Today we discussed how it was not a secret that Jesus Christ was going to be born. Heavenly Father tried to spread the word so that EVERYONE would know and could be prepared.
I didn't realize how many accounts there were in the scriptures to help prepare the people. I could list hundreds, but I won't write all that, so...
A few examples...
"Anna, a prophetess... coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Luke 2:36-38
"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.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child." Luke 2:15-17
"And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth." Luke 1:14
"And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God." Luke 1:16
"And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we know not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice.
And it shall be made known unto just and holy men, by the mouth of angels, at the time of his coming, that the words of our fathers may be fulfilled, according to that which they have spoken concerning him, which was according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them." - Alma 13:25-26
My personal favorite, Alma 13:24, "For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory."
Its pretty clear to me that people knew about Christ's birth.
Our Responsibility as Latter-Day Saints:
There is a wonderful talk by Elder Andersen addressing our responsibility as members of the Church.
He said, " Have
you ever thought about why you were sent to earth at this specific
time? You were not born during the time of Adam and Eve or while
pharaohs ruled Egypt or during the Ming dynasty. You have come to earth
at this time, 20 centuries after the first coming of Christ. The
priesthood of God has been restored to the earth, and the Lord has set
His hand to prepare the world for His glorious return. These are days of
great opportunity and important responsibilities. These are your days.
With your baptism, you declared your faith in Jesus Christ.
With your ordination to the priesthood, your talents and spiritual
capacities have been increased. One of your important responsibilities
is to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Savior."
 |
| Are your feet beautiful? |
Isaiah has a beautiful definition of what beautiful feet look like... "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"
To make it a more clear, Abinadi expounds on it a little more; "And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever. And behold, I say unto you this is not all. O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people. For were it not for the redemption which he hath made for his people, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, I say unto you, were it not for this, all mankind must have perished."
We have beautiful feet when we share the message of Christ.
It is a great question to ask ourselves. Are my feet beautiful? Are we sharing the Gospel AKA Good News with the world? Are we trying to forget our own story and tell Jesus Christs' story? Are we really internalizing what Moroni said to, "labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God."?
I hope we would all think (even if you aren't a member of the LDS church) of ways we can share the story of Jesus Christ more than we are.
The Brethren have told us for a very long time that the Saviors second coming is soon. We have been prepared for Christ, just like the people in the Bible and Book of Mormon were prepared - so let us help others prepare too.
I am so excited for the second coming. I am excited to share about Christ more. I'm thankful for the opportunity I've had to look internally and see how I can improve, and hope you will think how you can too.
Sources:
Preparing the World for the Second Coming - Neil L. Andersen
No comments:
Post a Comment