30i - Did Lehi And His Descendants Look Forward To The First Christmas?

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TODAY'S THEME

LDS Temples viewed above: from the left to the right, top to bottom: Caracas, Venezuela Temple; Tokyo, Japan Temple; Madrid, Spain Temple; Littleton, Colorado Temple (seen behind the couple); and the Manila, Phillipines Temple.

MARRIAGE BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN IS ORDAINED OF GOD. WITHOUT THE BIRTH OF BABY JESUS THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO LDS TEMPLES AND NO SEALINGS OF FAMILIES FOR ETERNITY.

This LDS couple posing in front of the Littleton, Colorado Temple represents what our Savior, Jesus Christ, has in mind for each of His Church members, the making of sacred covenants with an eternal marital companion of the opposite sex. This is done with the approval of, and under the direction of Him, their God.

Inasmuch as married couples are physically capable of bearing children, or if they are not, and are willing to adopt children, if possible for them, they are forming an eternal family unit that fits what the Lord has in mind for each of us. When sealed together in one of His holy temples they become part of a family tree which extends back to our first parents, Adam and Eve. As long as they each remain worthy of their temple covenants, and the plan Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ, have in mind for them, they remain a vital part of the very extensive family to which they belong.

This union does not end at death. If they keep the covenants they make with each other and with Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ, they will continue their relationship with one another and their worthy children, for all eternity.

All of you who may be reading this blog post have seen examples of happy marriages. Such marriages can be such a great source of true joy.

This scripture was shown in the previous blog post. D. and C. 110: 14-16

14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—

15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

As LDS Church members form their own families, they have the great responsibility of researching their family lines and ensuring that each of their ancestors, as far back as can be researched, have had their temple work done vicariously. This is something LDS Church members cannot neglect. While remaining worthy of a temple recommend, they have the responsibility of attending the temple regularly and doing ordinances for the dead there, even if they are not in their family line. Husbands and wives doing this together, as regularly as possible, will not only bless those on the other side of the veil, whose temple work they are doing, it will actually strengthen their marital relationship.

Now let's turn again to the writings of Lehi's descendants who were anxiously looking forward to the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Book of Mormon prophets knew, by the spirit of prophecy and revelation, that Jesus would be born at the promised time: about 600 years after their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem. Lehi left Jerusalem in about 600 B.C.

In our pre-mortal existence as spirit children of our Heavenly father, all of us mortals chose to follow Jesus, our elder brother and not to follow Satan. This is evidenced by our having been allowed to gain a mortal body. The fact is, as each of us should know, Satan works on us now to get us to be disobedient to God. Satan, and those spirits who chose to follow him were denied the privilege of gaining a mortal body.

I would like you to now read the scripture below to see how Satan was trying to cause the Nephites and Lamanites to disbelieve in the coming of Christ. You will read there about the very challenging experiences of another Nephi, a descendant of Nephi, the son of Lehi. This Nephi was the son of Helaman and would become one of Jesus's Nephite apostles.

Please read this scripture: (Because it starts at verse 1 you might enjoy listening to it as well as reading it.  III Nephi 1:1-30

Painting: Del Parson
As you have just read, the new star in the heavens was seen by the Nephite-Lamanite Nation in Central America as well as by the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem, about which, we learned from the Bible. The shepherds heard the angels singing and were told by an angel where they should go to find the baby in a Bethlehem manger. The three wisemen from the East were guided by that same star as they traveled to bring gifts to the baby who was born "king of the Jews."
(Painting by: Hans Memling 1479)
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DISCLAIMER
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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I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

30h - Did Lehi and his Descendants Look Forward to the First Christmas? Christmas Has Always Been a Very Important Family Event!

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

FAMILIES ARE SO IMPORTANT!


I intimated in my previous blog post that in the eternal view of life which our Savior, Jesus Christ, who was born as the Babe in the Manger of Bethlehem, has brought about for us, that we can come to realize that our family relationships extend back to Adam and Eve and are extended forward to the time of the Second Coming to Earth of Jesus Christ and beyond.

In this post I am emphasizing those things that our Savior, Jesus Christ has brought about for our family members, both living and dead. Regarding the dead, remember the words of Alma from the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, you read in the previous post:

Alma 40:11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

Therefore, we can be assured that our deceased loved ones, in actual truth, are still living, although in a different state of living. I now will help you know that our Savior, Jesus Christ, through His latter-day Church, and specifically through revelations by the spirit of prophecy and revelation through his prophets in our day and time have given us the opportunity of uniting all of our family, with us, our ancestors and also our descendants.

You may ask what has this to do with the First Christmas? Without Jesus having been born and then doing all that He came into this world to do, this reuniting of families would not have been possible.

As has been usual in this "First Christmas" blog series, I will quote from the Book of Mormon, words recorded by one of Father Lehi's descendants. As in the previous blog, this will be Mormon, who, again, recorded the eyewitness account of Nephi, one of our Savior's American apostles who was called to that sacred calling soon after Jesus' resurrection in Jerusalem, on His visit to Central America.

No modern air travel is needed by a resurrected body, which Jesus was the first to have of all who have lived on earth. Each one of us will have a resurrected body in the own due time of the Lord! However, we each still have much to do in this life as I'll be showing below, in bringing family members, both living and dead, together as a united family.

At one of the resurrected Jesus' visits with the Nephite-Lamanite Nation in Central America which took place, significantly, near the temple they had built earlier, He told them along with many other important things He wanted them to know the following:

(He told them he was sharing with them these words of His prophet, Malachi, who had led his Israelitish people before His birth.): The Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 25: 5 - 6 (Also recorded in the Old Testament, Malachi 4:5-6)

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Now, please let that promise of the Lord's through His prophet Malachi as recorded by his American prophets Nephi and Mormon, sink into your minds and hearts. What I've been telling you about the reuniting of families is just what our Savior Jesus Christ has made available for all of us through His successful life's mission.

Elijah, in fulfillment of Malachi's prophesy, did appear to Joseph Smith, the Lord's latter-day prophet and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836 in the Kirtland Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here is Joseph Smith's report about this event.

D and C 110: 13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—

15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors. (emphasis added)

Wow! I had to say that word (wow) because that record shows that which you've been told regarding the uniting of families. This has already actually already been taking place since soon after that recorded visit from Elijah. The power from Jesus Christ was given to His Church in our day to seal by the power of the Spirit of the Lord, family members one to another!

This sealing doesn't just automatically happen. Worthy family members who have been baptized as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, must attend to this business in one of the more than 130 temples that have already been built by this Church world-wide, with even more having been already scheduled to be built. After the ordinances and sealings are done for these living members, they can then, vicariously, do these same ordinances for their ancestors whose records they have diligently and carefully researched.

I will end this post by showing you pictures of six of these very beautiful temples along with two typical temple baptismal fonts where family members, can be baptized vicariously for their loved deceased ancestors, back as far as you can find their records.

These pictures, from top to bottom, are as follows: Mexico City Temple, San Diego, California Temple, Hong Kong, China Temple, a baptismal font of an unidentified LDS Temple, Santiago, Chile Temple, Baptismal font of the Salt Lake City Temple, Washington D.C. Temple, and the Helsinki, Finland Temple.

Something you may want to know: The twelve oxen holding up each of all our temple baptismal fonts, represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

You and I and everybody can be very grateful for the birth of our Savior at Bethlehem so that this great reuniting with loved ones could take place!

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DISCLAIMER
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 An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: Family Members Are Each Important To Us, Both the Living and the Dead. Our Savior Promised To Turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children and The Hearts of the Children To Their Fathers - Post 30h. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, 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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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

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I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

30g - 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

FAMILIES ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT
TO US AT CHRISTMAS TIME! AND SO
ANCESTORS OUGHT TO BE REMEMBERED THEN ALSO!

Before we delve further into the writings of Lehi's descendants regarding their knowledge of the First Christmas and it's ultimate purpose, I am suggesting, to perhaps some of you to whom some of the concepts presented here are new, that you allow your view of your life's role to be broadened and to more fully include your relationships not only with your immediate family, your spouse and children, and with your children's children and so on, but also with all those family members who came before you, and may have already left this present state of life.

I say present state of life because Book of Mormon prophets such as Alma the Younger make it very clear to us that life continues after death. That dearly loved close relative you knew well who died is actually still in existence, but in another state of life. They actually are looking forward to seeing you when you leave this present life.

Alma 40:11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

Now let me broaden your view some more. The words in the next paragraph are those of Jesus Christ which were revealed to His latter-day Prophet, Joseph Smith. They clarify in a grand way the great purpose of our living, along with all our living loved ones and our ancestors going all the way back to Adam and Eve.

Moses: 1:39 For behold, this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

These truths can now be directly applied to the great purpose of the Son of God having been born as a mortal. He was born as The Babe In the Manger of Bethlehem so that in His mortal life he was much like the rest of us except for our Eternal (or Heavenly) Father being the father of His mortal body while Mary, was a mortal as were our mothers from our generation way back to Mother, Eve. The great purpose of Jesus's birth was to put him in the position where he could do that which only He could do in, "bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

He did His part by living the example of a perfect life and teaching us during His life how to do our part and then doing that which only He could do, atone for our sins and bring about the resurrection. Those of you to whom these truths are new and perhaps a little startling may desire to relax a little and let your feelings and mind settle down some and read these past several paragraphs over again. You may need to pray about all of this. Please do. Take your time!

As I said above, these concepts will help us more fully appreciate what a great blessing the First Christmas is to each and everyone of us, not just at Christmas time but all year round for the rest of our lives and into our time in post-mortality and forever.


Again, I will rely on the writings of another of Father Lehi's descendants to help us see the full meaning of what the birth and then life, atonement and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ means to all of us including our families, our descendants and our ancestors.

The words linked below were originally recorded first-hand by Nephi, who was called by the recently resurrected Jesus when he appeared to the Nephites in Central America, to serve as one of his apostles there. Mormon then added these words to the Book of 3 Nephi, one of the sub-books of the Book of Mormon.



The Resurrected Jesus Christ in A.D. 34 Teaches the Nephites in Central America -by John Scott



Please read this scripture:  III Nephi 27: 13-19

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DISCLAIMER
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 An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The First) Christmas, Did Lehi and His Descendant Nephi (of 34 A.D.) Look Forward to That? - Post 30g When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)


___________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

____________


I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

30f - 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.

Mary, Baby Jesus and Joseph -by Ted Henninger

In this series we have read scriptures regarding the coming birth of Jesus the Christ written by the following Book of Mormon prophets:

Nephi (between 600 and 592 B.C.),


Enos (between 544 and 421 B.C.,


Omni (between 279 and 130 B.C.)


Abinadi (148 B.C.)


Benjamin (about 124 B.C.)

Each of these scriptures helped us to see very clearly that these Book of Mormon prophets knew very clearly about the coming birth of Jesus the Christ many years before He was born. They were very grateful for what His birth and life's mission would do for them, and for their descendants, and all of the House of Israel, and each of us you and me, and all mankind.

Each of those scriptures are sure evidence of the truthfulness of the theme of our Christmas series of posts.

Now we have come to the time of about 6 B.C. There are the words of a number of other Nephite prophets I could quote, but I choose to quote Samuel, the Lamanite. The Lord commanded him to travel to the City of Zarahemla to tell the people there of the coming birth of Jesus Christ and of the signs that would appear confirming that. The Nephites Samuel tried to teach at first were hard-hearted and they chased him away from their city. However, the Lord commanded his faithful servant, Samuel to return sometime later.

Below several other pictures is a picture of Samuel preaching from the wall of the City of Zarhemla. The Lord protected him as Samuel was on the Lord's errand. The arrows could not harm Samuel. They each missed.

Here are pictures of some children and several adults whom you can pretend are happily anticipating Christmas and could be listening to these scriptural testimonies as they are being read to them by a loving teacher.

Painting by Arnold Friberg

Samuel was commanded by the Lord to tell this unbelieving people of signs that should be shown from the heavens in their land (ancient Central America) just before the Savior of the World was to be born.

You now, along with the children and the adults pictured above can read of the great prophesies Samuel made, by the power of the Holy Ghost (by the Spirit of prophecy and revelation.)

Please read this scripture. (You can also listen to  this one because you will be reading from the first verse.) Helaman 14: 1-31

You may want to make notes of what you thought and felt as you read this scripture and viewed the picture of Samuel the Lamanite preaching from the wall of the City of Zarahemla. In my next post I'll briefly review what important things Samuel prophesied of the coming of Christ.

Check back in two or three days for my next blog post.

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DISCLAIMER
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.

____________


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 Decide To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Click on the Following: (The First) Christmas, Did Lehi and His Descendants Look Forward To That? -Post 30f. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next to a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down To Your Target Item/s Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).


____________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
_____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

30e - 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

Christmas, a Joyful Time!

What makes Christmas a joyful time? Is it just because Baby Jesus was born then? And because we receive presents then?


Or is it really because of what that baby was to do for all of us after He had grown up!



Jesus, although having lived perfectly, and having gone through very extreme persecution by even His nation's leaders, and then having shown many marvelous miracles though His divine power, and then being betrayed by one of His chosen apostles, and then by going through His suffering in Gethsemane to atone for our sins, and then by dieing on the cross, and then bringing about the Forgiveness of Sins (Atonement) for those who repent! and then eventual resurrection for all of us, even for those who had lived wicked lives without repenting during their mortal lives?

Painting by Arnold Friberg

One of my favorite Book of Mormon Prophets is Abinadi who bravely faced one very wicked Nephite king, Noah, and his wicked priests, and taught them the truth about Jesus Christ who was to born as a baby so as to become the Redeemer of the World.

We aren't told anything about Abinadi's background in the Book of Mosiah, one of the individual books in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Christ. What we learned about what he did in the land of Nephi-Lehi must have been written by Alma or Mosiah and perhaps edited by Mormon, the great compiler of the Book of Mormon. These events occurred about 148 years before Baby Jesus was born.

I have written much about Abinadi in a previous blog (Post 12). He was sent to call King Noah and his priests to repentance, but he knew beforehand that they would not believe his true words. Abinadi actually knew that they would kill him, nonetheless he told them exactly what God wanted him to tell them.

I state very surely that Abinadi's words and actions were a great future Christmas gift for us. What he tells us in what I will ask you to read below really tells us why Christmas is such a wonderful event. This is just a small portion of what Abinadi taught King Noah and his people, including one of his wicked priests, Alma, who was brought to repentance, and did much good as a result, including writing all of Abinadi's words and under authority from God founded Jesus' Church.I suggest you prayerfully read Abinadi's words which will help you understand more fully why Christmas should be such a joyful time. Before you read Abinadi's words. This  painting really tells us a lot about what was going on there in the king's court room.

Before reading the scripture below, please say a silent or vocal prayer asking Heavenly Father to help you really understand Abinadi's inspired words and by them understand the greatest of all earthly missions, that of Jesus Christ who was born in a lowly Bethlehem manger.

Please ask the Lord to help you know how all of this applies to you personally.

You can now read that scripture. Listening may help you to better remember what you read! That option will be given you when the scripture is on your screen: Mosiah 14: 1-12



MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES! (On behalf of the Ancient Prophet, Abinadi) Please read and listen to this scripture again to really understand and appreciate Abinadi's words.

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DISCLAIMER
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.


__________


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 Decide To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Click on the Following: (The First) Christmas, Did Lehi and His Descendants Look Forward To That? - Post 30e. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next to a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down To Your Target Item/s Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).
_______


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

30d - 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

What is it about the Christmas season that causes people to want to give to others? The group in the photo to the left, are shown giving to the needy during the 2007 Christmas season.

Long before the First Christmas, the day baby Jesus was born, did the anticipation of His birth in the distant future cause Lehi and his descendants to think of the welfare of others? The Book of Mormon scriptures I've been quoting for you show that yes, they were very concerned for the welfare of others, including your and my spiritual welfare.

In the scriptural reference I gave in my just previous blog post, one of Lehi's descendants, Omni, showed us he was looking forward to the day when Jesus Christ was to be born because he knew personally, by the spirit of prophecy and revelation, that the son of God would be born about 600 years after his not too distant ancestor, Lehi, left Jerusalem for America, and about 385 years from his (Omni's) own time.

As with Lehi, Nephi and many others, Omni really cared about people who would be born after him. He wanted each of them to have the happiness and joy that he personally experienced, that comes from accepting Jesus Christ as one's personal savior. Read again his words:

Omni: 1: 26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Omni knew as did Enos, Nephi, Lehi and many others, whose words we read in the Book of Mormon, that Christ would be fathered by our Heavenly Father and be born of Mary of Nazareth.

They counted heavily on that and on what Christ would do in atoning for our sins and bringing about the resurrection of all mankind. I'm positive that their writing about that helped make life seem even more worthwhile to those prophets. It is easy to see that they valued service to others very highly, especially the service of bringing others to Christ, which service would be the greatest of all Christmas gifts.
There were other prophets who by writing that which would come to be contained in the Book of Mormon, were blessing others regarding teaching about the First Christmas!

Now I would like you to read the scripture for today so you can see that the prophet, King Benjamin, had the same great desire as Omni and the others before him, who all desired that you and I and everyone else, would be blessed with the conviction that Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind, who was to be born about 124 years from King Benjamin's day, did fully accomplish that which only He could accomplish.

King Benjamin Speaking From the Tower on the Temple -by Gary L. Kapp

Please enjoy reading these verses: Mosiah 3:5-11


Certainly King Benjamin looked forward to the First Christmas as did all his people after hearing his great sermon pictured here, which was given by him not long before he died. It could be viewed as his Christmas present to his people and all the rest of us mortals even before there was Christmas. Thanks King Benjamin! We love your great words!

Log in again in several more days. More is coming!

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DISCLAIMER
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.


_____________


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 Decide To Open), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Click on the Following: (The First Christmas, Did Lehi and His Descendants Look Forward To That? Post 30d. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next to a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down To Your Target Item/s Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).

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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

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I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

30c - 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

You are seeing in the first picture above, the Nativity Scene on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a special part of their annual Christmas season decorating and lighting effort. In the next picture the Salt Lake Temple is shown surrounded by Christmas lighting.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosts a vast number of visitors, from around the world, at Temple Square each year.

It is my desire in this series of blog posts, to help you understand why the Book of Mormon prophet, Lehi, and his family, down through the centuries, beginning at about 600 BC, worshiped Jesus Christ. Let me refer back briefly to part of the scripture I linked for you in my just previous post. Please read this:  Enos 1:4-10

Now, after having read that scriptural excerpt, please answer this question in your own mind or if you desire, write it out on a piece of paper: You would have been right if your answer was similar to this:

Why was Enos so deeply grateful for the future coming of Christ?

Enos was extremely grateful that Christ had already forgiven his sins even though it would be about 500 years until his birth would take place (the First Christmas). Christ's being born and then bringing about his atonement for our sins was sure to happen because it was revealed to Enos, through the Spirit of the Lord, that his sins were actually forgiven him. Not only were his sins forgiven, but also he was given promises regarding his people, the Nephites', temporal and spiritual welfare.

On further in that great answer Enos received from the Lord: He was given promises regarding the coming forth of their record, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, many more centuries later (in our day).

Now I would like you to read today's quote from the Book of Mormon. Please read:

Omni 1:26

Please think that scripture through and pray about it's truthfulness.

There is still much more to come regarding this important topic as I continue this series of blog posts. Please log in again in two or three days. See you then! I wish you the best even though we don't know one another!

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DISCLAIMER
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 Decide To Open), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Click on the Following: The First Christmas, Did Lehi and His Descendants Look Forward To That? - Post 30c. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next to a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).

___________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

_____________


I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch