"The Birth of Jesus Christ: 'Good Tidings of Great Joy'"

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith

https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-25-the-birth-of-jesus-christ-good-tidings-of-great-joy?lang=eng

 I have always heard and read about the birth of Jesus Christ.  Right now I am reading the New Testament to learn more about the life of Jesus.  I was doing my personal study the other day and I loved what I read.  I had never really thought about it the same way as I read it.
"Our Savior was a God before he was born into this world, and he brought with him that same status when he came here. He was as much a God when he was born into the world as he was before. But as far as this life is concerned it appears that he had to start just as all other children do and gain his knowledge line upon line. Luke says he “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” [Luke 2:52.] John records that “he received not of the fulness at the first,” but had to progress “from grace to grace, until he received a fulness.” [D&C 93:13.] …
Evidently, before he was 12 years old—for then he astonished the doctors and wise men in the temple—he had learned a great deal about his Father’s business [see Luke 2:46–49]. This knowledge could come to him by revelation, by the visitation of angels, or in some other way. But his knowledge, so far as this life was concerned, had to come line upon line and precept upon precept. Without question he was in communication, from time to time, with his Heavenly Father."
"Without doubt, Jesus came into the world subject to the same condition as was required of each of us—he forgot everything, and he had to grow from grace to grace. His forgetting, or having his former knowledge taken away, would be requisite just as it is in the case of each of us, to complete the present temporal existence."
"Although he was a God, even the Son of God, with power and authority to create this earth and other earths, yet there were some things lacking which he did not receive until after his resurrection. In other words he had not received the fulness until he got a resurrected body.^6"  

"Follow the Path of Happiness"

Ensign
June 2014

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/06/young-adults/follow-the-path-of-happiness?lang=eng

I don't know why but I kind of struggled with this one.  It helped me realize some stuff but it also left me out of sorts.  I had a goal of getting married in the temple and having kids.  I don't know why it hasn't happened before but I realized that I have reached those goals.  What I did not know was that as life went on I would come up with other goals that I want to achieve.  The past year or so I want to travel so bad.  I want to see new places and experience new things.  I have never had the desire at all to want to travel so bad.  I am frustrated that it is just not possible at this time of life with little kids.  Also we need to work on being better with finances. :)  Maybe when we are old and retired I will meet this goal.  Another goal I have is going back to school and getting a bachelor's in family history.  I was going to go back once Emily started school but then we decided to have another child.  Maybe once he starts school I can start thinking more seriously about it.  For some reason I felt like it was wrong to have worldly goals.  At the end though I felt a little better with this paragraph, "

You have dreams and goals? That’s good! Work with all your heart to accomplish them. Then let the Lord do the rest. He will make you into what you cannot make of yourself.

At all times, accept His will. Be ready to go where He asks you to go and to do what He asks you to do. Become the men and women He is nurturing you to become."  Does anybody have any thoughts they want to share with me?

"Beyond the Bubblegum Machine"

Ensign
April 2014

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/04/beyond-the-bubblegum-machine?lang=eng

I loved this talk because it applies to my husband and I.  About four years ago we were going to church, paying our tithing and just started to attend the temple regularly.  A few months later the trials started.  They lasted for a couple of years and it did not bode well for our spirituality.  Our mindset was we were doing what was right.  We started to attend the temple regularly so why are all these bad things happening?  Like the article said we expected a blessing for every righteous action we did.  We became angry and bitter and stopped attending the temple and eventually church for at least a year.  Now that those trials our over I realize our biggest mistake was not attending the temple anymore.  I now know that the temple could of helped us greatly through our trials.  My mother and father had a son who was born with problems and was mentally handicapped and had many medical needs.  My mom said that they could not have done it without attending the temple.  They were blessed to have neighbors who understood and knew what this son needed.  They would watch this son and the other two sons so that my parents could attend the temple.  It is easy to get caught up in thinking we earn or deserve blessings.  That is not so.  A blessing is a blessing.  You always wonder how can a trial bless you.  I feel like the trials I went through did bless me.  My testimony and spirituality was strengthened when I stopped being bitter and started going to church again.  I wish that my testimony had been stronger through those trials.  I hope that in future trials I will do better because of gaining a stronger testimony.  I also got out of my trials that bad things happen in life.  It's not because you are being punished or life is just so unfair.  Things break, things go wrong that's life.  I used to just get so upset and angry that things would break and go wrong.  I think I roll along a little better in life now.  I still get angry and upset sometimes but then I try to talk myself back down.

"The Great and Wonderful Love"

Engsign
General Conference
November 2006

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/11/the-great-and-wonderful-love?lang=eng

I really loved this talk.  I think it is a good talk for mothers.  There were three specific sayings that stood out to me.

"God the Father is merciful and has infinite love for you despite your faults.  Only the voice of Satan will cause you to feel of no value."  I love that to hear that God loves us despite our imperfections.  I know that when I start to feel of no value that Satan is trying to break down the door to get to me.  Sometimes it's worse than other times.  Satan works on me telling me that being a mother isn't enough.  That I should be doing more and thinking of myself more and what I don't get.  I struggle with being a stay at home mom at times and I know Satan is battering away at that door.  The funny thing is at the same time Satan makes me feel like I'm not a good enough mother and homemaker.  "When you feel worthless, 'remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.'  Refrain from repeatedly thinking or saying negative words about yourself--there is a clear difference between humility and humiliation.  Identify and use your unique talents rather than dwelling on your weaknesses."

"When you feel overwhelmed by expectations and challenges, do not fight the battle alone.  Follow the example of small children, and drop to your knees in prayer."  I especially loved this one.  Just the night before  I read this I was trying to come up with a family home evening lesson, I still needed to listen to Emily read her books,  I had a manuscript I needed to write a review for by Friday and I had a few services I was doing that week.  I was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.  I was looking through some stuff under my night stand for a lesson.  I leaned against the bed and just told Heavenly father that I was was exhausted and felt overwhelmed.  After that I felt a surge of energy and was able to do a lesson and listen to Emily read.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me.  He does little things of kindness for me when I need it.  I need to remind myself of these things when Satan is having a little more pull on me. I encourage you to go and read the whole article for yourself.

"Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost"

Teachings of Presidents of the Church
Lorenzo Snow

I love studying the gospel!  This is the first time in my life that I have made it a priority and I am so glad I have.  Some days I learn new things and am impressed by what is said.  Other days I don't learn anything and am not impressed.  I am grateful for the days that I do.  Today I was enlightened about baptism.  I was baptized when I was eight and my eldest daughter has been baptized.  I have never thought of why we do exactly what we do with baptism.  I may have heard at some point part of what I read but never felt it so deeply before.  There are some great scriptures from the New Testament that give it more meaning.  In John 3:23 it says he traveled to a city that had much water.  If only a sprinkling was sufficient why would he travel to a place that had much water?  There are a few scriptures that signify that they were all the way in the water.  The Saviour came up out of the water (Matthew 3:16).  Eunuch went down into the water and then came up out of the water (Acts 8:26-38).  The symbol that I think I have heard of before is that going in the water is like being buried and coming up again is like the resurrection (Romans 6:4,; Colossians 2:12).

"Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation"

Ensign November 2006
General Conference
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/11/holy-scriptures-the-power-of-god-unto-our-salvation?lang=eng


I love the scriptures.  I didn't always love to read them and didn't always understand them.  I still don't always understand them.  I continue to read them and at different times I am enlightened.  It awes and amazes me what God and his children have done to preserve the scriptures.  I love how it says that Enos cried unto the Lord to preserve the scriptures.  If only everyone valued the scriptures that much.  I love this quote, "Take hold of the scriptures!  Cling to them, walk by them, live by them, rejoice in them, feast of them.  Don't nibble."  "The scriptures have been 'kept and preserved [for us] by the hand of the Lord...for a wise purpose in him.'"  "The Lord covenanted with Enos to preserve and bring forth the scriptures 'in his...due time.' Of the Book of  Mormon, the prophet Moroni recorded, it was 'written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord that they might not be destroyed.'"  I am so thankful that they were preserved and I have the opportunity to read and learn from them.

"He Heals the Heavy Laden"

Ensign November 2006
General Conference

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/11/he-heals-the-heavy-laden?lang=eng

I just love when you read something you have heard hundreds of times in your life but at certain times in your life or different talks you learn something new, or think of it differently. 

When I hear or read about Jesus healing I always think of physical sickness and disease.  I have never thought of the emotional, mental or spiritual but he healed them all.  There are so many more afflictions than just physical ones.  When he called for the lame, blind and physical ailments he also invited those that were afflicted in any manner.  They brought forth all of them that were afflicted in any manner and Jesus did heal them every one.

It goes on to say that the Priesthood is given the power to heal all manner of sickness and disease.  What really got to me was then it said that the Savior could heal all  but those who hold the Priesthood authority are limited by the will of God.

Another good thought is that healing blessings will be suited to each individual.  "Sometimes a “healing” cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are “healed” by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us."