Each Christmas season we are privilaged to hear from the First Presidency in the Christmas Devotional. Years before the Prophet often sent a letter to members of the Church during Christmas time. In December, 1970 President Joseph Fielding Smith published a letter which said, "I greet you at this Christmas Season, in love and fellowship, and with a prayer that our Eternal Father will look down upon you in mercy and pour out His bounteous blessings upon you. In these times when iniquity abounds, when there are great tribulations on the earth, when there are wars and rumors of wars, we are all in need, as never before, of the guiding and preserving care of the Lord. We need to know that in spite of all the troubles and ills which befall us, still the Lord is governing in the affairs of the earth and that if we keep His commandments and are true and faithful to His laws, He will bless us here and now and reward us with eternal life in His kingdom in due course . . . I know pray that at this Christmas Season, and at all times, we may center our faith in the Son of God and gain for ourselves that peace which passeth understanding."
Peace is something that we all long for. Perhaps over two thousand years ago we all peered over the veil and wondered at the birth of our Savior. What an amazing moment that must have been! We probably all celebrated because it was the moment we had all been waiting for. It was the climax of our Heavenly Father's plan and perhaps we all burst into song and we celebrated that moment. As a Relief Society we were invited to sing the Christmas HymnJoy to The World. What a glorious anthem to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Sis. Bashford asked us why, in the pre-mortal existence, we were so excited to see that day arrive?
1) We knew that Jesus Christ was God's son and was to redeem us from our mistakes.
2) We knew He was that Jehovah who was with Adam, and Abraham, and Moses.
3) We knew He was to be our Savior and Redeemer - we had stood with Him in that great pre-mortal conflict that gave us agency and opportunity.
It is interesting to ponder that Christ had to come to earth just like all of us, as a babe. In Luke 2:52 it reminds us that Christ had to learn line upon line, precept upon precept. Christ "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." John records that "he received not of the fulness at the first," but had to progress "from grace to grace, until he received a fulness." (D&C 93:13).
Making our Christmas holidays and traditions about the Savior is a challenge. Sis. Bashford asked us what kinds of things we can do to remember our Savior during Christmas time. Some of the answers included doing service for others, reading in the scriptures about the Savior's life, and focusing on giving, not receiving, during Christmas. We also taked in depth about the symbols of Christmas and how they relate back to our Savior. Some of them include:
Christmas tree - They point heavenward and are always evergreen which symbolizes eternal life.
Wreath - Eternal life, they are round to symbolize that God has no beginning or end.
Star - Represents the star the wisemen followed to find the Christ child.
Angels - There were angels that announced Jesus' birth.
Bells - These also announced that Jesus had been born.
Christmas Ball ornament - They are traditionally round reminding us of the earth and that there is no beginning or end with God.
Lights - They remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World.
Colors of Christmas - Red and Green represent the blood that was shed for us and eternal life.
Nativity set - Helps us to remember the real and first Christmas and that Christ came for us personally.
Candy Canes - They are red and white; red for the blood Christ shed and white for the purity of the Savior.
We each need to read and ponder the story of the birth of our Savior, His life, and His teachings. We need to let it humble us and help us keep His commandments, honor Him, and Love Him. At Christmastime we need to ponder about how we can make the holiday more about our Savior and our friends and family. We can ask ourselves, "What can I do to place the emphasis of Christ in Christmas?"
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