Perspective

I'm upset.

Whatever bug it is that we've been stricken with was formulated by Hades himself. There seems to be no end to it's ability to change and torment us.

Perhaps we get sick so often because I refuse to have the patience to be content with it 90% of the time...

Anyway, I am upset.

In going through my blog roll, I saw that Jocelyn is hosting a Christmas-themed Book of Mormon blog hop.

"What a better way to banish my upset-ness (however momentarily;)) than to share one of my favorite scriptures!?!?," thought I.

To start, back story-

Five years previous, the prophet Samuel announces to the people that the Savior of the world will be born in five years in the land of Jerusalem. As a sign, so these people would know that the Son of God had indeed been born on the other side of the world, there would be no darkness for a day a night and a day. The sun would go down and rise, but there would be no darkness.

Many people believed Samuel. Many didn't.

Those who didn't believe mocked those who did. They also had the audacity to say, "If the sign doesn't happen by such-and-such a date, we're going to kill all of you crazy believers."

Needless to say, the believers were getting pretty anxious and scared, but watched and waited faithfully.

Nephi, a prophet and of course a believer, was none to happy to see such evil among his own people (the unbelievers wanting to kill the believers).

So Nephi went out and prayed. He prayed for his people, he prayed for the believers, he prayed ALL day.

And so we come to the end of my ridiculous summary and to my favorite verses-

And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.
3 Nephi 1:12-13

Makes me cry. Every time.

Can you imagine?

Thousands of years of prophets telling people that Jesus is coming.
Your life and the lives of those you loved being threatened by people who refuse to believe the truth.
Knowing that tomorrow! the Redeemer of all mankind was to be born.

Amazing, amazing, amazing!

I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the testimonies of Christ that I read in it. I am so thankful for this touching story of the very first Christmas in the ancient Americas. And I am looking forward to being healthy with my family and enjoying this beautiful, wonderful, happy season of the year together.

Thank you, Jocelyn, for this chance to share:)