The Road to Bethlehem

Joseph: December 17

“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” (Matthew 1:20).

carpenter: a person who builds things

Joseph was a good man. He was a carpenter. He worked hard. Soon he was going to be married to a young woman named Mary.

just: does what is fair and right

But before the wedding, Joseph found out that Mary was going to have a baby. He was worried. People would be shocked because he and Mary weren’t married yet. And the law said that Mary could be punished. Joseph didn’t want that to happen. He was a just man.

As Joseph thought about what to do, an angel came to him. The angel told him not to be afraid to have Mary be his wife. Joseph was amazed to hear that Mary’s baby would become the Savior of the world.

Joseph knew Mary’s baby would need a good father on earth. He trusted the angel. He knew everything would be all right.

Share the Light

Joseph might have worried about what people would think about Mary. Sometimes you might worry about what people think or say about you. But what matters most are the things you say and think about others, and how you treat them. Try to be like Joseph and treat others the way Heavenly Father wants you to—with love and kindness. To read more about Joseph, read Matthew 1:18–24.