Unique Nativities to set the scene this Christmas

For Howard Wimberly of Greenwood, Florida, being friends with Albert Lane, a 97-year-old WWII veteran, has taught him one thing: It’s never too late in life to come unto Christ.

This week's FHE lesson topic comes from the Come, Follow Me reading of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Check out this week's Come, Follow Me study ideas on LDS Living for additional resources and suggestions.

This week’s readings: 1 and 2 Thessalonians

"A big reason I do what I do now is because I’m really appreciative of what my body can do and because I was put in a situation where that might have been taken away from me,” Latter-day Saint Michael McKnight said about running ultramarathons. “I feel like I’m trying really hard to get out there and really push the body.”

The Savior never allowed the way He was treated to determine how He would treat others. We must steadily and prayerfully strive to do likewise. Far easier said than done. When someone is unkind to us, our first impulse is almost always one of wanting justice. We feel justified in treating an offender in the same way he treated us, the Golden Rule notwithstanding. It’s only fair, we think. Shouldn’t we be allowed to do unto others as they did to us? Experiencing the “mighty change of heart” spoken of by Alma (see Alma 5:14) so that even our responses are motivated by love requires a force stronger than the feelings of anger or even hatred that may so easily beset us. But even before this power can be accessed and applied, our journey toward becoming the Christlike response begins with a choice.

There are few things more hilarious than seeing primary children’s personalities shine through in unexpected ways.

It can be really difficult to invite others to experience the gospel. No one wants to be too overbearing, but no one wants to pass up opportunities to invite others to see, help, and stay at Church-related activities. So how can members be friendly and genuine without being pushy or overbearing?

My father suffered all his life from low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. He was raised by an alcoholic father who often told him how worthless he thought he was. Thankfully, my father never became an alcoholic himself, but he never told me and my siblings that he was proud of us or praised us for things we had done well. Growing up, I tried to please him, but I always felt I couldn’t quite make the mark. This caused us to have a strained relationship.

As a young sister missionary, having been set apart by my father, who was the stake president, I wondered how it was that I was able to preach the gospel to the wonderful people of Los Angeles when I did not have the authority of the priesthood as the ordained elders did. I obediently taught the gospel and felt the influence of the Spirit strongly, even to exhorting and promising, but I wondered how that was possible. I understood that I was not ordained to a priesthood office and therefore could not perform priesthood ordinances outside the temple, but I still felt that I had authority—being a full-time, set-apart, assigned-by-the-prophet missionary—to help people obtain salvation. I even felt, although I didn’t understand how, that I was authorized by the Lord to do so. Here is what I have found about this and five other sometimes confusing aspects of priesthood power and women.