Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
"Immanuel" means "With us is God." How comforting! God is with us. That is what the gift of Jesus Christ means to me. When He came to the earth, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dwelt with mortal man. And after he ascended to His Father, He sent His Spirit to be with us, so that we can always be comforted and guided. Christ can be with us. And where Christ is, miracles follow.
"Ours is the responsibility to be worthy of all the glorious blessings our Father in Heaven has in store for us." -President Monson, in the priesthood session this last General Conference
I forget sometimes how many glorious blessings Heavenly Father has prepared for each one of us in heaven. Do we remember our divine destiny when we make our daily decisions? Do we realize that the things we do now show whether we will accept the gifts that God is preparing? We're the ones who stop Him from showering blessings on us.
And of course, one of my favorite scriptures, about the real gift and meaning of Christ's birth:
"Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow." Alma 40:11-12
Merry Christmas everyone!
Love
Sister Barret
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