Wednesday, November 5, 2008

30a - Did Lehi and his Descendants Look Forward to the First Christmas?

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME
Today as I begin another blog post, we are fifty days away from Christmas 2008.




The Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) area already appears to have much Christmas gift stock on the shelves in many if not in all of the stores.

Nephi, Son of Lehi Migrating Eastword with His Father's Family and Close Relatives and one Friend. -by Scott Snow
With the stores, emphasizing the gift-giving side of Christmas this early, why shouldn't I, an LDS Book of Mormon blogger, compare the common view of Christmas today with that of Lehi and his family from Jerusalem as they crossed the dry Arabian desert being led by the Lord to their promised land which we now know as Central America.






As recorded in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Lehi, with his family members of faith with him, from the very first part of this book of special treasures, provides us much evidence of their looking forward with great faith, for the promised birth of the Savior of mankind.

Inspired by the future coming of Christ, they continued their long, arduous journey across Arabia and then by ship, continuing on to their promised land of America, until, as recorded in that sacred book, Lehi's righteous descendants, just before the birth of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, saw the signs of Christ's birth amidst a very troubling time for them, the believers in Jesus Christ.

The first example I will give you from the Book of Mormon shows Lehi and his waiting time for the birth of Christ far exceeding our stores' fifty day waiting time for Christmas. How about a 600 year waiting time? They had much hope and faith in the promised birth of the Savior of mankind with their looking forward with all their hearts to that promised event for so long before it happened, while knowing it would happen long after their deaths.

What kind of knowledge did they have that gave them the faith to follow God's lead to their promised land where they could more fully worship and learn of His son, Jesus the Christ? You can better answer that question after reading these first two of many excerpts from the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, with others being given soon in my rapidly following blog posts. Please read the following scripture: I Nephi 10:1-10. Now please read this one: I Nephi 11:13-23


The Annunciation: The Angel Gabriel Appears to Mary -by John Scott

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This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: (The First Christmas, Did Lehi and His Descendant, Enos, Look Forward To that? - Post 30a. . . When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).

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Neil Birch