The articles which appear on this web site are not designed as Sacrament meeting talks, or sermons, but more like Sunday School lessons. However, I would like to share with visitors to my site a special talk that I feel is worthy of being included here -- at least for a short while during this holiday season. I hope you will find it uplifting and inspiring.

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. (Luke 1:26)

At Christmas, more than any other time of the year, we take time to reflect on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. However, there are two other people whom we tend to lightly pass over but without whom the story of Christmas would be incomplete. These two people are Mary and Joseph, the mortal parents of the Son of God.

It's generally believed that Mary was somewhere in her late teens when the angel appeared before her. Since there had not been even so much as a prophet given to the Jews for over 400 years, we tend to forget how unusual Gabriel's appearance was. Therefore, imagine what it was like for a young woman, engaged to a nice Jewish lad named Joseph to suddenly find herself in the presence of an angel sent from God! Imagine what it would it be like if an angelic messenger appeared to you? How would you react? What kind of emotions and thoughts would you have? Now imagine you're not quite an adult woman who lives in a male dominated society. Furthermore, imagine that your religious upbringing has taught you that God no longer sends angels to earth.

Gabriel's appearance must have been more than startling to Mary. It must have been more than astonishing. But this was only the beginning of her surprise, for the first thing the angel told her was that she -- a young woman -- was not only highly favored by the Lord, but was blessed above all other women. For an angel to make such an announcement to an adult is rather remarkable and impressive, but to someone who was still an adolescent, this statement must have seemed unbelievable.

The scriptures tells us that Mary was troubled at his saying, and wondered in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. I can almost hear her saying, "Me? Why me? What have I done to deserve this honor? Surely there must be other women more righteous than I." In the scriptural account we get the distinct impression that Mary was overwhelmed and humbled by this visitation. Rather than becoming puffed up in pride, she showed only meek disbelief.

The next thing the angel told her was that she would conceive and have a son. To a Jewish woman, this was a great blessing. To be barren of children was considered a curse from God. To have children but bear no son was almost as bad. Now she knew that neither of these dreaded things would happen to her, and I'm sure that brightened her spirits -- until she heard the rest of the story.

Without taking a breath, the angel continued saying, that this child "shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

What a proclamation! But, for Mary, the news was even more astonishing. This child, which she would bear, would not only be the King of Israel, but that His kingdom would last forever! Mary understood what this meant. From her religious training she'd been taught that the Jews were expecting a Messiah who would someday come and rule over the entire nation of Israel forever. Now, she had just been informed that she was to be the mother of that promised Messiah. Can you imagine the multitude of emotions she had as the significance of that statement sunk in?

But then a horrible thought entered her mind. She wasn't married yet! Meekly and modestly she asked, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" The answer she received must have seemed equally as frightening. "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

Imagine the shock she felt to know that the father of this child was to be none other than God Himself. It would be His power that would overshadow her, and when the child was born, he would be the son of his mother Mary, but He would also be the Son of His Father, God.

We need to remember that Mary was not a seasoned adult woman, learned in the ways of child rearing. She was merely a young lady with no experience having or raising children of her own. But suddenly she discovers that her very first child is to be God's Son and the long anticipated Messiah. She must have had a million questions. I know that almost 2,000 years later, most of us still do. What was she to do now? How would she tell Joseph about this? How would she be able to convince him of such an unbelievable story? Even if he did believe her, how was she to raise him? What special things did she need to do for Him? And what if she didn't perform her motherly duties adequately?

The knowledge which she had just received from an angel of the Lord, must have stunned her. I think, if it were one of us, we'd probably want a few days to think about accepting such an awesome challenge. But not Mary. With no sense of egotism or vanity, and regardless of any fear which might have been in her, she replied, in quiet, unassuming submission, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."

Oh, that each of us had the faith and willingness to follow the Lord as Mary did. At a very tender, young age, she exemplified the words of one of our hymns, "It may not be on the mountain heights or over the stormy sea. It may not be at the battlefront, my Lord will have need of me. But if by a still small voice he calls to paths that I do not know. I'll answer, Dear Lord, with my hand in thine, I'll go where you want me to go." Is it any wonder that she was highly favored by the Lord?

We believe that Joseph was a little older than Mary, and that he too had been raised in a good, devoutly Jewish home. Although the custom back in those days was for people to be matched together, rather than each person finding their own spouse, yet, it seems very evident that Joseph loved Mary very much. According to the customs of his day, he was betrothed, or engaged to her. But, unlike our modern-day ritual of engagement, betrothal was a permanent relationship. There was no breaking it off once it had been made. As such, it was as binding as marriage. About the only thing a man and woman couldn't do under this condition was to have a close, intimate relationship with one another.

And it was during this engagement period that Joseph discovered that Mary was with child. Anyone who has ever had someone they really cared about break up with them can feel something of what Joseph must have gone through when he learned of Mary's condition. Shock, disbelief, anger, hurt, emotional pain, deep sorrow, and a lot of questions that perhaps he didn't want to know the answer to. How could she have done such a thing? What prompted her to be unfaithful? Who was the father? More importantly, what should he do about it?

Today, pregnancy out of wedlock hardly raises any eyebrows because it's so common. But in the days when Herod, the king ruled, such behavior was scandalous and deplorable. I'm sure that Mary tried to explain to Joseph what had actually happened, but we have to put ourselves in Joseph's shoes to understand his reaction. How would you feel if your pregnant fiancée told you an angel appeared to her when your religion steadfastly teaches that no such heavenly visitations occur anymore? What would you say if she told you that she is carrying the long awaited and promised Savior of your nation? What would make you believe her when she said that God, Himself, was the father? At least the first two statements have a basis in the scriptures, but where, in the holy word of God, is there evidence of a birth without a natural father?

I'm sure Joseph wanted to believe her, if for nothing else than his own peace of mind, but the story was far too incredible to accept. So, Joseph, had no other choice than to divorce the unfaithful woman he loved. But the scriptures tell us that Joseph was a just man. As such, he couldn't bring himself to publicly humiliate the woman who had disgraced him, even though he could have, very easily. As a devout Jew, he strongly believed in the law of Moses, which taught, "and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." And the punishment for adultery was also clearly spelled out in the law. However, this kind and gentle man decided in his mind that he would divorce her quietly and privately to insure that as few people as possible would know about it.

Oh that husbands would feel so tender and loving toward their wives today. In a world where men are taught to be macho and tough, how many husbands are willing to overlook the imperfections of their wives and treat them so affectionately? In a world where women demand the same rights as men, how many wives, in an effort to be treated with equality with men are willing to overlook whatever imperfection their husbands may have? Joseph had every reason and every right to execute the full extent of the law upon Mary. But the scriptures tell us that Joseph was "a just man". He was living the gospel of Jesus Christ before Christ was ever born. No wonder he was chosen to be the mortal father of the Son of God.

"But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost... Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." (Matthew 1:20, 24,25)

Joseph must have felt deeply relieved by the angel's message. Now he knew with certainty that what Mary had told him concerning her condition was the truth. No doubt this heavenly messenger came as a result of many fervent prayers which Mary had offered on her behalf. In which case, I'm sure that Mary also felt very relieved and grateful to God.

But now Joseph found himself in somewhat of a dilemma. The angel hadn't command him to marry Mary. He simply told him not to fear doing so. Yet, if he married Mary now, it would seem to everyone that he was the father of the child which had been conceived out of wedlock. What this meant was that he, a well-respected boy with strong religious upbringing, would have to carry the shame of having had an intimate relationship with Mary before they were married. It was his reputation that would now be tainted and which his family would have to bear in disgrace if he proceeded with the marriage. But the scriptures seem to indicate that Joseph obeyed the angel's counsel without any hesitation, just as his father Abraham had done thousands of years before.

How easy it is for us to let fear - either real or imagined - keep us from putting our trust in the words of God. Many times it's difficult for us to step out into the unknown, but Joseph trusted in the Lord. He said in his heart, as Nephi did before him, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7) Oh that we could trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding, but rather in all that we do to acknowledge Him and let Him direct our paths as Joseph did (see Proverbs 3:5,6).

It wasn't many months after this that we learn, "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.... And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child." (Matthew 2:1-5)

The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem is approximately 72 miles. The road is dusty, rocky and, in some places, mountainous. Under normal conditions a person could walk this journey in about four days. But for Joseph and Mary, the conditions under which they traveled were anything but normal. Compared to those days, today's women live in relative luxury, and yet, even so, the ninth month of pregnancy for most is still very uncomfortable. Imagine what it must have been like for Mary.

As Joseph and Mary walked slowly along the dirt road, no doubt they had to stop many, many times each day for her to rest. At that rate it probably took a week or more for them to complete the journey. It would have been so natural for them to complain and murmur at what they had to endure. They could have criticized the Lord, saying "Why are you doing this to us? With all the powers you have, how hard could it have been for You to postponed the census for a couple of months so that our travel could have been a little easier? You ask us to raise Your Child, then why are You punishing us like this?"

But what they couldn't have known at that time was that Jesus had to be born in the humblest of conditions. It was absolutely necessary for the King of heaven to come into the world, not in pomp and splendor, but quietly and insignificantly, thus fulfilling the eternal law, "whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12). Only by descending below all things could Jesus rise above every condition of mortality.

As mortals we too often have a tendency to complain, criticize and murmur against the Lord when things don't go as we expect them to. With our limited understanding of God's ways, and without the advantage of seeing the whole picture of God's plan, it's easy to view everything that happens to us according to the expectations of our own short-sightedness.

However, I can't imagine Joseph and Mary complaining to the Lord about their discomfort. They were much too faithful to Him. I'm sure they endured their hardships with resigned patience. But because of their slow progress, when they finally arrived at their destination, the town was already full to overflowing. The streets were noisy and crowded with people preoccupied with their own affairs to worry about the needs of another. We have no idea how many places of lodging Joseph tried to find shelter for him and his wife, but it must have been enough for him to determine that the situation was hopeless.

Growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of his ever expecting wife, Joseph must have earnestly pleaded with one innkeeper, who's only offer was a stable where the horses, sheep and other animals were kept. I'm sure that under any other circumstances Joseph would have refused such lodgings for his beloved wife, but now he had no other choice. Driven by desperation he must have reluctantly escorted Mary to the stable.

We can only imagine what thoughts went through the parents of Jesus as they entered the shelter and surveyed their sleeping accommodations. Bleating sheep, neighing horses, perhaps chickens and other livestock scurrying about. It's one thing for a shepherd to lay with his animals in an open field, but it's an entirely different thing to sleep with them in a cramped, unsanitary shelter. But now there was no time nor hope of finding any better lodging.

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered." The Lord had told Eve, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children" (Genesis 3:16). Far from home, friends, and family, alone in a strange town, Mary brought forth her first child as all women do - in great pain. Joseph no doubt did the best he could under the circumstances, and then, cleaning out the feeding trough, he made a makeshift bed in which to lay his newly delivered child.

Yet despite the circumstances, this must have been a time of great joy for two proud parents, while at the same time it also must have been a time of sadness. By all accounts it appears that Joseph and Mary were by themselves without anyone to share this joyous event with. So they celebrated the birth of their son in private; something special and quiet between husband and wife. Therefore, you can imagine their surprise when later that night some strangers cautiously, but anxiously stepped inside and asked if a new baby was in there. And if that surprised them, imagine how they felt when told of how a multitude of heavenly angels had declare the birth of their son. We can only imagine how they felt, because the only thing the scriptures tell us is that "Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

The Savior had been born. The Messiah had come. How silently, how lovingly the wondrous gift was given. Christmas is the time when we reflect on this glorious event, yet, like Mary, we too need to keep these things in our mind and ponder them in our hearts all year long. May we learn how to show forth the kind of faith and trust in God that Joseph and Mary had and be able to bring Christ into our life, nourish Him and help Him to grow within us.