The full 2-hour Christmas special from “The Chosen” will air on BYUtv on Sunday, December 19th.

No one knows for sure how many wise men went to Bethlehem to honor Jesus as the newborn king of the Jews. Tradition says there were three wise men and there may have been. We do know that the wise men came from the east of Bethlehem "following yonder star." However they did not arrive on the night that Jesus was born. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. Understanding which English words the King James translators chose to use to reflect the meaning in Greek is important. Eight times in Matthew 2:8-21 the words "young child" are used when talking about the wise men looking for Jesus. The Greek word used is "pad ion" and young child is the best translation. If the wise men had come on the night that Jesus was born the Greek word would have been "Brephos," which means "infant" or "baby." Also when the wise men "were come into the house (oikia)", they saw the young child (Padion) with Mary his mother. The word "house" in Matt. 2:11 is 'Oikia" in Greek and it can only be translated as "family residence or house." Three times Luke insist that Jesus was laid in a "Phatne." A phatne is a Greek word that can only be translated as "a fodder a crib, a manger, or a stall." "Wise" as found in Matt. 2:1 referring to the wise men is the Greek word "magos." Magos can be translated into "Magi, Sorcerer, or Wise Man." Most magi were also students of the stars and most ancient societies believed in heavenly signs. The shepherds did come the night that Jesus was born but not the wise men nor the star.

In every aspect of Christ's ministry on earth and in heaven, women have held a prominent role as witnesses and receivers of His divinity and grace. Eve knew, worshipped, and offered sacrifices for the premortal Christ. Mary brought the Son of God into this world. The Samaritan woman witnessed Christ's first recorded declaration that He was the Messiah of the world. Mary and other women witnessed our Savior at the tomb after His resurrection. The angel Moroni showed Mary Whitmer the gold plates, allowing her to be a witness of their truth. Clearly, women hold a significant and sacred role in the eyes of our Savior and in His ministry. Camille Fronk Olson speaks of this role in her book Women of the New Testament.

This lesson will not follow the outline suggested in the Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Manual. However, the points covered in that lesson will all be mentioned here.

Last week was a difficult one for Ezra Sosa.

Sometimes knowing leads to doing, and other times doing leads to knowing.

So you think Latter-day Saints can't dance? It's a myth that has circulated pop culture and cultural halls, whether based on the lack of rhythm found at certain stake dances or this clip from Cheers, it's hard to tell:

The following story originally ran on LDS Living in June 2016 but has been updated to celebrate the last year of the Mormon Miracle Pageant.

Conference Talk:

Have you ever heard of Marie Kondo? She’s a Japanese professional organizer known for her method of only keeping what “sparks joy” in her life. We can follow her example by becoming a transitional character—someone who breaks cycles of negativity and embraces joyful practices. In this episode, we talk with BYU professor Christopher Jones about what it means to be a transitional character, and how we can spark joy in our own family histories.