Joseph Smith was a man of God. Like him, we can trust in the Lord.

Last week's scripture study from the new 2021 Come Follow Me manual, covered Joseph Smith History 1:1-26.

I want to talk about two themes in this week's scripture study today:

1. Turning to the Lord
2. Trusting God over man

Turning to the Lord
This year more than ever, I could feel the tension that Joseph Smith felt as a young boy, as people he was supposed to be able to look up to fought on all sides about what was right and what was truth. We feel that tension in the world right now as science clashes with politics over the pandemic, and we feel that in politics in general.

What felt most powerful to me as I read these scripture is that with all the voices telling Joseph Smith that they were "right," Joseph, at only fourteen years old, had the wisdom to know who to turn to for direction, the Lord. Joseph never wavered in trusting the Lord and turning to the Lord to find the truth. He read James 1:5 that reminded him that he could always ask of God, and he said:

"Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again." (Joseph Smith History 1:13)

This verse struck me strongly as I read it because I remember a moment earlier this year, when I turned to the scriptures with a prayerful desire for guidance and peace after a particular incident. I felt a deep flooding of love and reassurance from the Lord as I read Mosiah 23:25-29. This was just one of many experiences this year as I've sought to Hear Him. 

Joseph Smith prioritized the Lord in his quest for wisdom by turning first to scripture and then turning to prayer when he learned about prayer from the scriptures. 

This week as I was studying talks from the last General Conference I re-read M. Russell Ballard's talk, "Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always," and I looked up the references that are listed with his talk. I was very interested to see that in the footnote for this line, "I invite you to pray always," he referenced 12 sets of scripture (where in most cases, leaders stick to one footnote reference scripture at at time), and that of those 12 sets, 3 were from the Bible, 3 were from the Book of Mormon, and 6 were from the Doctrine and Covenants. *I have listed all of those scriptures at the bottom of this post. 

Of course, we know there are other references to praying throughout all of these scriptures but I did feel like it was telling that in our modern-day revelation the Lord placed an emphasis throughout the Doctrine and Covenants that we need to pray always, and that the pivotal moment in Joseph Smith's life, and in the restoration of the gospel, began when Joseph accepted the invitation to converse with the Lord in prayer. 

President Nelson has reminded us repeatedly that we need to seek personal revelation. 

In his General Conference address at the Women's session called "Embrace the Future with Faith," President Nelson said, "The Lord has promised that if we will ask, we may receive 'revelation upon revelation.' I promise that as you increase your capacity to receive revelation, the Lord will bless you with increased direction for your life and with boundless gifts of the Spirit." 

Trusting God over man

Later, when Joseph was stunned to see leaders of other churches join together to persecute him for his experience and his desire to share wisdom with others, he made this powerful statement:

"... Who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation." (Joseph Smith History 1:25)

In the General Conference address, "Let God Prevail," President Nelson reminds us "The Lord is gathering those who are willing to let God prevail in their lives. The Lord is gathering those who will choose to let God be the most important influence in our lives." 

We have to be careful not to let the most prominent leaders or news stations of our day drown out the voice of the Lord as he speaks to us through scriptures, our prophet, and inspired leaders at General Conference. In prioritizing the Lord and his commandments, we have the opportunity to push good out into the world.

In Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 the Lord tells Joseph, "Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not." As we do, we can be lifted up. We can be true to what we know and we can focus on being like the Savior.

I bear my testimony that Joseph Smith restored the true gospel of God to this earth, that Jesus Christ came and lived among us and taught us by example, and that we have a living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson here today. 

*Elder Ballard's references to praying (as discussed above):

Luke 18:1–8

New Testament

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Luke 21:36

New Testament

36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Ephesians 6:18

New Testament

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

2 Nephi 32:9

Book of Mormon

9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

3 Nephi 18:15, 18–21

Book of Mormon

15 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him.

18 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;

20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

21 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.

Doctrine and Covenants 10:5

Doctrine and Covenants

5 Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.

Doctrine and Covenants 19:38

Doctrine and Covenants

38 Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing—yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof.

Doctrine and Covenants 33:17

Doctrine and Covenants

17 Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom—

Doctrine and Covenants 61:39

Doctrine and Covenants

39 Pray always that you enter not into temptation, that you may abide the day of his coming, whether in life or in death. Even so. Amen.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:126

Doctrine and Covenants

126 Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen.

Doctrine and Covenants 90:24

Doctrine and Covenants

24 Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.

Learning from the Doctrine & Covenants to "Prepare Ye" in Humility and Faith (D&C 1)

I'm teaching on Sunday, the first Sunday School of the New Year!

Since I've prepared a lesson, I'm just sharing a number of the slides that I've prepared. These are most of the slides, not all of them, and just because I have them below doesn't mean I've actually use them in class.  The slides are meant to drive discussion so I'll only add a few thoughts here and there related to what I was thinking about as a discussion point when I created the slide. As a reminder, you can click on the images below to view them full size.

The first few slides apply to starting the new year with a new scripture study area, but it also applies to the contents of Doctrine and Covenants 1, which is: How are you going to study your scriptures this year based on what you learned about yourself last year?

Referring to the known difficulties of 2020, President Nelson asked the below question. I think the way we studied our scriptures and listened to the Lord in prayer as we dealt with a difficult year will affect our answer to this question:

Image Source: Christ Walking on the Water, by Robert T. Barrett; GAK 243; Primary manual 7-17; Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45-51

Sources:

Doctrinal Mastery Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Teacher Material,Lesson 17: Matthew 14,March 25–31: Matthew 14–15; Mark 6–7; John 5–6,Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2019,Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2019,New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual,Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge, Part 4,Matthew 14,Mark 6

More specifically, think about how you can improve this year based on what you did last year?

Image Source: Joseph Smith Seeks Wisdom in the Bible (Joseph Smith Seeks Wisdom from the Bible), by Dale Kilbourn; GAK 402; GAB 89; Primary manual 3-08; Primary manual 5-04; Joseph Smith—History 1:5–13

Sources:

02: Effective Study,Lesson 140: James 1,Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young,Chapter 1: The First Vision: The Father and the Son Appear to Joseph Smith,Preach My Gospel,New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual,Chapter 43: Our Search for Truth and Personal Testimony,Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith,James 1,Joseph Smith—History 1

This text from the beginning of the Come Follow Me manual reminds us of WHY this is important:

Now, on to D&C 1! If you read the Come Follow Me guide, you have already been reminded that Doctrine and Covenants is special because it's the only book that was given as latter-day revelation instead of a translation of earlier recorded works.

I'll try to let the class steer the conversation with the above questions but I also have my own answers of some of the themes I saw, and how that influenced how I will study Doctrine and Covenants this year. For instance, these scriptures stood out to me:

Some talks and quotes that came to my mind as I studied the above scriptures:

I also have a passage from a blog post that I wrote in August 2020 about Alma 43-52, and how much it focused on Moroni and how he prepared his people.

I want to also make sure the class was aware that President Nelson talks about these things in this month's issue of the Liahona, which is linked right from the home page of www.churchofjesuschrist.org

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/54camargo?lang=ase

Here's another scripture and theme that really stood out for me:

Elder Nash, speaking to BYU-Idaho in 2019, helped the students there understand how Joseph Smith was an example of a weak thing made strong:

I had not read about how the preface to the Book of Mormon came about before, and was blown away. This was linked to from the Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families guide but I'm linking to it here again because it's worth a read! It was so powerful for me to see how aware the council was of Joseph Smith's poor grammar and lack of education. I thought of so many examples of people being misjudged as weak. I have an example in here later of Tom Holdman and how the Lord made him strong in his weakness.

This is an incredible article that I have read many times. I highly recommend it. I planned to talk about this slide, but President Oaks (Elder Oaks at the time) gives a number of very specific examples of how strengths can become weaknesses, but how that doesn't mean we should hold back from using our strengths. It means we need to always have HUMILITY to make sure we are using our strengths in the right way, and not for personal glory and gain. He quotes the above Ether 12:27 to remind us the importance of humility:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1994/10/our-strengths-can-become-our-downfall?lang=eng

Quote source: 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/images/magazines/friend/2015/07/july-2015-friend-magazine-mormon_1479610_prt.pdf

We are reminded that we are not perfect, that we are here on earth to be tested and to try to be perfect like the Savior. To seek to become more like him, our loving Father in Heaven has given us modern-day revelation that we study, ponder, and prayer, and that we might make our weak things become strong. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. The Lord says this several times throughout the scriptures, that he is "no respecter of persons." I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that sent his beloved son, Jesus Christ, to earth to teach us how to live like him, and I'm grateful for modern revelation given to a young, imperfect prophet that was "made strong" by the Lord so that he could lead us in restoring the full gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth.

Where Much is Given

This morning I was thinking about the scriptures and talks I studied about spiritual gifts last week. I can identify some of my spiritual gifts and am immensely grateful for the ones that I have been able to identify.

The thought came into my mind, "Where much is given, much is required." 

In September 1989, Rex E. Lee, then the president of BYU, gave a talk at the school where he reflected on the passing of two lives, one of a man that had attended law school was him and was much like him, and one on the passing of a BYU student of whom he was dear friends with the parents. After reflecting on these losses, he said, "The Doctrine and Covenants tells us that where much is given, much is required. Not expected, but required. What you have been given is life, and what is required of you is to live it to the fullest." ("Where Much is Given: Some Thoughts on Appreciation," BYU Speeches, 1989)

Our scriptures, our prophets (past and present), and our general authorities have given us direction and instruction beyond the scriptures on how and what that means to live it to the fullest. This year has been devastating to many but in those times of devastation, sorrow, and grief, we can also see the tender mercies of our Lord.

In October 2020, President Russell M. Nelson said in General Conference, "Now, I would love to know what you have learned this year. Have you grown closer to the Lord, or do you feel further away from him?" ("Embrace the Future with Faith," General Conference, October 2020)

I loved this question when I heard it in October and I love it now as I reflect on how I have lived this past year. I'm so grateful for these men and women that came before me, and the stories that were recorded in the Book of Mormon. There are hundreds of years where no stories were recorded, so we know that we are just getting little glimpses on the reel of the history of the world. I am lifted up by the power of the faithful and what they overcame. As we go into a new year, and begin our Come Follow Me study on Doctrine and Covenants, I look forward to renewing my study of the modern-day revelation that was given to Joseph Smith not so very long ago.

Thank you to those who have been following along with me and sending me private and public messages over the years. I'm grateful for your testimonies as we seek to honor Jesus Christ by seeking goodness, kindness, charity, and faith in our beautiful but sometimes tragic world. I hope you had a Merry Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year as we head into 2021.

The 2021 Study guide can be found here.

Moroni 10 - Come Unto Christ and Be Perfected in Him: Using Spiritual Gifts

Moroni finished the Book of Mormon with his last words in Moroni 10, building on the words of the books that he had compiled, the words of Ether that he had abridged, the teachings of his father (Mormon), and what he knew would be most important for us to know based on having been given a vision and seeing us what we would face in the. latter-days.

It is interesting then, to see what he felt was MOST important to highlight. We are reminded, too, of what President Russell M. Nelson said in the October 2020 General Conference talk, "Embrace the Future with Faith,": "No other book testifies of Jesus Christ with such power and clarity. Its prophets, as inspired by the Lord, saw our day and selected the doctrine and truths that would help us most."

Some of the themes I saw emerge in the very last chapter of the Book of Mormon were:

1. That we should remember "how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men." (Moroni 10:3)

2. That we should ask God if what we read is true so that "by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:4)

3. That we should deny not our spiritual gifts nor forget that every good gift comes from God. (Moroni 10:8-18).

4. That faith, hope, and charity are bound together. (Moroni 10:19).

5. That we can "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" and that if we "love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you." (Moroni 10:32).

I'm grateful for the grace of God in our lives and the opportunity to learn from people that were here on our earth long before us. I think about how amazing it is, and how much love went into making sure that these records were written and then protected until the day that Joseph Smith was able to bring them forth and translate them. 

 I taught in Sunday School today so am going to share some of the most relevant slides related to the scriptures about the Gifts of God in Moroni 10:8-18. You can click on each slide to enlarge the slide if it is too small to read. I have also linked to the full talk below the slides.

First, the verses that talk about the gifts of God:

Moroni 10

Dallin H. Oaks explains that the Spirit of Christ is given to all and is preparatory to spiritual gifts. 

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

I thought it was important that Dallin H. Oaks emphasized here that nobody is excluded from receiving spiritual gifts. I didn't include a slide for this, but in the same "Spiritual Gifts" talk (which I highly recommend), he quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who said, "Where spiritual things are concerned, as pertaining to all of the gifts of the Spirit ... in all matters that pertain to godliness and holiness and which are brought to pass as a result of personal righteousness in all these things men and women stand in a position of absolute equality before the Lord. He is no respector of persons nor of sexes, and he blesses those men and those women who seek him and serve him and keep his commandments." (Ensign, January 1979, p.61). 

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families

"I Have a Work for Thee," by John C. Pingree, Jr.

"There Are Many Gifts," by Marvin J. Ashton

In "Spiritual Gifts," Dallin H. Oaks emphasizes that our gifts compliment each other. So read the list of spiritual gifts below, and think of them in terms of that relationship. For example, regarding the gift of testimony and the gift of faith, Oaks says, "Where it is given to some to know and to others to believe on their words, those who know must be responsible for sharing their testimonies. Only in this way can they give those who have the gift of believing on their words something to lean upon as they, too, move towards eternal life." 

"There Are Many Gifts," by Marvin J. Ashton

We can deny our spiritual gifts when we seek to use them in a way that is not focused on charity and humility. For example, the prophet Joseph Smith taught that we should not "speak in tongues expect there be an interpreter present." (Teachings, p. 247). What about trying to lift ourselves above others? This chapter of scripture is ultimately about coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him. We do this as we learn to identify our spiritual gifts and use those spiritual gifts to become more like our Savior.

"Becoming Like Him," by Scott D. Whiting

I thought it was fascinating to learn from a "modern day' leader that this advice came from 1894, but I also laughed at myself for having that reaction because of course, the Book of Mormon leaders are teaching us from a much longer time ago. However, in the quote below George Q. Cannon says that we can't excuse ourselves for our imperfections as justification, but that that the Lord has promised to "give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that eradicate them." 

"Seeking Spiritual Gifts," George Q. Cannon

Moroni 10

Our world this year has been filled with so much sorrow, grief, and blame. It has also been filled with kindness and love. It is with wonder that I am reminded that one of the spiritual gifts we can have are the gifts to allay contention and to promote righteousness. In the fairytales, the good fairies wave their wands and undo evil. How precious is it to know that we have great gifts given to us and that we can do great things that aren't just fairytales? That we can use our gifts to promote righteousness, to diffuse a "bomb" of unkind feelings, to help work miracles among our fellow men? 

"Sisters in Zion," by Henry B. Eyring

"Embrace the Future with Faith," by Russell M. Nelson

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

"Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives," by Russell M. Nelson

I have felt the great emphasis from our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, to seek personal revelation, that it is welcome to all who seek it, and that the more we seek it in an attitude of prayer, pondering, and following in the Savior's footsteps, that the more we will be blessed and be able to have truths revealed to us personally. I'm grateful for the knowledge that I can work to unlock our spiritual gifts to Come Unto Christ. We are five days away from Christmas, and as we look to that sacred day where we celebrate the birth of our Savior on earth, I am amazed to think about the other gifts we can "unwrap" as we diligently seek to have the heavens opened to us.

Moroni 7-9 "May Christ Lift Thee Up" - Faith, Hope, and Charity in a Difficult Year

After the Lamanites destroyed the last of the Nephites, and Moroni, the only survivor, said those poignant and heart-breaking words, "... for I am alone, My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go ..." (Mormon 8:5), what happened to him?

For one thing, he didn't die as soon as he expected. I think he found great comfort in reading the words of Ether, a man that was also hiding in the wilderness and recording the records of his people, just like Moroni. When we reach Moroni 7-9, and Moroni shares some of the things that his father Mormon had taught or written to him. Moroni had great faith in his Savior, Jesus Christ. He had his own faith, and he had the faith of great men like Ether and his father Mormon to further bolster him so that he was alone but not alone.

Moroni Hides the Plates in the Hill Cumorah

by Tom Lovell

This year, I have spent time interviewing my parents and learning their stories. Most recently, I learned that my great-grandfather died after being drafted into World War II. I learned that as a boy, my grandfather's family lived in an area so remote that they had to move to a village when they decided to put him in school as a child. I learned about these generations that came before me, before my father became the first in his family to move to America, where he raised my family.

I think about how fascinating it has been to learn about my parents and their parents, and then I read the Book of Mormon and think about how this is our heritage too, that these records were written for us, that we could learn from them. And that they are written about their neighbors, their fathers, their brothers, and, though rarely mentioned, their mothers, wives, and sisters. 

Knowing that Moroni was all alone, and that the was reflecting on the words of Ether and of his father Mormon, and that at this point, he was surprised to still be alive, makes what he focused on in Moroni 7 all the more meaningful, as he talks about faith, hope, and charity. 

Regarding charity, Moroni 7:8 says, "For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God."

Those words are harsh but think of it as the spirit of the law vs the letter of the law. If your neighbor offered to help you with a project, but you learned that the entire time they were helping you, they were railing against you in their head, judging you, and thinking poorly of you, would you still want that help? Isn't part of what feels good about that help believing that someone cares about you and is gladly helping you to lift a burden? And having their company with you? When you take away the heart and leave only the mechanics, it doesn't feel like a service or a kindness. In fact, if you see what they were thinking, you would feel worse after receiving help than better. Thankfully, that's a worst case scenario but it's one to think about as you are "anxiously engaged in a good cause."

Sharon Eubank, in the talk "By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power with God," from October 2020 General Conference, said: "Jacob 2:17 reads, 'Think of your [brothers and sisters] like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.' Let's replace the word substance with mercy - be free with your mercy that they may be rich like unto you. We often think of substance in terms of food or money, but perhaps what we all need more of in our ministering is our mercy.'"

Moroni 7:45 says, "And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in inquity but rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 

I've see a lot of sickness around me this year. Not just from Covid-19 itself but from people more focused on being angry about how they are being personally inconvenienced by the pandemic. These struggles are real and I fully recognize that but everyone has been struggling in one way or another, we have all been impacted in one way or another, and how we choose to internalize these scriptures, how we choose to find empathy and charity in our life, will change our perspective on how we handle our trials.

In the talk, "Wounded," from October 2018, Neil L. Anderson said, "The wounded who nurse the wounds of others are God's angels on earth." 

Henry B. Eyring, in the talk, "Tested, Proved, and Polished," said, "... we must notice the tribulation of others and try to help. That will be especially hard when we are being sorely tested ourselves. But we will discover as we lift another's burden, even a little, that our backs are strengthened and we sense a light in the darkness."

Although I have seen a lot of sickness around me this year, I've thankfully also seen a lot of healing. 

Some examples:

• Near the beginning of the pandemic, a restaurant (Magleby's) that suddenly found business was slow was able to afford to keep paying their employees, and had them go serve other businesses in the hospitality business that had been impacted by Covid. So, they kept employees employed, and rather than benefiting themselves, they tried to help other struggling businesses. They could have been upset that they were suddenly leaking money everywhere but instead, they looked around, saw that they had enough, and went looking for who else they could help.
  
  
• My sister took her two oldest children and playing music for a woman that had become a widow right before the pandemic began, and was now being isolated right at the time when she needed people around her the most. The widow watched from her open door while my sister and her kids stayed more than 6 feet away, with large instruments (including a cello) that they had lugged down the street to set up in front of her house. Not only did this widow appreciate the music but the widow's children, who worried about their mother, felt encompassed by an action that was based on mercy and love. I share this example because I personally read the notes that this widow's family posted on Instagram, but I know this isn't an isolated example of kindness. 

Moroni said it perfectly in Moroni 8:16: "for perfect love casteth out all fear."

Moroni promises in Moroni 7:16, "the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil" and in Moroni 7:12, "in Christ there should come every good thing."

Moroni 7:29 promises us, "have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men." 

In the talk, "I Believe in Angels," by Carlos A. Godoy, he says, "The Lord is always looking for willing volunteers to be angels in other's lives."

There are angels in heaven, and angels on earth. As we work to have faith, hope, and charity, may we be an angel on earth for others, may we be "faithful in Christ" so that we can lift others up as Christ lifts us up. (Moroni 9:15).

I'm thankful for this Christmas season and for the gifts we have been given. I'm thankful that through my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, I can have hope and that I can follow him and be both the giver and receiver of charity.

Wise Men Still Seek Him: A Christmas Post

This is an "extra" post, not part of my weekly Come Follow Me so make sure you didn't miss my last lesson overview!

Did you know that we don't actually know how many wise men looked for Jesus? And that we don't know how old Jesus was by the time the wise men found him?

I recently started a new blog related to my work as a professional author and writer. I just posted about how we, in modern day, still seek the Savior just like the wise men did. This is a three-minute read. If you've been enjoying my blog, I'd love your support by having you click to check it out on my new blog here: https://www.estheryusumner.com/post/wise-men-still-seek-him

It goes with why I made this piece of art: