).

This is such a marvelous experience. Even though I wasn’t there when Joseph Smith experienced this vision, I know that it happened. There have been many times, as a missionary of Jesus Christ, when I have related this experience to others. As I told Joseph Smith’s experience to others, I have felt the spirit of the Lord testify to me that this experience really happened. I’ve felt a calming assurance that God the Father, and His son Jesus Christ really did appear to Joseph Smith. I’ve felt the Holy Spirit testify to me that God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph for a wise purpose. Joseph was told by Jesus Christ to join none of the churches. The Lord said, “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). Joseph was told that he would be used as an instrument in restoring The church of Jesus Christ back to the earth as it was when He was on the the earth. Joseph was to be called as a prophet, just as Moses in the Bible was called, to help establish the Lord’s church back on the earth in its fulness.

It is comforting to me to know that this experience really occurred! Knowing that God hasn’t abandoned us, but on the contrary, is very aware of us, gives me peace. He has called prophets to guide His children since Adam and Eve–it is wonderful that He still does so today.

I’m impressed with how much faith and strength Joseph had since the time he was a child. For example, after getting an infection in his leg which was brought on by typhus fever, Joseph had to under go surgery to fix the bone in his leg that was affected by the infection. The doctors told Joseph they were going to tie him down during the surgery so he wouldn’t thrash around because of the severe pain. But Joseph instead asked that he not be tied down, but asked that his father might hold him in his arms while the surgery took place. When offered brandy or wine to numb the pain, Joseph Smith declined saying, if my father will hold me, I can do what I need to. This show of courage made by Joseph is amazing to me. It also reminds me of God our Heavenly Father, and how they can help us and hold us in times that are difficult. In the New Testament of the Bible it says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philipians 4:13). Joseph Smith showed a strong faith in Christ all throughout his life.

After the marvelous experience in the grove of trees, Joseph Smith waited a few years before receiving further instruction from the Lord. He was in his room one night seeking forgiveness from his sins and follies, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in his room. The angel’s name is Moroni. Moroni told Joseph Smith that the Lord had a work for him to do. He told Joseph about a hill nearby to where he lived that contained gold plates of ancient writings. These ancient writings contain a record of a civilization that lived on the American continent. It contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and gives an account of God’s dealings with them. Joseph Smith was informed that the Lord wanted him to translate this record and publish it as another witness of Jesus Christ comparable to the Bible. Through Joseph’s obedience to the Lord, he was guided and given revelations from God, one step at a time, to establish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly misnamed “The Mormon Church“). I have read The Book of Mormon for myself–I have felt it bring peace into my life as I have read it, believed in the teachings of Jesus Christ contained in it, and lived by those teachings.

Joseph Smith exhibited a Christ-like life. He always sought to be a better person and treat those around him with respect. He wasn’t perfect but he always strived to do better. There is an experience that David Whitmer, an early Latter-day Saint church leader, told about Joseph Smith.

David Whitmer recounted: “One morning when [Joseph Smith] was getting ready to continue the translation, something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something that Emma, his wife, had done. Oliver and I went up stairs, and Joseph came up soon after to continue the translation, but he could not do anything. He could not translate a single syllable. He went down stairs, out into the orchard and made supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour—came back to the house, asked Emma’s forgiveness and then came up stairs where we were and the translation went on all right. He could do nothing save he was humble and faithful.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, pg.116)

This story shows to me that Joseph truly was a servant of the Lord. The work he did wasn’t about himself, it is the Lord’s work. He couldn’t do it on his own, even if he tried. The Lord needed him to be worthy in order to use him as His instrument. I’m grateful that Joseph Smith tried to live a Christ-like life so that the Lord could use him to restore His church on the earth.

We as Latter-day Saints, worship the Savior Jesus Christ, not prophets. Prophets have been around since man was created. The Lord called and authorized prophets such as Adam, Moses, and Abraham to teach His gospel and administer the ordinances of salvation to the whole world so all of us might know the way back to Heavenly Father. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ spoke to Joseph Smith and called him as a prophet to restore the Savior’s church to the earth. He was just as much of a prophet as Moses was. The sweet feelings of peace and truth have witnessed to my soul that The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored in its fulness. When I hear the modern day prophet speak, President Thomas S. Monson, I know he speaks by the power of revelation. He speaks for Jesus Christ and tells the world what the Savior would tell us if He were here. The prophet gives us the direction and counsel we need for our day. I can feel the Savior’s love for me when the prophet speaks. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and is aware of us, and speaks to us today through living prophets and apostles. I know Joseph Smith spoke the words of Jesus Christ.

Additional Resources:

Get a free copy of The Book of Mormon.

Watch a video about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Learn more about how Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ at lds.org.

by Eric Kotter, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon“), student at BYU-Idaho studying communications, and freelance writer.

The Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Holy Ghost, was given to us by God in order to guide us and strengthen us here in this earth life. The Holy Spirit is an actual person, but he doesn’t have a physical body, He has a spirit. The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father are three separate beings that are all a part of the Godhead. They all have the same purpose, which is to help bring us back into the presence of God so that we might have eternal life.

There are two parts to understanding the Holy Spirit. There is the power of the Holy Spirit, and there is the gift of the Holy Spirit, or gift of the Holy Ghost. Before someone is baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost, they can feel the power and influence of the Holy Spirit testify to their hearts of things that are true. It can help them feel peace and lead them to what is right and good. When the spirit leads others to truth, it prompts them act on those truths. For example, after finding out that Jesus Christ asks us to get baptized, the Holy Spirit would then prompt that person to make changes in their lives in order to get ready for baptism. After baptism, when given under proper priesthood authority, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which is the right to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost whenever one is worthy. The gift of the Holy Ghost has a sanctifying effect on the body, and helps remove the desires to do evil and sin. It helps us literally become like Jesus Christ, and allows us to be cleansed from our sins.

One purpose of the Holy Spirit is to testify of all truth. In The Book of Mormon, a volume of ancient holy scripture which testifies of Jesus Christ, it says, “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is” (Book of Mormon: Moroni 10:5-6). The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our thoughts and feelings. When Heavenly Father sent us to this earth He did not want to leave us alone and lost without any way of knowing what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what isn’t, so He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through thoughts, feelings, and impressions. The Holy Ghost speaks to us more as a still small voice rather than a loud voice. An apostle of Jesus Christ said, “That sweet, quiet voice of inspiration comes more as a feeling than it does as a sound” (Elder Boyd K. Packer). The book of Galatians in the Bible helps us recognize when we are feeling the influence of the Holy Spirit. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). When I feel the spirit it helps me want to be more loving, kind, patient and good. When I feel the spirit, I want to be more like Jesus Christ. I know that I am feeling the Holy Ghost when I feel calm and at peace, and when confusion and doubt clears away. When I feel this way, it helps me know what is true and good. I have felt that way about Jesus Christ and His restored church. I know that His church has been restored to the earth. Just as a blind man knows that the sun exists because he can feel its heat, I know that Jesus Christ lives because I can feel His love for me when I read about Him, and follow His counsel to love and serve others. I also know that there are living prophets and apostles on this earth who speak for Jesus Christ by revelation. I have felt the same feelings of the Holy Spirit testify to me that these things are true.

When I was a child of eight years old, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Commonly misnamed “The Mormon Church“) and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through the authority of God, which is called the priesthood, I was baptized, and then hands were laid on my head to confer upon me the gift of the Holy Ghost. I don’t remember everything that was said at the baptism, but I do remember the feeling I felt. I felt clean–clean spiritually. I felt happy and peaceful. I felt that the Lord was pleased with my decision of committing to follow Him. The Holy Spirit rested upon me and I felt the Lord’s love. The Holy Spirit has been a tremendous blessing in my life. Without it, I would be lost in this world of confusion. I know that it is real. I have felt it’s power and influence lift me, teach me, and testify to me of the reality of Jesus Christ. I know that the Holy Spirit can be felt by all who honestly want to do what’s right and find truth.

Additional Resources:

Obtain a free copy of The Book of Mormon

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Read more about the Holy Ghost from an apostle of Jesus Christ at the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints