Poster Article:
Jesus Grew Up in a Righteous Family

And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. … I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world (Ether 4:12).

Heavenly Father gives us parents and families to teach us righteous principles so we can return to Heavenly Father and live with our families forever. Heavenly Father planned for Jesus Christ to be born into a family, too. Jesus had righteous parents on earth to take care of and teach Him.

Before Jesus was born, an angel came to His mother, Mary. The angel told her that she would have a son and that she should call Him Jesus. He would be the Son of God. The angel told her, “The Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). Mary told the angel that she would do as she was commanded: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).

The angel also appeared to Joseph. The angel told him that Mary would have a son, that His name would be Jesus, and that He would be the Son of God. The angel told Joseph that Jesus would save His people from their sins (see Matt. 1:20–21).

Mary and Joseph had faith. They did what they were commanded to do. When we remember Jesus Christ and follow His example and the example of Mary and Joseph, our families will be blessed.

Activities and Ideas

1. Color the picture on page 16. Hang it in your room to help you remember that Jesus had an earthly family, too.

   

   Illustration based on His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful by Simon Dewey

2. For a family home evening activity, make copies of the picture on page 16 for your family. Color the pictures, then roll them up to look like scrolls. Tie a ribbon around each one and give them to people who have helped your family this year (for example, a neighbor, a grandparent, or your bishop or branch president).

3. For a family home evening lesson or Primary talk, read about Joseph in Matthew 1:19–25, and read about Mary in Luke 1:26–56 and Alma 7:10. Talk about good qualities Mary and Joseph had. (For example, Matt. 1:19 describes Joseph as “a just man.”) Pick a quality you would like to develop that would help you become a better member of your family.

Note: If you do not wish to remove pages from the magazine, this activity may be copied, traced, or printed out from the Internet at www.lds.org. Click on Gospel Library.