Purpose
To rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ and follow the example he set in his youth, “[increasing] in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
Scriptures
Scripture Chain
Additional Reading
- Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 3:24–26
- 1 Nephi 11:1–23
- Helaman 14:1–8
- 3 Nephi 1:4–21
- 3 Nephi 27:13–16
- Doctrine and Covenants 93:11–20
Lesson Resources
- Teacher's Manual
- Class Member Study Guide
- Meridian Magazine
- Does The Book of Mormon Solve the Mystery of the Wise Men?
- LDS Living
- Brother Beardall's Outline
- James E Neumann Institute
- BYU Study Series
- Seminary Manual: Luke 1-3
- Seminary Manual: Matthew 1-2
- Institute Manual: Luke 1-3
- Institute Manual: Matthew 1-4
Additional Images/Video
- Good Tidings of Great Joy: The Birth of Jesus Christ
- The Nativity
- Increased In Wisdom
- No Room at the Inn (image)
- The Birth of Jesus (image)
- The Nativity (image)
- The Announcement of Christ’s Birth to the Shepherds (image)
- The Wise Men (image)
- Flight into Egypt (image)
- Boy Jesus in the Temple (image)
- Childhood of Jesus Christ (image)
- Jesus and His Mother (image)
Additional Talks
- Richard G. Scott, “The Transforming Power of Faith and Character,” Oct. 2010 general conference
- Mary N. Cook, “Be an Example of the Believers,” Oct. 2010 general conference
- L. Tom Perry, “The Priesthood of Aaron,” Oct. 2010 general conference
19 comments:
This is one of my favorite lessons. I know, I say that every time. My SS class just laughs at me because you can't find a part of scripture that is not my favorite.....Luke 2:52. This is fascinating to me because, knowing God never wastes words and every sentence in the scriptures is purposeful, I have often wondered why the only sentence about the Savior's youth (other than losing him at the temple) is this one. This is the theme of my coaching practice. If the Savior attended to his needs on all 4 levels - physical, mental, spiritual, and social, and that is the only thing we know about his first 30 years, then He must consider that very important. Balance in life is vital because every area affects all of the other areas. Physical health affects our spiritual, social, and mental wellbeing, and the same for each area. It is even emphasized in the first great commandment...
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart (emotional) and with all thy soul (spiritual), and with all thy mind (mental), and with all thy strength (physical): this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (social).
Mark 12: 30-31
Such a simple concept to understand, but how many are really successful at making it happen? If one area is lacking, the other 3 areas suffer.
nylifecoach
NYLC - I love the concept of balance in our reading this week. So, as we become more like the Savior - as He was in His youth... we become more balanced and ready for our life's mission. I like it. Thanks!!!!
I don't have a lot of time right now and have not read the material yet; however, I did want to comment a little on Luke 2:52.
I agree 100% with NYlifecoach!!!
Many years ago I remember being at a challenging time as a parent (probably one of my first) and wishing that my daughter had come with a owner's manual. When I read this scripture a short time later, it hit me that this was her (and all children) owner's manual. As a parent, if I could help her to grow in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man - then she would have everything she needed to succeed.
It was quite a few years later that it finally dawned on me that "I" was one of those children as well and this was my owner's manual. I began restructuring things and now I use this as a basis for my goal setting, my weekly planning, etc. It is the pattern to make sure that I have balance in my life.
m3kp
I so appreciate the thoughts that have thus far been shared this week. I look forward to reading more as they are posted. I was doing the reading assignment last night and pondering on there being "no room at the inn". It was a nice feeling, as I evaluated my life, to feel as if I am trying to make room for the Savior in my life daily. One of the reasons I keep my Christmas tree up all year long is that it helps me focus on the Savior 365 days of the year. Last night there were shows on television that were calling to me and unread books on the shelves. Were these bad things? No! For FHE I watched the NYE braodcast and had a wonderful experience. I then took the time to study the scriptures before turning to other uplifting activities I enjoy. I know when I keep my life in balance it is easier to hear and feel the promptings of the Spirit. I hope that my Savior feels that I always have room for Him in my life, for I certainly need Him.
lorig
You know... this is an icky time of year for me. But I read these beautiful scriptures about our Savior and can't help but be raised up. Today the thought of the Savior as light has been particularly meaningful as I contemplate the need for light in my own life for healing.
NYLC - I have thought SO much this week about this concept of the Savior's life as an example of balance. As NY resolutions continue to give me pause - I just keep coming back to the book Mary, Martha and Me; Seeking the One Thing that is Needful. I keep remembering that it doesn't matter what is second or third on our list as long as God is first. This brings us balance because as we listen to the Holy Ghost we will be directed.
Anyhow, I promised to post a question or two to contemplate... Here are a couple from the lesson that have given me some thought:
In what ways do people today refuse to make room for the Savior in their lives - and what can we do to make room for him in our lives?
How has Jesus glorified the Father?
How can we show our gratitude to God for the gift of his Son?
Wonderful questions Whit!
I think there are a lot of reasons and ways that people today refuse to make room for the Savior. I love the picture of the Savior standing at the door without a handle on his side and knocking. Every time I see it I ask myself if my door is open or if I have carelessly closed it. I strive to have an open door policy with my Savior. Yet, I have noticed times when I get slacking in my scripture study, prayer, etc. the door closes quiet easily. One way I have found to open the door again is service. When I turn my heart over to the Lord and let him lead me to those who need 'somebody', it's like I can feel the Savior running in through my open door and shouting for joy! I have also found a key to opening the door of my heart is if I first open the door of my mind. If my thoughts are focused on the Savior then it is easier to see His influence in every aspect of my life.
Just a few thoughts!
elmozhere
Here's a new idea about grace. I like that about the Savior progressing from grace to grace, so you know me, I even found a grace quote....
"I do not understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us." Anne Lamott
Elder Cook says grace is God's enabling power that He gives to us. I bet, Whit, that He would give you his enabling power to keep those resolutions! Absolutely the best balance comes by following the Spirit, and what we do physically, mentally, and socially affect to what degree the spirit can communicate with us...even what we EAT since the spirit AND the body are the soul of man...I think of that every time I'm tempted to eat wrong or stay up too late or do anything that adds bad wear and tear on the body. I know it will affect my ability to feel the Spirit. Who I hang out with, my mental pursuits...even my thoughts...that is scary! I agree with you. This to me is the icky time of year. It's my least favorite time because I feel my worst. It is the best and most uplifting time of day to study the scriptures. Do you keep tapes or talks or BYU TV on through the day, in the car, etc.....I find that the more I inundate myself with the word, the greater the healing power.
On the physical side, if you live in a dark wintery place and are subject to seasonal affective disorder, my doctor clued me in to a big relief. He told me that it is the pineal gland that gets messed up without light and gave me a homeopathic remedy and a supplement for pineal glands. I tell you, I left his office and by the time I got home I couldn't even remember why I was in a sad mood. It was great! Now I use it on all of my patients. don't know if you have any nutritional therapists around you, but it saves my winter every year now.
nylifecoach
I have eagerly awaited seeing what all is to be discussed this week. Thank you all so much for your thoughts. Now I have a question. Does anyone have any ideas on the verse in Lk 2:19 "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered (meditated) them in her heart."? What do you think the significance is of the fact that she kept all these things (what things) and that she pondered them (what do you think she pondered)in her heart? To me the statement just comes up out of the blue but there must be something in there we can learn from it for it to be there. Do you think it is reminding us that we are to keep sacred things to ourselves and not share them with others? It seems to me that she and Joseph would have a lot to discuss about the whole situation. Or with her parents or mother anyway. Did she just keep all her thoughts and questions to herself? I wonder what Mary thought about and whether she was able to foresee what lie ahead for her son?
There are a couple of other verses that are a puzzle to me as well. Will post them later. I must confess though that just the fact that I am having some questions to think about is wonderful for me, cuz I didn't think I knew how to ponder the scriptures. Do you think questions such as these are pondering? I would love to know some of your thoughts, sisters (I love saying that word to you.) Thanks for your help and strength to me.
And BTW, I loved the thought for last weeks lesson concerning the question of whether Heavenly Mother helped prepare Mary for her special mission on earth.
karen2u
karen2u - You are definitely pondering the scriptures.
Luke 2:19 -I think Mary was thinking about all of the recent EVENTS. Thinking about the shepherds and their visit from the Angel. Thinking about what the shepherds said and the fact that they left to tell others and then came back. I think that if she didn't already know what would happen to her son she was being taught by the Spirit. I think she was being prepared for what was to come. The reality of everything was settling in. I think she was learning and understanding line upon line. Maybe our loving Heavenly Father was letting her learn line upon line because it would have been too much all at once. I try to imagine if I were in her place. I am in no way comparing myself to her. Except that I am a mortal woman and mother. If there are hard things coming for my children I really don't want to know the details ahead of time. I don't think I could take it. It's more manageable little by little. I hope this makes sense. I also think that she kept the things she knew sacred. I'm sure she prayed about them. Surely she discussed them with her husband.
It's late and I'm finally getting sleepy. These are just my own thoughts. There is more I want to say but I'm starting to not make sense to myself so I had better stop now.
sarizona
NYLC - I love the way your mind works. :O)
I agree about the enabling and ennobling power - grace. Bruce McConkie gave an amazing talk about salvation by grace. (link: http://speeches.byu.edu/freefiles/provider2/type2/McConkie84.mp3 )I have felt it SO much in my life. I should have clarified, in regards to my resolutions, that the pause is in the setting - and not yet the keeping... although in a month or so that may be different... lol
I have prayed before for strength in my goals. When I was really losing weight I felt impressed at the temple to pray for help in losing weight. Some people might consider that a very "temporal" thing to pray about in the temple... but I agree with you, our body is half of our soul and we keep it forever. (I also believe it's okay to pray for temporal things, see Alma 34:20-27 : http://scriptures.lds.org/alma/34/20-27#20)... Anyhow - as I prayed, the Spirit bore such strong testimony to me of the truthfulness of the Word of Wisdom. It was a beautiful experience. Your post reminded me of that and has helped me renew my prayers in that direction. THANK YOU!! (on a side note about my seasonal depression - I am getting a light box that should be here soon!!!! I will have to look into the other, though... THANKS!)
karen2u - I think the scripture about Mary touches me about as deeply as any scripture ever written. There are times that we feel things that are deeper than words. And we should take time to ponder them. What an amazing, beautiful, overwhelming experience it is to have a child - but the Christ child?
I think you had the right idea when you said there are some things that are too sacred to discuss! Mary definitely showed reverence and respect for a sacred experience and we can learn a lot from that.
In the scriptures we see some beautiful quotes by Mary, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
Now be it unto me according to thy word."
AND
"My soul doth magnify the Lord;
My spirit hath rejoiced in Him and in His word."
But this time, at that most miraculous of all births... she "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."
Don't you just love the scriptures???
Thank you for helping me ponder tonight!!
sarizona - you just posted as I was writing this. I love the points you make!
Whit,
As soon as I finished writing to you I was working on the lesson with your ideas in mind of following the Spirit being the most important. We are told that those who learn to take the Holy Spirit for their guide are the ones who will be ready for the second coming. So I was thinking back on all 3 lessons this year. In lesson one, those in the synagogue could not recognize that Jesus was the Savior when he stood right there and told them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled." I don't care if he was Joseph's son in their eyes. Simeon and Anna and Elizabeth and John and the shepherds and wisemen could all recognize that he was not Joseph's son. It is a good example to me of those who are receptive to the Spirit and those who are not. Even Herod in his own sick way testified of Christ. He knew who he was. But in the synagogue his own townspeople could not even be open for one minute to consider the truth of what Jesus was telling them. That is weird to me. So your point you made about following the Spirit being most important really is the dividing factor between those who will be ready and those who won't. Can we FEEL truth when it is presented to us. It is amazing that even John could feel it in the womb....he could FEEL being in the presence of truth and holiness....why couldn't the Jews feel it?
On the health note....the light boxes are great!
And karen2u...Mary pondering these things in her heart is one of my ultimate favorite NT scriptures. It fits in well this week with the idea of progressing from grace to grace....All through Jesus' life he increased in the knowledge of who he was and his mission on earth. I think we are many times given insights and flashes of knowledge into who we are and the wonderful things we are to do here, and of future events that will unfold for us. It seems right to just keep those and ponder them. If Mary had told many of the people who she really was, her mission, and all about her son they would have laughed at her and said, "YOU've got to be kidding!! YOU!!!" It would have totally taken the fun out of it for her. It is such a delicious feeling when we first come to the knowledge of these kind of truths. They were totally unreceptive to truth. Heavenly Father has told me some things recently about what He wants me to do in the very near future, and it is by the world's standards a very hard and impractical thing. So I keep it and ponder it between myself and my husband. Even when I have ventured forth to tell LDS about it because I''m happy about it and am hoping for some support and someone to confide in, without fail they say to me, "You're not going to do it, are you?" And I just say, well yes, I am going to be obedient....and then I go back to keeping it in my heart. So if that helps at all, you are a great ponderer and on the right track.
nylifecoach
I certainly don't want to take away from what has been said here regarding Luke 2:19 but I wish to add some clarification. We need to remember that Luke very likely did not meet or know of the Savior in person. Luke 2 is referred to as the Christmas story for it is believed that Mary told the story to Luke who then recorded it. Mary had pondered or meditated on things (I believe happenings in her life) for a while.
lorig
very interesting lorig. I had never heard "it is believed that Mary told the story to Luke who then recorded it."
sarizona
Luke was a Gentile who was not baptized until after Christ's death. He was a missionary traveling companion to Peter and in their travels they visited John. Mary was living with John because the Savior asked John to care for Mary. I think what we need to learn from verse 19 is to take time to think and meditate on the sacred experiences in our lives.
lorig
I know we are moving on to the next lesson, but I finally got this one read. I appreciate the other posts, and the discussions on Mary...can't wait to meet her some day!
One of my all time favorite scriptures is in the additional reading in 3Nephi 1:13-14 when Nephi is praying for his people, and Jesus comes to him and says...Guess what! I'm coming tomorrow! Don't worry. Everything is on schedule...you know. I love it! I can just feel the love in Jesus. How awesome that moment was! I read that while I was in the MTC, when I was anticipating my mission and who I was going to find and teach. I could relate in such a small way....I'm on my way and things are going to get better! I have great news to share....etc etc.
Anyway, I think it is just another example of his incredible love for each of us!
I also love the fact that He is the Son of God, with great power, and He was willing to set it all aside and become a baby, and go through the veil, and start with nothing...just like each of us did. So, basically He went from huge power, to none, just relying on parents, but mostly His Father and trusting in the plan! For some reason the magnitude of Jesus becoming a baby really hit me. I continue to be in AWE!
verily
verily - I was feeling the same things the other day. I was doing some reading Fri. night and read this thread Sat. morning before going to work. I, too, was feeling in AWE of our Savior. I was noticing everything He created as I drove to work. Especially the trees that morning. Those trees may have been planted and arranged by men but they were created by Him. He created all of this! I felt a reverence for these things that I drive by everyday and don't really pay any special attention to. It was almost as if they were talking to me! All things are spiritual in the eyes of God.
I was reading (at lds.org)-
1 Nephi 11:16 - And he said unto me: knowest thou the condescension of God?
As I read the cross-reference and topical guide for condenscension, the magnitude of it all was impressed upon me,too. Our Savior created this world and then came here as a baby to be persecuted by people who were blessed to live in this world HE created. I Stand All Amazed!
sarizona
Sarazina, reminds me of a scripture I read last night.....
1 Nephi 19:9
And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his longsuffering towards the children of men.
verily
lorig-You bring up a good point that I want to follow up with and that is putting more history/background into each discussion. Thanks for your comments!
As I read and ponder scriptures and talks from the lesson and then read all of the thoughts on this feed, my heart feels with so much peace and comfort. Thank you so much for bringing those powerful pondering moments that bring the amazing stirring thoughts that truly touch the heart. THANK YOU!!!
Michelle
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