Welcome to December!
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December, Week 1
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Nahum 1.
2. Nahum prophesied of the downfall of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. He prophesied during the time of the Assyrian Empire, approximately 100 years after the time of Jonah. The phrase “the Lord is slow to anger” in verse 3 implies that the Lord had given the people of Nineveh adequate time to repent. Because they chose not to repent and continued in wickedness, they would experience the Lord’s judgments.
3. According to verse 7, what will the Lord be for those who trust Him? (The Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust Him.) What does it mean to trust in the Lord?
4. Listen to the song “I’ll Seek the Lord Early.”
5. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Nahum!
Youth
1. Read Nahum 1.
2. Nahum prophesied of the downfall of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. He prophesied during the time of the Assyrian Empire, approximately 100 years after the time of Jonah. The Assyrian army had already destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel and was planning to conquer the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The people of Nineveh had repented once before when Jonah preached to them, but more than 100 years later, at the time of Nahum, the people of Nineveh had again become wicked. The phrase “the Lord is slow to anger” in verse 3 implies that the Lord had given the people of Nineveh adequate time to repent. Because they chose not to repent and continued in wickedness, they would experience the Lord’s judgments.
3. According to verse 7, what will the Lord be for those who trust Him? (The Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust Him.) What does it mean to trust in the Lord? Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:
To trust means to obey willingly without knowing the end from the beginning (see Prov. 3:5–7). (“Trust in the Lord,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17).
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Nahum!
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Habakkuk 1 and Habakkuk 2:1-4.
2. Even prophets sometimes have questions about the Lord’s ways. Habakkuk, who lived at a time of widespread wickedness in Judah, began with questions to the Lord. The Lord responded to Habakkuk’s questions by saying that He would send the Chaldeans (the Babylonians) to punish Judah. Habakkuk was still troubled, because he thought it wasn’t fair for the Lord to stand by “when the wicked [Babylon] devoureth the man that is more righteous [Judah]”.
3. The Lord told Habakkuk to be patient and reassured him that His promises would be fulfilled in His time. Sometimes we need to be patient, too, and trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises.
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Habakkuk!
Youth
1. Read Habakkuk 1 and Habakkuk 2:1-4.
2. Even prophets sometimes have questions about the Lord’s ways. Habakkuk, who lived at a time of widespread wickedness in Judah, began his record with questions to the Lord (see Habakkuk 1:1–4). How would you summarize Habakkuk’s concerns? Have you ever had similar feelings? The Lord responded to Habakkuk’s questions by saying that He would send the Chaldeans (the Babylonians) to punish Judah (see Habakkuk 1:5–11). But Habakkuk was still troubled, for it seemed unjust for the Lord to stand by “when the wicked [Babylon] devoureth the man that is more righteous [Judah]” (see verses 12–17). The Lord answered kindly and encouraged patience, assuring Habakkuk that in time the wicked Chaldeans would also be punished.
3. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Habakkuk!
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Habakkuk 3.
2. Habakkuk described some trials that might happen to his people, including trees or vines that bear no fruit. He then said that even if these things happened, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Why were these people able to be joyful in hard times? How can we follow their examples?
3. Listen to the song “When He Comes Again.”
Youth
1. Read Habakkuk 3.
2. Chapter 3 of Habakkuk is a prayer of praise to God and an expression of faith in Him. Habakkuk described some trials that might happen to his people, including trees or vines that bear no fruit. He then said that even if these things happened, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Read Habukkuk 3:17-19.
3. What impresses you about Habakkuk’s words in verses 17–19? How is the tone of these verses different from Habakkuk 1:1–4? Ponder how you can develop greater faith in God, even when life seems unfair.
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Zephaniah 2:1-3 and Zephaniah 3:14-20.
2. Zephaniah taught that we should seek the Lord during times of great wickedness, such as in these latter days. Zephaniah 3:14–20 describes the joyful day when Jesus Christ, “the king of Israel,” will reign among His people and “joy over [us] with singing.” How can we be glad and rejoice in the Lord?
3. Listen to the song “Away in a Manger.”
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Zephaniah!
Youth
1. Read Zephaniah 2:1-3 and Zephaniah 3:14-20.
2. What did the Lord counsel the Jews to do before the day of the Lord’s anger? (Zephaniah 2:1-3) What is meekness? President Gordon B. Hinckley said:
Meekness implies a spirit of gratitude as opposed to an attitude of self-sufficiency, an acknowledgment of a greater power beyond oneself, a recognition of God, and an acceptance of his commandments. (“With All Thy Getting Get Understanding,” Ensign, Aug. 1988, 3–4).
As we seek the Lord, seek righteousness, and seek meekness, we can be protected from harm in the day of His judgment.
3. What did the Lord counsel the righteous to do to prepare for the Second Coming? (Zephaniah 3:8) What do you think it means to “wait” upon the Lord? President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency said:
The word wait in scripture language means to hope for or anticipate. (“Waiting Upon the Lord” [Brigham Young University fireside, Sept. 30, 1990], 4; speeches.byu.edu)
What are some ways we can show that we hope for and anticipate the Second Coming? If we will wait upon the Lord, He will deliver us from our sorrows, afflictions, and captivity.
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Zephaniah!
Week 2
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Haggai 1 and Haggai 2:1-9.
2. The Lord wanted the Israelites to build the temple, but they were doing other things instead. God warned them to “consider [their] ways.” What do you think it means to consider our ways? What did the Israelites decide to do? How can we make sure we give time each day for the things the Lord wants us to do?
3. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Haggai!
Youth
1. Read Haggai 1 and Haggai 2:1-9.
2. After the Jews arrived in Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon, they put great effort into rebuilding the temple, the city, their homes, and their lives. However, because of opposition from the Samaritans and their own apathy, they stopped working on the temple for several years. Read Haggai 1:5-7. To what did the Lord compare prioritizing other tasks over restoring the temple? The people decided to rebuild the temple. What message did the Lord have for them after this decision? (Haggai 1:13)
3. In Haggai 2, the Lord promises that He will fill His house with glory and give peace to those who come. Elder David B. Haight of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:
The moment we step into the house of the Lord, the atmosphere changes from the worldly to the heavenly, where respite from the normal activities of life is found, and where peace of mind and spirit is received. It is a refuge from the ills of life and a protection from the temptations that are contrary to our spiritual well-being. (“Temples and the Work Therein,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 61)
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Haggai!
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Zechariah 1:1-6 and Zechariah 2.
2. Like other Old Testament prophets, Zechariah prophesied of Jesus Christ. He also told the people to repent. In Zechariah 1:3 it says, “Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.” When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back towards him. The Lord is always waiting for us to return to him!
3. Listen to the song “I’ll Seek the Lord Early.”
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Zechariah!
Youth
1. Read Zechariah 1:1-6 and Zechariah 2.
2. Zechariah prophesied in Jerusalem at about the same time as Haggai. At a time when the Jews felt that God had forgotten them and their struggles, Zechariah (whose name means “Jehovah remembers”) received visions that restored the Jews’ hope and faith in God’s love for them. Read Zechariah 1:3. What promise did the Lord give his people?
3. How do we “turn to the Lord?” Some people may mistakenly believe that when they turn away from God by committing sin, He also turns away from them. The following statement by Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains God’s attitude toward those who sin.
In the anguishing process of repentance, we may sometimes feel God has deserted us. The reality is that our behavior has isolated us from Him. Thus, while we are turning away from evil but have not yet turned fully to God, we are especially vulnerable. Yet we must not give up, but, instead, reach out to God’s awaiting arm of mercy, which is outstretched ‘all the day long.’ (Jacob 5:47; 6:4; 2 Ne. 28:32; Morm. 5:11.) (“Repentance,” Ensign, Nov. 1991, 31)
4. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:
When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God.
The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to ‘re-turn’ toward God [see Helaman 7:17]. It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven. (“Repent … That I May Heal You,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 40)
5. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Zechariah!
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Zechariah 3.
2. Zechariah preached among the Jews after they returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon. In a vision, Zechariah saw a high priest named Joshua, who was “clothed with filthy garments” (Zechariah 3:3). An angel gave him clean clothing and explained that this symbolized being cleansed from his sins. Making wrong choices is like becoming dirty spiritually, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be made clean, as Joshua was made clean when he received new clothes. Think about how baptism is similar to Zechariah’s vision.
3. Listen to the song “When He Comes Again.”
Youth
1. Read Zechariah 3.
2. Zechariah preached among the Jews after they returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon. He had a vision of Joshua, the high priest of Jerusalem, wearing filthy clothes. In this vision, an angel of the Lord had clean garments placed on Joshua and charged him to walk in righteousness. The purification of Joshua symbolized what the Jews needed to do to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
3. The clothing referred to in verse 5 was the attire priests wore to officiate in the temple. What was Joshua commanded to do after he had been cleansed from sin and was prepared to officiate in the temple? (Zechariah 3:6-7) If we walk in the Lord’s ways and keep our covenants, then we will be worthy to enter His presence.
4. Zechariah also had a vision of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, who is referred to as “the BRANCH” in these verses. Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
Since it takes a first and a second coming to fulfill many Messianic prophecies, we of necessity must consider them here, and in the case of the Davidic-Messianic utterances show also how they apply to our Lord’s Second Coming. Christ is the Son of David, the Seed of David, the inheritor, through Mary his mother, of the blood of the great king. He is also called the Stem of Jesse and the Branch, meaning Branch of David. Messianic prophecies under these headings deal with the power and dominion he shall wield as he sits on David’s throne, and have reference almost exclusively to his second sojourn on planet earth.
Jesse was the father of David. Isaiah speaks of the Stem of Jesse, whom he also designates as a branch growing out of the root of that ancient worthy. He recites how the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; how he shall be mighty in judgment; how he shall smite the earth and slay the wicked; and how the lamb and the lion shall lie down together in that day—all of which has reference to the Second Coming and the millennial era thereby ushered in. (Isa. 11.) As to the identity of the Stem of Jesse, the revealed words says: ‘Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ.’ (D&C 113:1–2.) This also means that the Branch is Christ, as we shall now see from other related scriptures.
By the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord foretells the ancient scattering and the latter-day gathering of his chosen Israel. After they have been gathered ‘out of all countries whither I have driven them’ [Jeremiah 32:37], after the kingdom has been restored to Israel as desired by the ancient apostles in Acts 1:6, then this eventuality, yet future and millennial in nature, shall be fulfilled: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ (Jer. 23:3–6.) That is to say, the King who shall reign personally upon the earth during the Millennium shall be the Branch who grew out of the house of David. He shall execute judgment and justice in all the earth because he is the Lord Jehovah, even him whom we call Christ.
Through Zechariah the Lord spoke similarly: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts: … I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. … I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day [meaning that the wicked shall be destroyed and the millennial era of peace and righteousness commence]. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.’ (Zech. 3:7–10.) Of that glorious millennial day the Lord says also: ‘Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne.’ (Zech. 6:12–13.)
That the Branch of David is Christ is perfectly clear. (The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ [1978], 192–93)
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Zechariah 9:9-11, Zechariah 13, and Zechariah 14:1-9.
2. Zechariah prophesied many things about Jesus Christ’s birth, life, and second coming. These prophecies helped people to recognize Jesus when he was on the earth, and they can help us look forward to His second coming. What signs and stories do you recognize in these verses?
3. Listen to the song “Away in a Manger.”
Youth
1. Read Zechariah 9:9-11, Zechariah 13, and Zechariah 14:1-9.
2. In New Testament times, “many Jews were looking only for a deliverer from the Roman power and for a greater national prosperity.” When Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem, many Jews cheered for Him as a messiah, or a political deliverer, not necessarily the Messiah, who would bring them eternal salvation. The title Messiah means “the anointed Prophet, Priest, King, and Deliverer whose coming the Jews were eagerly expecting.” Although some people believed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, many were disappointed that He did not overthrow the Roman rule. Why do you think it was important that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, not on a majestic warhorse? Zechariah 9:9 reads in part “Thy King cometh … riding upon an ass.” This verse is one of the most widely quoted prophecies about the Messiah in the Bible. Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote about the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem:
That the occasion was no accidental or fortuitous happening, of which [the Lord] took advantage without preconceived intention, is evident. He knew beforehand what would be, and what He would do. It was no meaningless pageantry; but the actual advent of the King into His royal city, and His entry into the temple, the house of the King of kings. He came riding on an ass, in token of peace, … not on a caparisoned steed [a horse decorated for war] with the panoply [full armor] of combat and the accompaniment of bugle blasts and fanfare of trumpets. … The ass has been designated in literature as ‘the ancient symbol of Jewish royalty,’ and one riding upon an ass as the type of peaceful progress. (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 516–17)
3. At the Second Coming, the Jews at Jerusalem will recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah. What do you think this moment will be like for the Jews? Zechariah prophesied that at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the dead will be resurrected, and all the saints (or all the righteous, both the living and those who have been resurrected) will join the Lord in heaven and descend with Him (see Zechariah 14:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; D&C 88:96–97). In the evening of the day that He comes, “it shall be light” (Zechariah 14:7), as it was in the Americas on the night before the Savior’s birth (see 3 Nephi 1:13–15). Zechariah also confirmed that Ezekiel’s vision of waters that flowed from the temple was not solely symbolic. He recorded that “living waters” would flow from Jerusalem and heal the Dead Sea (Zechariah 14:8; see Ezekiel 47:1–12). Many of those who have fought against Jerusalem will be destroyed, and those who remain will “worship the King, the Lord of hosts” (verse 16) or suffer droughts and plagues. Jesus Christ will be King over all the earth.
Week 3
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Malachi 1.
2. The Israelite priests were offering blemished and sickly animals as sacrifices in the temple, which the Lord had forbidden. What do these sacrifices suggest about the priests’ feelings toward the Lord? Why does the Lord ask us to give Him our best offerings? Think about the sacrifices the Lord has asked you to make. What can you do to give Him “a pure offering”?
3. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it to the end! (Malachi is the last book!)
Youth
1. Read Malachi 1.
2. Malachi ministered among the children of Israel at a time when many of them were in apostasy — meaning they had turned away from the Lord. Malachi was the last prophet we know of to minister in the land of Israel until John the Baptist began to preach more than 400 years later.
3. The Lord told the people he had loved them (Malachi 1:2) and blessed them above other nations (Malachi 1:3-5). In return, at this time, the Israelites were offering unacceptable sacrifices to the Lord. Animals that were sick, blind, lame, or otherwise imperfect were being offered instead of the unblemished sacrifices as instructed in the law of Moses. Instead of giving Him their best, the Israelites were giving him unwanted animals as sacrifices.
4. Do we “give our best” to the Lord? Sometimes giving our best to the Lord includes the amount of effort, willingness, or quality we put into something. Things we have been asked to do might include preparing a sacrament meeting talk, engaging in personal scripture study, paying tithing, fulfilling callings, pursuing an education, fasting, giving missionary service, participating in seminary, or studying Come, Follow Me… but do we do our best in these things, or only go through the motions because we feel like we have to?
5. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it to the end! (Malachi is the last book!)
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Malachi 2.
2. According to verse 8, how did the priests’ poor examples influence the people? Based on what the Lord taught the priests of Malachi’s day, what can we learn about how our actions can influence others? If we do not follow the Lord’s ways, then we may cause others to stumble.
3. Listen to the song “I’ll Seek the Lord Early.”
Youth
1. Read Malachi 2.
2. In chapter 2, Malachi addressed the priests of his day, who were responsible for providing righteous examples to the people. He warned that if they did not hear and apply the Lord’s direction, they would bring curses instead of blessings upon themselves. Read Malachi 2:4-7. What did the Lord say He expected of the priests? What types of behavior do you think are expected of someone who is a “messenger of the Lord”?
3. According to verse 8, how did the priests’ poor examples influence the people? Based on what the Lord taught the priests of Malachi’s day, what can we learn about how our actions can influence others? If we do not follow the Lord’s ways, then we may cause others to stumble.
4. President Gordon B. Hinckley, addressing a general priesthood body, gave this counsel in regard to giving righteous priesthood service:
When we live up to our high and holy calling, when we show love for God through service to fellowmen, when we use our strength and talents to build faith and spread truth, we magnify our priesthood. When, on the other hand, we live lives of selfishness, when we indulge in sin, when we set our sights only on the things of the world rather than on the things of God, we diminish our priesthood. …
… Each of us is responsible for the welfare and the growth and development of others. We do not live only unto ourselves. If we are to magnify our callings, we cannot live only unto ourselves. As we serve with diligence, as we teach with faith and testimony, as we lift and strengthen and build convictions of righteousness in those whose lives we touch, we magnify our priesthood. To live only unto ourselves, on the other hand, to serve grudgingly, to give less than our best effort to our duty, diminishes our priesthood just as looking through the wrong lenses of binoculars reduces the image and makes more distant the object. (“Magnify Your Calling,” Ensign, May 1989, 47)
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Malachi 3.
2. What is tithing? It is a tenth part of a person’s annual increase given to the Lord through the Church. Tithing funds are used to build churches and temples, to sustain missionary work, and to build the kingdom of God on earth. The people of Israel were not paying tithing the way they were supposed to, and Malachi rebuked them.
3. Watch the video Malachi the Prophet.
4. There is a Doctrinal Mastery verse in this chapter, Malachi 3:8-10. (There is a song you can listen to for it, if you want!)
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
5. Listen to the song “Away in a Manger.”
Youth
1. Read Malachi 3.
2. The way tithes and offerings have been paid has changed over the years. For example, Abraham gave a tenth of all he possessed to the high priest Melchizedek, and his offerings were animals or crops that were given as sacrifices to Jehovah. Today we pay one-tenth of our income as tithing and contribute the cost of two meals as fast offerings. According to Malachi 1–2, the people had been offering animals that were lame, blind, or otherwise unsuitable as sacrifices to God. What did these feeble sacrifices reveal about the Israelites’ feelings toward God?
3. Malachi 3:10–12 records that the Lord invited the Israelites to return to Him by paying tithing. What do you think the phrase “prove me now herewith” means? What does the Lord promise those who faithfully pay their tithes and offerings? What does it mean that the Lord will open the windows of heaven? If we return to God and pay our tithes and offerings, then the Lord will pour out blessings upon us.
4. Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles describes the blessings that may come from keeping the law of tithing.
Often as we teach and testify about the law of tithing, we emphasize the immediate, dramatic, and readily recognizable temporal blessings that we receive. And surely such blessings do occur. Yet some of the diverse blessings we obtain as we are obedient to this commandment are significant but subtle. …
Sometimes we may ask God for success, and He gives us physical and mental stamina. We might plead for prosperity, and we receive enlarged perspective and increased patience, or we petition for growth and are blessed with the gift of grace. He may bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. And when we plead for relief from physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, He may increase our resolve and resilience.
I promise that as you and I observe and keep the law of tithing, indeed the windows of heaven will be opened and spiritual and temporal blessings will be poured out such that there shall not be room enough to receive them. (see Malachi 3:10) (“The Windows of Heaven,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 17–18)
5. There is a Doctrinal Mastery verse in this chapter, Malachi 3:8-10. (There is a song you can listen to for it, if you want!)
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Malachi 4.
2. Malachi’s prophecy about Elijah the prophet was fulfilled when Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple and gave him the priesthood keys that allow families to be sealed together forever. Watch the video “Visions in the Kirtland Temple.”
3. There is a doctrinal mastery scripture in this chapter: Malachi 4:5-6. There is also a song for you to listen to if you want!
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
4. Listen to the song “When He Comes Again.”
Youth
1. Read Malachi 4.
2. What do you think the phrase “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6) means? According to the prophet Joseph Smith, the word ‘turn’ should be translated as ‘seal’ or ‘bind.’ Why do you think sealing or binding families together is important to Heavenly Father?
3. The resurrected prophet Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836, in the Kirtland Temple and conferred upon them the sealing keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood. These keys opened the doors to family history and temple work for the living and for the dead. President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency said:
Many of your ancestors died never having the chance to accept the gospel and to receive the blessings and promises you have received. …
… There are more temples across the earth than there have ever been. More people in all the world have felt the Spirit of Elijah move them to record the identities and facts of their ancestors’ lives. There are more resources to search out your ancestors than there have ever been in the history of the world. The Lord has poured out knowledge about how to make that information available worldwide through technology that a few years ago would have seemed a miracle. …
… When you were baptized, your ancestors looked down on you with hope. Perhaps after centuries, they rejoiced to see one of their descendants make a covenant to find them and to offer them freedom. In your reunion, you will see in their eyes either gratitude or terrible disappointment. Their hearts are bound to you. Their hope is in your hands. You will have more than your own strength as you choose to labor on to find them. (“Hearts Bound Together,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2005, 77, 79–80)
4. There is a doctrinal mastery scripture in this chapter: Malachi 4:5-6. There is also a song for you to listen to if you want!
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Week 4
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Isaiah 9:6. What are the names for Jesus in this verse?
2. Today watch “The Nativity.”
3. Listen to the song “Away in a Manger.”
Youth
1. The Old Testament carries a spirit of eager anticipation. In that way, it’s a little bit like the Christmas season. Beginning with Adam and Eve, Old Testament patriarchs, prophets, poets, and people looked forward to better days, filled with hope for renewal and deliverance by the Messiah. And the Israelites were frequently in need of that hope — whether they were in captivity in Egypt or Babylon or held captive by their own sin or rebellion. Through it all, prophets reminded them that a Messiah, a Deliverer, would come “to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1). That hope began to be realized when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. The mighty Deliverer of Israel was born in a stable and laid in a manger. But He wasn’t just the Deliverer of the ancient Israelites. He came to deliver you — to bear your grief, to carry your sorrows, to be bruised for your iniquities, so that with His stripes you can be healed (see Isaiah 53:4–5). This is why Christmas is so full of joyful anticipation even today. The Messiah came over 2,000 years ago, and He continues to come into our lives whenever we seek Him.
2. Today watch “The Christ Child: A Nativity Story.”
