Brightening My Light

The following is adapted from the devotional I gave at my Relief Society's Christmas party. “At Christmastime we talk a lot about giving, and we know—we all know—that it is more blessed to give than to receive. But I wonder if sometimes we disregard or disparate the importance of being a good receiver,” said President Uchtdorf at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. He continued, “I hope that this Christmas and every day of the year we will consider in particular the many gifts we have been given by our loving Heavenly Father.” At Christmastime, we celebrate God’s greatest gift He has given us: His Son. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King!” exclaims the joyous hymn. But what does it mean to receive Him?  To receive something requires action: we must accept the gift being given to us. First we “prepare [our] hearts” ( Alma 16:16 ). In fact, the next line in “Joy to the World” is “Let every heart prepare Him room.” We do that ...

lds.org Mary the mother of Jesus is revered in Christianity, particularly in Catholicism. She was "highly favoured" and "blessed . . . among women" ( Luke 1:28, 30 ). But we seldom talk about her husband, Joseph. He too must have been highly favored and blessed among men to have been given the honor of raising Jesus. Joseph was a "just man" and not spiteful: when he learned of Mary's pregnancy, he did not publicize it, but wished to divorce her privately ( Matthew 1:19 footnote b ). He was also very unselfish toward Mary during her pregnancy ( Matthew 1:25 ). Joseph was obedient to the Lord, as shown when he followed angels' commands to still marry Mary ( Matthew 1:20-24 ) and flee to Nazareth to protect little Jesus from King Herod ( Matthew 2:13-15 ). Joseph served as young Jesus's example of a righteous husband and father. The Bible Dictionary states, "Joseph was naturally regarded in Nazareth as [Jesus's] father, and the ho...

Let every heart prepare him room . ~"Joy to the World" Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace. ~"Silent Night" Where meek souls will receive him, still The dear Christ enters in.  ~"O Little Town of Bethlehem" Born that man no more may die; Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. ~"Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" Lord, with the angels we too would rejoice; Help us to sing with the heart and voice. ~"Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains" "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep: The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men." ~"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" Sharing Time: What are your favorite words from the Christmas hymns?

Did you watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional last Sunday? Wasn't it wonderful? It's one of the few things that light the Christmas spirit in me (I'm somewhat of a Scrooge, for those of you who don't know me). I am watching it again now because I missed some of it and wanted to remember the parts that touched me so I can share them with you: Opening & Closing Love the wintry blue dresses instead of red. The French horns in "The First Noel" sounded heavenly. The entire song was angelic. MoTab sang "Silent Night" with much reverence and sincerity. The harp was beautiful. President Uchtdorf "Don't ever play with fire--an important message with literal and figurative implications for everyone, not only children." "The Lord does not expect that we commit to move mountains, but He does require that we bring as gifts our best efforts to move ourselves, one foot in front of the other, walking in the ways He has p...

“Jesus is the reason for the season” is more often said than remembered. This Christmas use the following ideas to remember Jesus, for this holiday is in celebration of His birth. Have each family member give a gift to Jesus by writing down a promise to do or not do something, such as helping more, being nicer to a sibling, or not lying. Keep the written promises in a wrapped box under the tree. On Christmas Day, New Year’s, or the following Christmas, open up the box and have everyone evaluate his or her improvement. Set aside one night, such as Christmas Eve, as a holy night of reading from the scriptures the Christmas story and other stories of Jesus’s life and teachings. Sing together or play on an instrument the Christmas hymns. Follow a scriptural advent calendar, reading a scripture about Jesus every night. Involve the family in service: the Savior’s life was all about serving others. There are plenty of opportunities during Christmas. Visit friends, b...

painting by Liz Lemon Swindle I love this painting of Mary and baby Jesus, featured on lds.org. Reminds me of my own "holy [i]nfant, so tender and mild" ("Silent Night," Hymns , 204). Can you imagine being the mother of Jesus and getting to see Him grow, watching His milestones, teaching Him how to walk and talk? Can you imagine cuddling with Him, playing with Him, singing Him to sleep? Mary was truly blessed among women ( Luke 1:28, 42 )! Challenge: Treat your children as if you were raising Christ. All are children of God!

In conjunction with the previous post, I have listed below three articles that will help you accomplish some of the Christmas activities: How to Remember Christ during Christmas How to Have a Family Christmas Pageant How to Do Random Acts of Kindness Sharing Time: Any other ideas?

Mesa Temple ....for missionary work! There is no better time to share the gospel than during the Christmas season. People are more receptive because the Spirit is strong, everyone is kind and cheerful, and there is a lot of focus on Christ. Invite friends and family to: walk the temple grounds, especially if it has a visitors' center, is decorated with lights and a nativity, or hosts mini concerts. watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional the first Sunday in December. watch Joy to the World , the Church's short DVD on the Savior's birth. watch any Christmas video by the Church. read or reenact the story of Christ's birth. go to a religious Christmas pageant. participate in service. attend your ward's Christmas party. go caroling, singing Christmas hymns. write letters or send care packages to missionaries. join you for Family Home Evening. come to church. read the Book of Mormon. Challenge: Invite friends or family to do one of the above activities. Share you...

Chilly weather. Snow. Winter clothes. Cookies. Candy canes. Gingerbread houses. Hot chocolate. Fireplaces. Lights. Wreaths. Trees. Holly. Mistletoe. Green. Red. Gifts. Shopping. Parties. Decorations. Bells. Sleigh rides. Sledding. Snowmen. Carols. Music. Concerts. Santa. Reindeer. Elves. Penguins. Smiles. Laughter. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Christmas is coming! It is no coincidence that so much beauty and happiness surround the holiday celebrating Christ's birth. (And the holiday celebrating His death and resurrection, for that matter, but that's a different post.) Whether people like it or not, there is no escaping the symbolism and spirit of Christmas. Yet people forget the source of it all. Angels. Choirs. Stars. Wise men. Shepherds. Baby. Pageants. Hymns. Praise. Family. Church. Prophets. Prophecies. Scriptures. Parables. Charity. Service. Love. Joy. Peace. Humility. Hearts. Blessings. Birth. Death. Resurrection. Light. Life. King. Son. Heaven. Earth. Eternity...

Yesterday evening I watched the Christmas Devotional at our stake center. It was absolutely beautiful! It opened with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and congregation singing "The First Noel" and then after the prayer the Choir singing "For unto Us a Child Is Born" from Handel's Messiah . They sang with such contagious joyfulness. President Uchtdorf spoke first about seeing Christ with the heart. He quoted from The Little Prince , "Anything essential is invisible to the eye." Although many saw Christ with their eyes, they did not see Him with their hearts and accept Him as their Savior and Redeemer. President Uchtdorf exhorted us to unclutter our lives and let it be the season of seeking the Savior with our hearts. The Choir then sang "O Holy Night," my favorite Christmas hymn. I love when the Choir sings! President Eyring followed reminding us that the story of Christmas is a story of love. He advised us to create a small part of the Christmas s...