Ye shall find the babe....lying in a manger!

Babies! What wonderful news to learn that new babies will be born in 2008 to the Robison posterity. Jenny and Karenin (and perhaps another sibling soon) have announced great news.

Christmas is a time we think about a new born baby in particular, even our Lord and Savior. I hope each of our grandchildren will sit by the fire and have read to them the words from Luke 2: 4-17

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manager; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shown round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddelnly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made know abroad the saying whcih was told them concerning this child.

Let's talk about the wonder of a baby coming into the world. A favorite poem of mine about babies was penned by William Woodsworth:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting
The soul that rises with us, our life's star
Hath had elsewhere its setting
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forget fulness,
And not in utter nakedness
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God who is our home.

In a tribute to the birth of the prophet Joseph Smith, I came across a quote about babies that intrigued me from F.M. Bareham, written about sixty years ago:

"A century ago (in 1809) men were following with bated breath the march of Napoleon and waiting with feverish impatience for news of the wars. And all the while in their homes babies were being born. Who could think about babies? Everybody was thinking about battles. In one year between Trafalgar and Waterloo there stole into the world a host of heroes: Gladstone was born in Liverpool; Tennyson at the Somersby Rectory; and Oliver Wendall Holmes in Massachusetts. Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, and music was enriched by the advent of Felix Mendelssohn in Hamburg." (We might add, and Joseph Smith was born in Vermont, four years earlier.) The quoting F. M. Bareham further:"But nobody thought of babies, everybody was thinking of battles. Yet which of the battles of 1809 mattered more than the babies of 1809? We fancy God can manage His world only with great battalions, when all the time, He is doing it with beautiful babies."

President Kimball quoted that in his tribute to the birth of Joseph Smith, and then in that same speech spoke of babies in this context:

"When a wrong wants righting, or a truth wants preaching, or a continent wants discovering, God sends a baby into the world to do it. While most of the thousands of precious infants born every hour will never be known outside their neighborhoods, there are great souls being born who will rise above their surroundings.....one mother gives us a Shakespeare, another a Michelangelo, and other an Abraham Lincoln. When theologians are reeling and stumbling, when lips are pretending and hearts are wandering, and people are running to and fro, seeking teh word of the Lord and cannot find it--when clouds of error need dissipating and spiritual darkness needs penetrating and heavens need opening, a little infant is born."

What a wonderful way to conclude 2007 - to celebrate the birth of the Savior and Joseph Smith and anticipate the births of new grandchildren in 2008.

Family Home Evening Activity:

1. Read Matthew 2: 1-12 (or memorize) while sitting by the fire and the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
2. Act out Luke 2:4-17
3. Tell the story of what is was like for the family when the previous babies were born and how happy everyone was.
4. Look at the baby pictures of each of the grandchildren
5. Bear each other your testimony about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

6. Bake some cookies together that you can give away on Christmas Day to a neighbor

Praise to the Man!

December 23, 2007. Two hundred and 2 years ago, the prophet Joseph Smith was born. He was born on December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont.

They Named Him Joseph. "When theologians are reeling and stumbling, when lips are pretending and hearts are wandering, and people are 'running to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord and cannot find it"--when clouds of error need dissipating and spiritual darkness needs penetrating and heavens need opening, a little infant is born. Just a few scattered neighbors in a hilly region in the backwoods even know that Lucy Smith is expecting. There is no prenatal care, nor nurses, no hospital, no ambulance, no delivery room. Babies live and die in this rough environment and few know about it.
Another child for Lucy! No trumpets are sounded; no hourly bulletins posted; no pictures taken; no notice is given; just a few friendly community folk pass a word along. It's a boy! Little do the brothers and sisters dream that a prophet is born to their family; even his proud parents can little suspect his spectacular destiny. No countryside farmers or loungers at the country store, no village gossips even surmise how much they could discuss, did they but have the power of prophetic vision.
"They are naming him Joseph," it is reported. But no one knows, not even parents, at this time, that this infant and his father have been named in the scriptures for 3,500 years, named for and known to their ancestor, Joseph, the savior of Egypt and Israel. Not even his adoring mother realized, even in her most ambitious dreaming and her silent musings, that this one of her children, like his ancestor, will be the chief sheaf of grain to which all others will lean and the one star to which the sun and moon and other stars will make obeisance.
He will inspire hatred and ambition; he will build an empire and restore a church--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions will follow him; monuments will be built to him; poets will sing of him; authors will write libraries of books about him.
No living soul can guess that this little pinkish infant will become the peer of Moses in spiritual power and greater than many prophets before him, He will talk with God, the Eternal Father, and Jesus Christ, His Son; and angels will be his great instructors.
"We fancy," said F. M. Bareham, "God can manage His world only with great battalions, when all the time He is doing it with beautiful babies."
Oh foolish men who think to protect the world with armaments, battleships, and space equipment, when only righteousness is needed!
Having read the pages of history, six thousand years of it, can we not see that God sent His babies to become the teachers and prophets to warn us of our threatening fate? Cannot we read the handwriting on the wall? History repeats itself.
Oh mortal men, deaf and blind! Can we not read the past? For thousands of years have plowshares been beaten into swords and pruning hooks into spears, yet war persists.
The answer to all of our problems--personal, national, and international--has been given to us many times by many prophets, ancient to modern. Why must we grovel in the earth when we could be climbing toward heaven! The path is not obscure. Perhaps it is too simple for us to see. We look to foreign programs, summit conference, land bases. We depend on fortifications, or gods o stone; upon ships and planes and projectiles, our gods of iron--gods which have no ears, no eyes, no hearts. We pray to them for deliverance and depend upon them for protection. Like the gods of Baal, they could be "talking or pursuing or on a journey or peradventure sleeping" when they are needed most. And like Elijah, we might cry out to our world.
"How long halt ye between two opinions! if the Lord be God, follow him...(I Kings 18:21)
My testimony to you is, the Lord is God. He has charted the way, but we do not follow. He personally visited Joseph Smith in our world, in our century. He outlined the way of peace in this world and eternal worlds. That path is righteousness. The Prophet Joseph Smith with all the successor prophets proclaiming the ripening of this world in iniquity and the solution of all vexing problems. The Book of Mormon which he translated relates the story of 200 years of peace in the old days, which was the greatest era of happiness of which we have any complete record. (They Named Him Joseph, by Spencer W. Kimball, December 1966)

Praise to the Man! Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fullness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's annointed in ancient times,, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood." (D&C 135:3) Praise to the Man!

Family Home Evening Activity:

1. Color a picture of the prophet Joseph Smith
2. Have your mom or dad tell what it was like living at the Hill Cumorah for three summers and participating in the Pageant.
3. List the things that Joseph Smith accomplished that you can remember.
4. Study the prophesy of Joseph Smith from 2 Nephi 3:15.
5. Tell a story about what Joseph Smith was like as a little boy. Perhaps tell the story about when he had an operation on his leg.
6. Share your testimonies with each other about Joseph Smith.

Robison Family Christmas Traditions

Joelle . Here are a couple of my favorite Christmas memories. Every year Mom would say that she is going to keep this Christmas a small one, but every year there were a mountain of gifts ... more than we could think to ask for. Now that I am a parent I see how much joy it brings to find the perfect gift for one of the girls and be more excited about giving that than anything I could possibly receive.

I love the big breakfasts dad would make. I have bought everything right down to the blueberries so that John can do the same.

Here is one funny memory. I can clearly remember laying in bed trying to sleep, but just being way too excited. Justin tip-toed into my room and said that he had "accidently" snuck into your closet sometime during the day and he had seen some cabbage patch kids, one with a pacifier.

I want you guys to know how much I enjoyed everything about Christmas when I was young. I remember everything being just perfect, and now I know how much work it takes to make a perfect Christmas. I hope we can spend a holiday with you guys soon." Love Joelle

Justin . "Mom's Christmas Eve dinner feasts (it was like having a 2nd Thanksgiving every year), and here are the others:

• Opening a present or two on Christmas Eve

• The thousands of white lights on our house on south drive
  

• Driving around to see the lights

• Making the rounds to ward members homes on Christmas eve

• Singing carols, eating treats (Mary kay cookies/ Nanaimo bars- yum)
  

• The Musson's Christmas lights & their Christmas parties

• Our late night appetizer & present party the past couple of years
  
  
• Christmas 'cracker' (popper) things for dessert
  
  
• Santa's footprints
  
  
• Lining up to go see what Santa brought
  
  
• Fun stocking stuffers (oranges, chocolate, Toblerone, magazine..)
  
  
• Entenman's coffee cake or cinnamon rolls while waiting for the action on Christmas morning
  
  
• Dad's famous breakfast with blueberry pancakes, eggs, sausage
  
  
• The present piles with different wrapping paper for each person
  
  
• The little kids/babies the past few years

Jennifer . "I think our Robison family Christmas Eves are the best in the world. I especially miss being with you on Christmas Eve. My favorite memories were when we would go and deliver goodies and visit with different people in the ward. Dad would dress up as Santa and sometimes the Gilmours would come over to sing 12 days of Christmas. That was always my favorite song to sing because we each got a part.

I loved having Christmas dinner and opening the Christmas Crackers. I also loved visiting the Mussons. I really miss those Christmas Eves. I hope we can find some fun traditions like you did for us.I also love mom bringing up cream cheese coffee cake while we waited at the top of the stairs."

When we lived in Millcroft, and when it was a white Christmas, it was fun to go to the golf course and sled or cross country ski as a family.


Jeremy: Our Traditions - On Christmas Eve, we are opening 1 present each of the givers choice, and tonight we open our family PJ's to wear.... Some time today we want to read the christmas story in LUKE.... and maybe watch the LDS Christmas dvd that was made a few years ago (i love that one)....
We would also like to sing Christmas hymns/carols.... and lie down under the tree with Sylie and read some fun Christmas stories...
Maybe tonight we can also discuss what we would each like to give to the Lord in a spiritual sense....
In the morning we will have a Christmas breakfast (blueberry pancakes, eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, fresh squeezed OJ)...
We will then go to our stockings that are already filled and hanging.... We will also open presents taking turns.

My Christmas Memories. I thought it was awesome how Santa's foot prints were made of magical snow that wouldn't melt... and how he would eat and drink the milk and cookies we left out for him... I remember Justin and I trying to scientifically convince Jamie that santa was real... we even pointed out the window of our room in Millcroft at some lights in the sky that were blinking, and said it was the rain deer.
I loved waiting at the top of the stairs in our birth order, being frustrated when Jamie would only walk slowly down the stairs as a little child...
Even though sometimes we would be stuck waiting at the top of the stairs for "unknown reasons" ...it was fun to be entertained by orange juice while waiting.... (which kid started that request/tradition?)
I loved the anticipation to open the gifts by having to wait my turn... most of the time I would have the gift already unwrapped secretly while waiting so all I would have to do is pull off the paper... (sometimes Jamie would catch me and try and tell on me)...
The Santa Clause concept is amazing... I can't wait to see Sylie's reactions.

Jameee's Memoires. The things that I remember go right along with the rest of the siblings. Every year we expected it to get smaller and smaller due to mom's "we are making this one small" but they were HUGE. so many presents around a beautiful, huge tree. I have no idea how much time mom and dad put into that room, but it always looked so good. I remember one year we had the great idea to ask mom and dad to put up a paper wall in the entry to the big room, so that we could rip through it like a high school football team. I remember it was there, but that it wasn't as cool as we all imagined. but props to mom and dad for doing it, it looked like a lot of work.

I really don't remember when I stopped believing in Santa. I think it was when I was really young, because I don't have any Christmas memories of believing in Santa. I bet Jer would tell everyone that I always believed, but as we all know from the power-wheels incident, I am a sucker for the crowd psychology, whatever they would tell me I would at least pretend that I was game.

A few of my favorites -

• Ppening presents one at a time; taught me patience and I loved seeing what everyone else got. (Plus it made Christmas last like 80 times longer)
• someone told me that in their family they all just rush to the tree and open and it sounded so gay. So thanks ma and pa for not homosexualizing us to those traditions
• Musson's house, - I would always feel kind of out of place but it was fun
• Our Christmas lights in Roseland on South Drive
  
• Dads breakfasts... mmm.
• Christmas naps
• We saw the "preachers wife" on Christmas once at a Movie Theatre, that was cool
• Christmas crackers! and then trying to trade each other for the small deck of cards
• Stockings being sooooo packed
• Me at the front of the Christmas line every single year!
• I dont know, it was all soo good.

Remember last Christmas (2006)

Joelle and John Traditions :

Joelle and John have John's mother nearby. They have a great tradition of having a Christmas gathering with her and then plan to have their own gathering on Christmas morning. The big crisis that loomed in the family last year was the fact that Santa's bags were packed and Grace had changed her mind that she wanted something different from Santa than she asked for up until (December 23 ^rd). " So Christmas eve, they had the traditional fancy dinner at Jeane's house. The kids always have brand new pajamas to open, and they read and acted out the Christmas story from the bible. Christmas morning Santa left magic snow footprints (Grace asked about 5 times if the magic footprints would be there again this year). They had a big breakfast of blueberry pancakes, sausages and eggs." (Joelle)

Justin and Lisa Traditions

Justin and Lisa are far away from both sets of grand-parents. They had Christmas on their own and then headed out to Lisa's home in Minden, Nevada the day after Christmas. " We went to church on Christmas Eve Day (long sacrament program, nothing else). They had crepes for breakfast. Then they made a snowman and played board games. They had prime rib dinner Christmas eve at 5:30 then chocolate pie dessert. then they opened 2 presents each (1 PJ's, one random). Then went on a drive to see the lights. Then they read our last Christmas book and drank Vita-mix hot chocolate, then it was off to bed. Santa came and the kids got up early and lined up and saw what Santa brought. They then had a big blueberry pancake breakfast with eggs, sausages and then play with toys, eat leftovers." (Justin)

Jenny and Jason Traditions

Jenny and Jason have the luxury of having Jason's parents close by. (Christmas eve), they had a cozy day watching a nice DVD, having hot chocolate, reading stories, and they even built a Mo and Bumpas pair of snowmen. Christmas morning they will celebrated Christmas in a big way with Jason's family. " On Christmas Eve they went for a drive to see the lights, just like I (Jenny) used to do when I was younger. We also let Taylor open one present. I wish we could do the magic footprints, but Santa is coming to Jason's parents house, so I will decided to try and do that next year. (Jenny)

Jeremy & Karenin Traditions

"Today (December 24, 2006) we opened one present each of the givers choice, and at night we opened our family PJ's to wear.... During the day, they read the Christmas story in LUKE.... and watched the LDS Christmas DVD that was made a few years ago (I love that one)....
We also like to sang Christmas hymns/carols.... and laid down under the tree with Sylie and read some fun Christmas stories...

Christmas Eve we also discussed what we would each like to give to the Lord in a spiritual sense....

On Christmas morning, we had a Christmas breakfast (blueberry pancakes, eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, fresh squeezed OJ)...
We will then went to get our stockings that were already filled and hanging.... We also opened presents taking turns." (Jeremy)

Mom and Dad Christmas Memories

Mom. We always had A big Christmas at my Grandparents house (Mamaw and Papaw - Barbara's parents). Mom and I lived nearby, her sister Nancy and her family did too. The Worls would drive in from Indiana on Christmas Eve. We would have a big turkey dinner on Christmas Eve - turkey with all the trimmings. Each year there would be a debate on what stuffing went in the turkey - regular or oyster. Regular always won (thank goodness). There would be 15 of us (at least) for dinner. We always sang the 12 days of Christmas while washing the dishes.

Mom and I would go to our apartment to sleep, sometimes with an extra cousin to sleep over, and we would go to Mamaw and Papaw's house first thing in the morning. Papaw always had some of his special sausage cooked for us. He owned a meat packing company in downtown Chicago and would make a special recipe to give out for Christmas. Grandchildren had to stay out of the large living room where Santa had left mounds of presents. This involved blindfolds and other creative solutions since the living room lay between the bedrooms and the kitchen. The presents surrounded a gorgeous white Christmas tree. My grandparents liked HUGE Christmases. Mamaw would shop all year in what she called her 'sucker' magazines for unique gifts. About a fourth of the large living room would be full of packages with elaborate unwrapped toys for the 6 grandchildren. We opened presents all at once so there was lots of noise and calling out of 'Thank you's". For the rest of the day we would play with our toys, eat leftovers, nap, and visit. My Grandparents loved to play games - so we always did that. Christmas was such a big deal. I remember papaw's invention for wrapping presents - he outfitted a card table with stands for ribbon, tape and paper so he could do all the wrapping efficiently.

Christmas was a wonderful time for our family. We loved the spirit of generosity and the special feeling of being all together. But it was all about Santa Claus. We never talked about religion or the birth of the Savior. I loved the feelings of those Christmases but I have learned there is so much more when we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

After my Grandparents' death, my mom continued the big Christmas tradition. She loved to find fun presents in catalogs or on the internet. I will always treasure the beautiful necklace she bought for me before she died. She joined our family every Christmas and saw that we did it right. I loved the feeling of preparing the perfect Christmas experience for the 5 Js. My favorite moments were setting up the wooden German nativity once piece at a time, sitting under the Christmas tree reading stories, acting out the nativity, and, of course, the procession down the stairs on Christmas morning.

Dad's Childhood Memories. When I was a little boy growing up on Christmas Eve, we would always recite from memory the Christmas story from Matthew and from Luke. After our family hour Christmas program, we would drive around and look at the lights. We would also leave out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. I loved to lay under the Christmas tree and listen to my Mother read stories. It was such a secure feeling being in that room with just family, and enjoying the lights on the tree. Christmas eve was the longest night of the year. I could normally fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, but not on Christmas eve.

It was so fun to get up around 6 a.m. when it was still dark and gather around the Christmas tree for opening presents. When we were younger, the presents from Santa were not wrapped. We would always open the Christmas stocking first. It was a tradition to have an orange in the bottom of the stocking because during the war they were such precious commodities. My father would make sure that we opened the presents one at a time and enjoyed the experience of giving. After opening the presents, we would go to the kitchen and have a traditional breakfast of blueberry pancakes and sausages. On Christmas afternoon, the boys and Dad would go to the Church gym for a game of basketball with another family of sons in the Ward.

Dad's Memories of Christmases with the 5 Js. One of the beauties of marriage is the blending of two cultures into one. I believe we took memorable traditions from the Robisons and combined them with memorable traditions from the Schultz family. A great tradition within the Schultz family was celebrating Christmas with the grandparents and all of the cousins. In your mom's family, the cousins would likely have Christmas a day or so early and then drive to Oak Brook to celebrate the real day with the grandparents. Their big dinner was on Christmas Eve, so they could enjoy every minute of Christmas Day without the fuss of a big dinner.

I still think of a stocking with an orange, a blue berry pancake breakfast after presents, a recitation of the Christmas stories from Matthew and Luke, and opening presents one at a time. When the children were younger, every Christmas eve Diane and I would stay up late assembling toys and making certain the room looked perfect. Over the years, we expanded our traditions such as putting up 3,000 little white lights in front of South Drive, or caroling to various member homes on Christmas eve, always ending up at the Christmas house of all houses...the one that looked like Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation...the Musson's home. I loved the tradition of collecting nativity scenes once most of the children were married and using that as our primary home decoration style. I loved "saving Christmas" for when we could all be together when it was the inlaw turn for Christmas. And I loved leaving a wonderful Christmas surprise on the steps of families who might really need something extra special on Christmas and then ringing and running or driving a way. It was wonderful, the year we postponed Christmas for Joelle, to host the single adults for Christmas dinner in our home. We also discovered what fun it was to have two Christmases rolled into one...the first would be late at night on Christmas eve when all the adults exchanged presents and the other on Christmas morning where we enjoyed watching the children open their presents.

While working for O. C. Tanner Company, a Christmas tradition for their officers was expanded to include Diane and me for several years. We would fly down to Salt Lake, stay at the Inn on Temple Square and at a wonderful dinner at the Salt Lake Golf and Country Club would get a bonus in cash under our plates as well as a beautiful piece of Jewelry for Diane. Every Christmas Eve, Obert Tanner would arrange for an elegant gift to be delivered to the home such as a suit or a cashmere coat. Obert C. Tanner loved Christmas and the experience was magical.

Over the years, I have come to appreciate Christmas based upon the following observations: 1) the incredible feeling of family and unity that occurs; 2) the way the world seems to pause and really want peace on earth even if but for a fleeting moment; 3) the special spiritual feeling that comes through music; 4) the extra attention given to the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and 5) the happiness that comes from being able to give in order to make someone else a little more happy.

Come Follow Me

Come Follow Me

As an opening hymn, for Family Home Evening, you could sing Hymn Number 116.

"Come Follow Me," the Savior said. Then let us in His footsteps tread. For thus alone can we be one, with God's own loved, begotten Son.

"Come follow me," a simple phrase, yet truth's sublime, effulgent rays, are in these simple words combine, to urge , inspire, the human mind.

Is it enough, alone to know, that we must follow Him below, while traveling through this vale of tears? No, this extends to holier spheres.

Not only shall we emulate, his course while in this earthly state, but when we're freed from present cares, if with our Lord we would be heirs." (Hymn 116)

Scriptural Application

The Savior teaches us very clearly in terms of every day experience that all can understand. You all have read the admonition of the Savior in Matthew 4:18 "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers."

Verse 19. "And he saith unto the, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Verse 20. "And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."

Practical Application - St. Lucia - same beach where Dallin was baptized

The photos taken here in St. Lucia by our area Doctor, Elder Otto, are fascinating. Note the muscles on the backs and shoulders of the fishermen. These men were used to working hard every day and using every muscle to pull in their nets.

Note the picture of the fishermen, who cast their net beside the boat as the Savior encouraged Peter to do in Luke 5:4. And verse 6 shows they "inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake." (see the picture of the full net)

Grandpa's Personal Experience (December 14, 2007)

How can we apply the scriptures to our every day lives? How can we make the Savior's teachings come alive? A week ago, I had the experience of teaching a discussion with two of our missionaries in Guadeloupe along with the District President. When the mother, who has 7 children (6 of whom are baptism age) responded that it would be fine for her sons to be baptized, but that she and her common law husband would wait three years to get legally married, the missionaries gulped. This is what the woman had told them a few days prior.

President Gamiette opened up his scriptures and referred to the story of Peter and Andrew in Matthew 4, who were invited by the Savior to "come follow Him". He asked the good woman, "what was their response?" Before she could answer, I told her I knew the answer - "They waited three years until they could get the boat paid for until they could take care of other things." Immediately, it dawned on this sister that she needed to do as Peter and Andrew did..."and they straightway left their nets, and followed him." (Matthew 4:20)

When I visited with the missionaries a few days later, they were excited to report that the Sister and her husband are getting married next month (it takes 30 days in Guadeloupe) and preparing for baptism after that. Two of her sons will be baptized next Saturday.

What a great example of "straightway" leaving their nets.

Discussion:

Do we straightway leave our nets and follow the Savior? Are there things in our lives that are holding us back from following Him?

Closing Hymn:

"We must the onward path pursue, as wider fields expand to view, and follow him unceasingly, whate'er our lot or shere may be."

"For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow'rs, and glory great and bliss our ours, if we, throughout eternity, obey his words, "come follow me."

Desire, Decision, Determination

Alma 26:27. “Now when our hearts were depressed and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.”

• The Lord told Alma and the Sons of Mosiah to "bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." So at their low point, when they were about to throw in the towel, the Lord "comforted them" and then gave them some counsel.

• The word "comfort" in this case has nothing to do with feeling at ease. The root meaning is to "strengthen" so the Lord strengthened them and then counseled them to "bear with patience" that means without complaining, without talking negatively in any way, without downplaying one's own ability to succeed.

Desire. In the preceding verse, verse 26, the missionaries had “the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.” The had the desire to do the work.

Decision. The work was hard, they had thoughts about turning back, but the Lord strengthened them and counseled them. In verse 28, it says “they have come, and been forth among them; and we have been patient in our sufferings”. This shows they were resolute in their decision

Determination. Finally, verse 30 reads “and we have suffered all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul” demonstrating their determination.

When you are down and when you think it is rough going out there…remember the desire, decision and determination of the Alma and the Sons of Mosiah.

The Promise. Alma 26:22 - “He that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.” Repent, exercise faith, bring forth good works and pray continually without ceasing. You will know the mysteries of God in your personal studies and as you testify to others, you will teach the people things that never have been revealed to them, and you will help thousands join the Church.

Stand still to see the salvation of God

Doctrine of the plan of happiness: In order to qualify for eternal life, we must "repent, all ye ends of the earth and come unto me and be baptized in my name that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." (3 Nephi 27:20) This is the doctrinal foundation of missionary work. Repent means change. Being sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost means being purified and standing spotless before God in the last day is the challenge. We must listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and do what He says.

Principle of Prayer and Fasting: To receive promptings of the Holy Ghost we must ask with real intent. (Moroni 10:3-5). Alma gives us a wonderful example of this in Chapter 5:46 - "I say unto you that they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God., Behold I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirt; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." We can and should be specific in our prayers. In Alma 34: 19-27, Alma's missionary companion Almulek counsels us about praying for our fields, our flocks, our houses, our enemies, our crops, our welfare and for the welfare of those around us.

Application - The Story of the Missing Martinique Elders: On Monday December 3, 2007, Grandpa Robison received a phone call from Elder Beck, a zone leader serving in Martinique. Elder Beck reported that two missionaries, Elder Tyson Gray and Elder Thomas Swain had not returned home that evening. This is the first time Grandpa and Grandma Robison had received this type of message in the 18 months that they have been serving. The next morning Grandpa and Grandma boarded a plane and flew from Trinidad to Martinique to direct the search for the missing elders.

The week prior to the disappearance of the elders, Martinique had been hit by a serious earthquake and on August 16th of this year, the island had been plastered by Hurricane Dean. (See Section 43:25 of the Doctrine and Covenants.) The Lord is speaking to the people of Martinique, which has the lowest rate of baptisms in the mission.

Grandpa did not know for sure where the elders were lost. They had been very vague in their report to their zone leader the night before preparation day. The two elders had also been warned about how difficult a hike up Mount Pelee would be because of the difficulty in getting transportation back to their proselyting area by 6 p.m.

Grandpa organized the members and missionaries in their search efforts. He flew in the two elders who had trained the two missing elders from French Guiana. He flew in 4 members from Guadeloupe to search and put 4 missionaries from Guadeloupe on a ferry with their van to assist in Martinique on the search. Members distributed flyers all over the island at every hospital, taxi station, city hall and market place in every village in Martinque. Everything that was possible to do to find the elders was done. Search parties were organized on Mont Pelee and the police had dozens and dozens of men hiking through the woods in search of the two elders. The elders and members were counseled to pray specifically for inspiration as to exactly where to find the elders.

The newspaper put a picture of the elders on the front page. Everyone Martinique was talking about the missing elders. It was at that point on Thursday morning, that the words of this scripture came to mind: "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie within our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123:17)

After it it was all said and done....we had done everything within our power...the missionaries and members had held a mission-wide fast...members and leaders throughout the world had fasted and prayed for the missing elders as did their families and the wards of their families...it was a Hindu man who had a vision Wednesday night that he would find the elders on his property in the dense vegetation....and Thursday morning he found them.

The missing elders told us that they had started off the volcano in search of a little village they saw in the distance so they would be home in time to proselyte. They quickly found that there were unseen dangers (crevices, cliffs, etc) for having strayed from the path. They were protected from wild animals such as snakes. They were not exposed to severe weather conditions such as the rain that fell before they left and after they were found. They found an irrigation pipe that gave them clean water. They found an abandoned refrigerator that held some flat coke and a bottle of rum with soaked apricots. By not touching the rum, the media learned about the word of wisdom. Who else would the Lord provide an old refrigerator other than two lost missionaries....is this all a coincidence? Do you see the hand of the Lord every step of the way?

Prayers had been answered....we had done everything in our power to find the elders and the the salvation of God was made manifest.

Family Home Evening Discussion Questions:

1) What is the importance of the Holy Ghost in our lives?

2) What are the things that we should pray for?

3) Why is fasting important and what is its purpose?

4) What is Heavenly Father telling the people in Martinique?

5) What must we do in order for Heavenly Father to show us His miracles?

These, Our Little Ones

A vivid memory that the Robison Family shared just before Joelle got married and Justin left on his mission was our family participation in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Can any of us ever forget the 'assension scene?' Remember how you felt when the words of the resurrected Savior took little children in His arms and wept as He blessed them and said to the people: "Behold your little ones." (3 Nephi 17:23)

How well we remember the 5 J's when they were little and how we treasured them. How much we miss our ten grandchildren...these our little ones.

Christmas Message. President Hinckley made this his theme in the December 2007 Ensign. He is the living prophet and his words are living scripture. Each month we have the opportunity to study the words of the living prophets. This family home evening lesson is adapted from the December 2007 Ensign.

7.4 Earthquake in West Indies. This past week, the people in the Caribbean felt a very powerful earthquake. It lasted for about one minute and half, but seemed much longer. The walls shook and things fell off shelves, but very few buildings fell down. I wondered what the people would think about such an earthquake because severe storms, hurricaines, and earthquakes are prophesied as part of the last days. I hoped people would turn to Heavenly Father and seek His Church.

"When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn't stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart, and she puts it into the baby's mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest foreces in the world are babies." (E. T. Sullivan)

To this quote, President Hinckley clarified that these babies will become forces for good or ill, depending in large measure upon how they are raised?

"I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth." (D&C 93:40)

Can you think of something your parents taught you that has influenced your life and that you quote today? Today in Church a young father, whose father I committed to baptism last month, taught a lesson on friendship. During the lesson he told about how important it is to choose good friends and quoted his father in teaching him that he should choose his friends wisely because some will carry you but they will not carry you back. He meant that if you choose friends who do evil and you follow them, they will not rescue you when you get into trouble. I complimented the father, who told me that it was his mother who had taught him that lesson many years ago and that counsel had protected him often throughout his life.

President Hinckley gave us four imperatives in his message about children: 1) love them, 2) teach them, 3) respect them, and 4) pray with them and for them.

Love them - Look at the pictures of these ten beautiful children and think of the many, many ways their parents are loving them. Each have found that more important than material gifts is the time spent with each child.

Teach them - what is it that the grandchildren feel when they see the scriptures or when they are at Church?

Sylie says Jesus when Jeremy holds his scriptures.

On a humorous note, Julia as a three year old wanted to think about Jesus during the Sacrament, but kept thinking about Shrek (but that was the, not now.)

Respect them - Look on the Robisoncrew blog and see one idea about respect as taught by Emily on December 2nd. She knows about treating children like royalty.

Pray with them and for them - How powerful it is for the grandchildren to hear you pray using their name and to pray for their happiness. We also are grateful that they pray for us while serving a mission. We know they will not forget us for they pray for us.

True Story from Ancient Rome related by President Hinckley:

A group of women loved to show off their jewels to one another. Most of them were filled with vanity. Among the group was a lady named Cornelia, who had two sons. One of the women said to her: "Where are your jewels?" Cornelia replied by pointing to her sons and said "these are my jewels."

This fine woman taught her sons about the virtues they should develop in their own lives and they grew to become Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus - the Gracchi, as they were named--two of the most powerful and influencial reformers in Roman history. Whenever they are remembered and their achievements discussed, their wonderful mother who raised them after the manner of her own life is also remembered and spoken of with praise.

Brigham Young said: "Let it be your constant care that the children that God has so kindly given you are taught in their early youth the importance of the oracles of God, and the beauty of teh principles of our holy religion, that when they grow to the years of man and womanhood they may always cherish a tender regard for them and never forsake the truth."

We must respect our little ones: "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye hall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

Most adults go through trials and make mistakes growing up. President Hinckley asks then if we are all alot like these words shared by Channing Pollock "Contemplating the adolescence through which we scorned the wrong, some of us must wish...that we could be born old, and grow younger, and cleaner and ever simpler and more innocent, until at last, with the white souls of little children, we lay us down to eternal sleep."

What does President Hinckley suggest we do to build spiritual strength in our children?

1. Pray with them, for them and listen to them pray.

2. Look upon them as our most precious assets.

3. Give them Priesthood blessings as often as it appropriate.

Activity questions for Home Evening Lesson

1. Show a picture of the Savior with little children. Read and discuss the scriptures there were given in this lesson. Tell how these scriptures have helped you.

2. Drop a small rock in a bowl of water and teach about the ripple effect. Read the four imperatives and share experiencs you have had with them.

3. Show the power of example by having each member of the family mimic one person. That one person could clap hands, take three steps, turn around and so forth. Remind them about what Grandpa learned in Church from the man whose father taught him about friends. Share the story about the Roman woman and her attitude towards children. Talk about how her example influenced her sons. Testify about the power of example.

4. Look at the ten grandchildren pictured in this lesson and ask them why grandpa and grandma love these little ones so much.