The Birth of Christ

Hello All,

It's been a while since I've used our family blog but now I'm in a New Testament class that is asking us to write about different things and find a forum in which to share our writings. In talking with Brent, he suggested using our family blog for this assignment. So, for now, that's what I'm going to do. I'm sure from time to time, I will post some family activities. Be on the look out but here's my first assignment.

I choose to write about people from scriptures, how they learned about the birth of the Savior, what they know about the Savior, and what they did with their knowledge. Each of these scriptural people had different experiences and different reactions but from their stories we can learn about the mission and purpose of our Savior. We can decide for ourselves what we will do with the knowledge and whether to share it to be a positive or negative force to those around us.

Elizabeth is the wife to Zacharias and cousin to Mary, the mother of Christ. Being married to someone how worked as a priest in the temple, I can only imagined she was surrounded by things of a spiritual nature. When she was in about six months pregnant with her baby, John the Baptist, she was visited by Mary who had heard from an angel that Elizabeth was pregnant. As Mary greeted her, Elizabeth felt her baby "leaped in her womb." She then had the Holy Ghost bare witness of Mary being the Mother of the Savior. She knew at that moment the baby Mary was carrying was her Lord and Mary was a blessed woman. Elizabeth then bore her witness of what she had learned from the Holy Ghost and her recognition of Mary's divine role in the birth of the Savior.

The Shepherd's in the fields the night the Savior was born most have been startle to see an angle shining brightly above them one dark night because the angle's reply to them was to "fear not" because he had come to share with them the Savior had been born. As the angel was speaking, a multitude of heavenly host joined him. As the angel told them about the Savior's birth, he also told them where he was born, and how they would know Him when they saw Him. As the angel departed, they immediately left their flock to find the Savior. Upon seeing Christ, they began telling everyone about Christ and what they had experienced.

Simeon was a man who lived in Jerusalem at the time Christ was born. He had been taught by the Holy Ghost that he would live to see the Savior with his own eyes before he left this earth. Simeon knew the Savior would be sent here for our salvation and that He would be the light of the world. He testified of the Savior and His purpose. Upon meeting Joseph and Mary in the temple with Baby Jesus, he held Christ in his arms and blessed Mary and Joseph.

One of the few women in the scriptures is a prophetess by the name of Anna. She was a much older woman when Christ was born, married and widowed for many years. She learned of the Savior through her prayers, fasting, and going to the temple. As she found out about the birth of the Savior, she instantly gave thanks and began to speak of Savior to everyone she met seeking for redemption.

No one can leave out the Wise Men in speaking of those who witnessed of Christ's birth. These men were from a foreign land but studied the words of the prophets and watched for the signs of the Lord's birth. As the star appeared announcing the birth of Christ, they immediately set out to find Him. Upon finding Christ, they presented Him with gifts.

Along the travels of the Wise Men, they came across the King of the Jews who was Herod. Herod was a man who seemed power hungry and paranoid of losing that power. He learned of the birth of Christ through the Wise Men. He and his high priest were told that Christ would someday be the king of the Jews. Because Herod believed this meant he was going take his power and throne away from him, he had his soldiers kill infant boys who were around the same age as the Savior in hopes to kill him before he were old enough to take the throne away from him.

On the other side of the world, the Nephites, whose's ancestors who originally from Jerusalem, were taught all through their lives of the Savior. A prophet by the name of Nephi was praying about the situation these group of Nephites found themselves. As he prayed, the voice of Christ came to him and told him that His birth would happen that very night. He told Nephi that he was there to fulfill all that the prophets had taught them. As Nephi heard these words, went about teaching the people of Nephi about Christ and baptizing many.

Many years ago, I was asked what I knew about the Savior. My response is that He is my brother, my friend, and the one I know I can turn to for relief from my burdens. My knowledge comes from many lessons and experiences throughout my life. I have been taught by my parents, leaders, teachers, but most of all, from the Holy Ghost baring personal witness of the truth I have read from scriptures or been taught by living apostles and prophets. I know that my strength comes from my faith in Christ and my desire to be more like Him in all I do. I am not perfect but someday, I know I can be perfect through my Savior.