The Hands that First held Mary's Child

Every year, on the first Sunday in December, our Prophet and his counselors share with us a Christmas message. I enjoyed it very much this year and thought you all should have access to it. I especially loved the first talk by Deiter Uchtdorf (no surprise there, he's my favorite). I think half of why I love his talks is his beautiful accent, it really makes me listen. They all have good messages and stories, but his are almost musically delivered. Anyways, you can get the broadcast here.

I had the thought presented today from a friend, about how Jesus was litterally a little baby, and that Mary had to change his diaper, and nurse him, and teach him and got to watch him grow. And hours later, during the broadcast, I thought of that-and I thought of how he was much like any other little baby-except that he wasn't. He was our Savior-born to a special calling. And I have a song from ward Choir Practice that puts my feelings in very eloquent perspective.

The Hands that First Held Mary's Child.

The Hands that first held Mary's child were hard from working wood

From boards they sawed and planed and filed and splinters they withstood

This day they gripped no tool of steel, they drove no iron nail,

But cradled from head to heel our Lord newborn and Frail.

When Joseph marveled at the size of that small breathing frame,

And gazed upon those bright new eyes and spoke the infant's name,

The angels words he once had dreamed poured down from heaven's height,

And like the host of stars that beamed blessed earth with welcome light.

This Child shall be Emanuel, not God upon the throne,

But God with us, Emanuel as close as blood and bone.

The Tiny form in Joseph's palms confirmed what he had heard

And from his heart rose hymns and psalms for Heaven's human word.

The tools that Joseph laid aside a mob would later lift,

And use with anger fear and pride to crucify God's gift.

Let us O Lord not only hold the Child who's born today

But Charged with faith may we be bold to follow in his way.

Go go go Joseph!

So, Its substitute time again. This year I'm helping Sue Hull out with early morning seminary by subbing when she goes to play with her grand kids so her children and their spouses can go on vacations for one on one marriage time. And this round with the Seminary class we're finishing up Genesis which involves talking about the story of Joseph, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham. Anyways, I love this story, and today we had a wonderful discussion on Families. God saves families. Family is what it is all about.

As you may recall and as back story, Joseph was favored by his dad. This was a problem because Joseph had 10 older brothers who didn't like Joseph getting special treatment. To make it worse, Joseph had dreams and visions which involved him ruling over them. They got mad, threw him in a pit, sold him to the Egyptians and told his dad that he was devoured by wild beasts. Yikes. Joseph has every right to hate them right now. This is probably up there as one of the worst cases of sibling rivalry ever recorded. Yet, Joseph made the best of a bad situation, became favored in his masters house and yadda yadda until his masters wife made some moves, and got Joseph thrown in prison (unjustly, he fled, she got mad, lied and her husband believed her). Now remember, Joseph still hasn't done anything wrong. Well, next in prison, some people are having dreams, telling Joseph about them, Joseph interprets them, they come true. Pharaoh hears about Joseph, asks for an interpretation of his dream, and Joseph becomes the right hand man to Pharaoh to help prepare the land for a famine and then to manage the storehouses during the famine. And here is where we kick off with families.

Joseph is doing his thing, when one day who comes to get grain but his brothers. Oy. Joseph knows them but they don't recognize him. All sorts of adventure ensues until Joseph finally makes himself known to them. Obviously, they're troubled. And Joseph, good old Joseph, forgives them and says "be not grieved nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." HE forgives them, tells them to forgive themselves, and gives glory to God for everything that has happened to him. His life was not easy, he loved his family and grew up without them. He was framed, betrayed, and yet he forgave and recognized Gods hand and found Gods purposes. Now, the greater lesson here, is that God saves families. It may have seemed like the family was torn apart through the trials and guilt and sorrow felt-but in the end, they were preserved and reunited.

Through faith in the Lord during trials, and by cleaving to our covenants, my family too will be preserved and reunited. Its illustrated over and over again. Lehi in the Book of Mormon did not have an easy road, he had rebellious children, but he was faithful and God preserved his family and worked salvation through his lineage. Joseph though sold by his brothers into Egypt was able to preserve his family, of who the covenants of Abraham are carried forth to the whole world. Abraham acted in faith and was blessed to receive the desires of his heart, through his faith and obedience and by the covenants he made, we all becomes heirs of eternal life. It was through the lines of these great patriarchs that our Savior was descended. And through the sacrifice of his life we can all overcome the injustices that befall us.

Families are eternal, they are not meant to end with the completion of mortality. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us how we can have joy in this life and in the next. It is restored to the earth by living prophets who commune with God and guide us back to Heavenly Father. The authority to seal families is on the earth in full in the houses of God-the Holy Temples. I pray for faith like Joseph as the trials of life come, and with happiness in my heart I thank God for the blessings of the Gospel and for my Temple marriage.

Happiness in Trials

"I'm not happy and I havn't been for a long time"

"I know how to repent, but this time, I didn't do anything wrong."

My friend said this to me the other day-she has got an unimaginably painful trial going on right now.

I've been in that dark place before.

And then I found my way out.

A priesthood blessing started the change for me. In it, Heavenly Father told me that "these trials come for one of two reasons. Either by transgression, or as an oppourtunity for growth."

With that insight, and knowing that I had not transgressed, a bit of the burden lifted. And I looked heavenward. What was I to learn from this? I looked in the scriptures. I searched the words of the prophets (we had a topical quote book-full of remarks from the prophets and apostles). I started filling my world with their comforting words. The burdens and sorrow I felt were not gone, but they were bearable. My own cross to bear.

Eventually, I had the epiphany that turned it all around.

Marla Lowder was speaking in church-and she read Alma 5: 26-27. After which, she asked a question. This question perplexed me more than the scripture so much, but what she asked was;

"Are we Humble enough to forgive our tresspassers?"

I thought about it alot in the following days and week. I prayed about it. And finally, after considering it for some time, I realized this:

Not forgiving the injustices which faced me would be like telling my savior that his atonement wasn't good enough.

Consider this, Christ paid the price already.

In the garden, he suffered the hurt I was feeling.

He knew what it was to be blameless and yet he took the blame.

He knew what it was like to suffer even though he didn't do anything wrong.

For me to continue in my grief and feelings of sorrow was too say to the Savior,

"You don't know what I'm going through.

Your sacrifice doesn't make up for what I've been through."

How prideful was I?

Though it took some time to completely let go of the hurt and anger and greif I was feeling,

My life was instantly lighter.

My trials were still there, but I knew I was not alone.

I could let go of the lonliness I felt.

I didn't have to be the martyr.

I have very poignant feelings and understanding now of the scripture found in Matthew 11: 28-30: where the savior says:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yolk upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart:

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my Yolk is easy, and my burden is light."

His yolk really is easy. His burden really is light. All it took was for me to understand my place and the role of the savior in my life. Even though I had done nothing wrong, I had a change of heart. A new resolve and understanding of life. Trials come and trials go. As Sue Hull always says,

"Life is hard and then you die."

What will I do with my time here on earth becomes the daily battle. If "Men are that they might have joy" don't you think God would want me to make the most of the trials that come my way? How do I do that? "Come what may and Love it" is a start.

I also try to follow the counsel of Gordon B Hinckley when he said,

"Cultivate an attitude of Happiness.

Cultivate a spirit of optimism.

Walk with faith,

rejoicing in the beauty of nature,

in the goodness of those you love,

in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine."

Sure does help.