Wise Men Still Seek Him

Merry Christmas.

And may your Holiday be Merry, Bright, and full of Light.

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A Few Thoughts on Bethlehem at this Holiday Season

Sometimes, that which seems small can signify great things. As we’ve reflected and were taught about Bethlehem and the Savior’s birth, we’ve added and compiled a few thoughts:

Bethlehem

Meaning “house or place of bread,” Bethlehem would produce the “Bread of Life.”

The Inns

There were no rooms in the Inns but He has said He has prepared a place for you in the mansions of his father.

The Lamb of God

The Lamb of God was born in a stable and perhaps near where shepherds kept the flocks of sheep for the temple.

The Good Shepherd

The announcement of the birth of the Good Shepherd near Shepherd’s Field was given to the shepherds who cared for the flocks of Israel.

The Manger

Set in a manger used for feeding, He would be the one to feed Israel.

King of Kings

The King of Kings was born in the most humble of circumstances.

Passover

Jesus, the Lamb of God was born at or near the Passover season when the sacrificial lamb would be sacrificed commemorating the physical deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt. Jesus came as the spiritual deliverer.

Looking out from the shepherd’s fields, we could see olive trees down below.

Earlier in 2010, we sat at the Shepherd’s Fields and sang:

1. O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

2. For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.

3. How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

Hymns, O Little Town of Bethlehem, no. 208

Text: Phillips Brooks, 1835–1893

We also sang Silent Night:

1. Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace;
Sleep in heavenly peace.

2. Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!

3. Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth;
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Hymns, Silent Night, no. 204
Text: Joseph Mohr, 1792–1848; trans. by John F. Young, 1820–1885

Some insights to Bethlehem from our previous post:

• There are three different processions at the Church of the Nativity: Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Aramaic.
• The announcement to the shepherds of Jesus’ Birth is thought to have been in the Shepherd’s Field area we visited.
• In the same area, the story of Ruth and Boaz occurred.
• Jacob’s wife Rachel died in the Bethlehem giving birth to Benjamin.
• It is called the City of Kings.
• David, King David, was from Bethlehem.
• Bethlehem is about 800 meters above sea level.
• The area of Bethlehem is full of caves, we saw and entered into a few.
• Caves there are warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
• Caves were easily expanded due to the soft nature of the limestone.
• It sometimes snows in Bethlehem.
• It’s 75 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem (a 4 day trip).
• Joseph and Mary came during Passover.
• The firstborn of the sheep were to be set aside for sacrifice.

We recently watched again The Nativity Story which was released in 2006. The movie experience was much different this time around having visited Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem. The movie helps visualize the following:

Luke 2:1-20

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

From Mathew Chapter 1

18 ¶Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

From Matthew Chapter 2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 ¶And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

16 ¶Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,

18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

19 ¶But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

For us, singing those Christmas hymns at church will never be the same, but you don’t have to Israel to know that it’s true. Thanks for reading.

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Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

We enjoyed visiting the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

The view from the temple was extraordinary.

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Gordon Hinckley Video – Lessons I Learned as a Boy

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a YouTube Channel where it posts videos on a weekly basis.  While watching some of the videos one Sunday, I came across a video that relates a story from Gordon B. Hinckley that he gave many years ago.  How enjoyable to listen to his voice again.

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Angels & Dinosaurs

What do Angels & Dinosaurs have to do with each other?  It’s probably a question that has kept you up late at night as well as countless others…well, perhaps not.  But what do Angels & Dinosaurs have in commen other than sounding interesting when put together in the same sentence?

Well, perhaps Angels and Dinosaurs don’t have much in common except for that I was reading some articles on LDS.org and read an article about Dinosuars and then read an article about angels.  But the things that the articles did have in common were insights into science (dinosaurs) and faith (angels).

The first article by  Morris S. Petersen, at the time a professor of geology at Brigham Young University and president of the Provo Utah East Stake, adresses some questions about science and faith and that the two topics are not mutually exlusive but compliment one another.  The article was posted in various Church magazines in 1987 and 1988.  A snippet from the article:

…the scriptures testify of Jesus Christ and how we may receive the blessings of salvation and exaltation through his atonement. They reveal  why (not necessarily how) the earth was created, and what laws and principles a person must follow to obtain eternal life. The goal of science, on the other hand, is to learn  how (not why) the world was made and to understand the laws and principles governing the physical world.

The different roles science and religion play is illustrated in a study of the dinosaurs. From the fossil record it is theorized that the dinosaurs were the dominant animals on earth between 225 and 67 million years ago. Some were meat-eating, others lived on plants. Some were small, while others were gigantic, weighing up to seventy-two metric tons and growing to lengths of more than twenty-seven meters.

The existence of these animals is unquestionable, for their remains have been found in rocks all over the world. What eternal purpose they played in the creation and early history of the world is unknown. The scriptures do not discuss the subject of dinosaurs, and it is not the purpose of science to explain why they were here. We can only conclude, as Elder Talmage did, that “The whole series of chalk deposits and many of our deep-sea limestones contain the skeletal remains of animals. These lived and died, age after age, while the earth was not ready for human habitation.”

The relationship between scripture and what is currently understood in science is always changing. Science continually learns more about the history of life on earth, and we have every reason to believe that much more will be learned as research continues.

The article about Angels and spiritual development/experiences comes from Bruce C. Hafen and provides interesting insight into the various periods of our lives and experiences we may have and offers a connection to the members and experiences of the days of the early Church in the 1800′s.  A few snippets from the article:

The ministry of angels in the lives of ordinary, devoted people often goes unrecognized….

The veil between heaven and earth usually hides the angels from our sight. Yet often in the early stages of our spiritual development, we may experience unmistakable contact with the angels of the unseen world. These experiences may move our sense of belief to a sure sense of knowledge, as we exclaim with Alma, “O then, is not this real?” And Alma replies to us, “Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is  discernible.” (Alma 32:35; italics added.)

Yet our discerning this light does not yield perfect knowledge. We must nourish the tree of faith to “get root” against the day “when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it.” (See  Alma 32:37–38.) As we wait for additional flashes of spiritual light, our days of nourishment and testing can last many years.

The early manifestations of “discernible” angelic contact in our spiritual development frequently occur in youthful conversion experiences, missionary service, or times while we are attending college. These crucial, formative periods of spiritual breakthrough in a young person’s life may be compared with the Kirtland period in Church history; and the years that follow may be compared with the period of Nauvoo and beyond.

Youthful Kirtland Years

The early years of Kirtland were an unusually happy time for Joseph Smith and the Saints. What wonderful events had blessed them in only a few years: the Vision in the grove, the publication of the Book of Mormon, the formal organization of the Church, the optimistic launching of missionary work, the school of the prophets, and mighty revelations outlining a glorious future. It was a youthful, buoyant time. The Saints had no inkling of what waited for them, coiled like a deadly snake barely around the corner of history: mobs, persecution, apostasy, and martyrdom.

But first the angels came. Indeed, the dedication of the Kirtland Temple in March of 1836 represented the greatest spiritual outpouring in modern Church history. Joseph wrote that, shortly after the dedicatory prayer was offered, “Frederick G. Williams arose and testified that [during the prayer] an angel entered the window and took his seat between Father Smith and himself. David Whitmer also saw angels in the house.”

Later, “Brother George A. Smith arose and began to prophesy, when a noise was heard like the sound of a rushing mighty wind, which filled the Temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose, being moved upon by an invisible power; many began to speak in tongues and prophesy; … and I beheld that the Temple was filled with angels. … The people of the neighborhood came running together (hearing an unusual sound within, and seeing a bright light like a pillar of fire resting upon the Temple,) and were astonished at what was taking place.”

Of one of the concluding meetings, Joseph wrote, “The Savior made his appearance to some, while angels ministered to others, and it was a Pentecost and an endowment indeed, long to be remembered, for the sound shall go forth from this place into all the world, and occurrences of this day shall be handed down upon the pages of sacred history, to all generations.” (History of the Church, 2:427–33.)…

We Lived Once in Kirtland

Our youthful years as missionaries and students are, despite their typical growing pains, frequently a kind of Kirtland for us: a simple and beautiful time, filled with intellectual breakthroughs, private spiritual moments, and emerging idealistic convictions. Those years may lift us for a time above the noise and smoke and confusion of worldly valleys to a high mountain peak, where we develop a growing closeness to the Infinite.

But the day always seems to come when we must leave our Kirtlands. When we do, sooner or later, we may have our own kind of Nauvoo, perhaps more than once. We will have our own frozen rivers and parched deserts to cross, a moral or financial or intellectual wilderness to tame. It will not always be fun. Perhaps we will feel bewildered and disappointed, and we may look back longingly to those youthful years, wondering why we cannot recapture the way things were in our days of Kirtland.

When our Nauvoo comes, we may find ourselves living in a culture that offers little reinforcement for our belief in the ideals of family life. The surrounding environment may even discourage and attack our devotion to marriage and children. Some of us may begin to feel a growing sense of distance in our marriages, as those around us take for granted that modern men and women should not feel bound by unconditional family commitments. But we will know better, for we lived once in Kirtland, where the Spirit whispered to us that the doctrine is true: marriage is sacred and love is forever….

Such  unseen angelic manifestations in the “extremities” of our lives may, over time, have more profound meaning than the more visible outpouring of Kirtland. The Lord has promised that if you are true and faithful, the Lord himself may be “in your midst and ye cannot see me.” (D&C 38:7.) Even if you do not see him, he can “be on your right hand and on your left, and [his] Spirit shall be in your hearts,” and the angels who came to Kirtland will be “round about you, to bear you up.” (D&C 84:88.)…

When do the angels come? If we seek to be worthy, they are near us when we need them most. The mountain might even be full with the horsemen of Israel and their chariots of fire.

Another interesting article that I read after reading the first two is by Susan Easton Black and refers to witnesses, those who saw and testified.  Along with the article about witnesses, I came across an article by Keith W. Perkins that detailed the story of the Whitmer family who were eye witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

Also of interest are the recent updates to  Mormon.org which now has video lessons that visitors can watch and learn about the Church.

References in Print:

Morris S. Petersen, “Questions and Answers,”  Tambuli, Apr. 1988, 29–31

Also found in:  Morris S. Petersen, “I Have a Question,”  Ensign, Sept. 1987, 28–29

Bruce C. Hafen, “When Do the Angels Come?,”  Ensign, Apr 1992, 12

Susan Easton Black, “‘I Am Not Any Longer to Be Alone’,”  Ensign, Jan 1989, 51

Keith W. Perkins, “True to the Book of Mormon—The Whitmers,”  Ensign, Feb 1989, 34

Article Web Sources:

Do we know how the earth’s history as indicated from fossils fits with the earth’s history as the scriptures present it?  (1988, April). In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Official Website. Retrieved 16:13, March 29, 2009, from  http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&
sourceId=f2418b5c1dbdb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

When Do the Angels Come?. (1992, April). In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Official Website. Retrieved 16:13, March 29, 2009, from http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&
sourceId=5b3f94bf3938b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

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Draper Temple Dedication

Today, March 22, 2009, marks the final day for dedication session of the Draper Utah Temple.  We had the chance to see this temple during various phases of construction, and volunteered few a few days at the open house.  From the temple grounds, you can see the valley, an increadible view.

Below are some videos that explain why temples are so important.

Below are some videos we’ve highlighted previously about temples including commentary by members of other religions, scholars of religion, and so on.

	President Boyd K. Packer talks about temples. Clips taken from Between Heaven and Earth.
	Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks about families and temples. Clips taken from Between Heaven and Earth.
	Frank Moore Cross, Ancient History Harvard University, speaks about temples. Clips taken from Between Heaven and Earth.
	Ann Madsen speaks about temples. Clips taken from Between Heaven and Earth.
	Lawrence H. Schiffmann speaks about temples. Clips taken from Between Heaven and Earth.
	Krister Stendahl (now deceased) speaks about temples. Clips taken from Between Heaven and Earth.
	A video montage of temples around the world.

Videos and more information located on the Church’s Newsroom Website.

If you seek more information on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please see Mormon.org.

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