Christmas Moving Forward

The year is about to go. Soon the trees that we have put up and the lights we’ve adorned our houses with will have to be taken down. The mistletoes, the wreaths, and lanterns will all have to go to their hiding places once again. It will not be until another year for them to be restored.

The jovial feeling of the season will take a step back and life goes back to its conventional mode. It’s somewhat forlorn that once in a year this poem comes along:

It's Christmas Time Again
(by Bob Lazzar-Atwood)

Put your problems on probation
Run your troubles off the track,
Throw your worries out the window
Get the monkeys off your back.
Silence all your inner critics
With your conscience make amends,
And allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!

Call a truce with those who bother you
Let all the fighting cease,
Give your differences a breather
And declare a time of peace,
Don't let angry feelings taint
The precious time you have to spend,
And allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!

Like some cool refreshing water
Or a gentle summer breeze,
Like a fresh bouquet of flowers
Or the smell of autumn leaves,
It's a banquet for the spirit
Filled with family, food and friends,
So allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!

The Christmas season seemed to have become an excuse for not being deleterious. It has become a habit to think that once a year we become extra kind, helpful, & generous, and that we can only “allow” ourselves “some happiness” during Christmas time. What makes Christmas a time to place our misbehaviors on hold? What sets it apart from any other occasion throughout the year? What’s Christmas all about?

Over 2000 years ago, a child was born of Mary and Joseph. This child and event was seen & prophesied by a prophet named Isaiah long before it happened. It was declared by an angel (Gabriel) that this child will be called Jesus, and that he will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. His birth was a manifestation of God’s love: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Isaiah declared: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: …
“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:4–5).

This is the lifeblood of Christmas. We all know the story, but sometimes the purpose of which becomes trifling.

The “reason for the season”, as the saying goes, is Christ. It is the time of year when Christians celebrate his birth. He is the personification of all uprightness & the source of goodness & love in the world. He has taught: “Love one another, as I have loved you…” (John 13: 34-35). “Whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him, as well.” When the woman taken in adultery was set before Jesus and the Pharisees ought to have her stoned, he reminded: “Whoever among you is guiltless may be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). It was He who also taught in parables.

Who has not become acquainted with Parables such as the “Good Samaritan”& the “Prodigal Son”? When it was time for him to be taken in by Roman soldiers, preparatory to his crucifixion, he restored a soldier’s ear which was severed by one of his followers, in his defense. Such act of mercy was culminated on the cross when he said: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). His ministry and life were replete with acts of kindness & forgiveness: “If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him”.

In the great Plan of Happiness, we must be saved from our sins. The perfect and sinless offering for sin was none other than Christ. He is the Son of God and the only Begotten of the Father, in the flesh. There was none other who could have possibly taken our sins upon him and suffered the way Jesus did. There had to be an atonement made.

Amulek, a prophet of the new world has spoken about this: “And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

“For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made” (Book of Mormon, Alma 34: 8-9).

Christmas should remind us of the mission and role of Jesus Christ in our lives. It is set apart from all other events & celebrations because it is by him and through him that we are saved and can receive eternal life.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Christ has underscored the significance of his role when he said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

For us who believe and follow Christ, Christmas should just be another ordinary day in being the kind of people we ought to be. When he visited the Americas, Christ taught that we ought to be like him: “Therefore, what manner of men [& women] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 27:27).

What then is the substance of being nice, forgiving, more loving, more kind, & more generous during Christmas season when these attributes should become natural to us and should be demonstrated at all times, in whatever season of the year. The adorning of the Christmas tree, and the setting up of lights and other Christmas decors had become symbolic of our behaviors in life, in that we always have to take them down after the holiday. We tend to go back being unforgiving, unkind, impatient, irritable, selfish, hateful, & miserable. The good things which adorned us throughout the Christmas season were taken down together with the material ornamentations we’ve set up for the celebration.

Howard Hunter once said: “When we take Christ into our lives as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force, the real Christmas comes”. When we accept Christ and His teachings, and when we repent of our sins, we are baptized into His fold. That is the time when we start adorning ourselves with His (Christlike) attributes. We become living trees with ornaments such as humility, charity & love, obedience & diligence, faith and hope. These become a part of us and do not need to be taken down or suspended for another year. We grow into living examples of the Savior.

As we welcome the New Year, and as we take down those material and physical ornaments along the way, may we be reminded to keep the lessons of Christmas & retain the real Christmas within our souls.

I have thought about changing some phrases in the poem to make it sound more lasting.

It’s Christmas

Put your problems on probation
Run your troubles off the track,
Throw your worries out the window
Get the monkeys off your back.
Silence all your inner critics
With your conscience make amends,
And allow yourself the same happiness
Which Christmas always brings.

Work to reunite with those who bother you
Let all the fighting cease,
Understand all of your differences
And declare a time of peace,
Don't ever let angry feelings taint
The precious time you spend,
And allow yourself the same happiness
Which Christmas always brings.

Like some cool refreshing water
Or a gentle summer breeze,
Like a fresh bouquet of flowers
Or the smell of autumn leaves,
It's a banquet for the spirit
Filled with family, food and friends,
And allow yourself the same happiness
Which Christmas always brings.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Image taken from Reflections of Christ by Mark Mabry. Visit the site www.reflectionsofchrist.org

Joseph Smith's First Prayer: In Search For Truth

In the mission, we used to have 6 discussions to share with those we came in contact with who were interested to know more about the church. My favorite has always been the first discussion where we talk about the prophet Joseph Smith. I’ve often felt the spirit every time we quote his very own words about his first vision.

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me... When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (see Joseph Smith History: 1:15-17).

That first vision of Joseph Smith was a remarkable event. I know of no other person in history who claimed to have seen and spoken to God and His Son, Jesus Christ, as intimately as Joseph did in that grove of trees. However, as phenomenal as it was, to some, it was incredible.

One of my favorite testimonies about the prophet Joseph given by a modern prophet was that of Heber J. Grant. He said: “I’ve heard hundreds of men say if it wasn’t for Joseph Smith, I could accept your religion. Any man, who doesn’t believe in Joseph Smith as a prophet of the true and the living God, has no right to be in this church. The foundation stone: If he who did not make that interview with God and Jesus Christ, the whole Mormon fabric is a failure—it’s a fraud, it isn’t worth anything on earth. But God did come. God did introduce His Son. God did inspire that man to organize the Church of Jesus Christ, and all the opposition of the world is not able to withstand the truth”.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has blossomed like a rose & has come out of obscurity. It is now the 5th largest church in the U.S. and one of the fastest growing in the world. It is the 2nd largest in the state of California. Many people admire our devotion to family and the church’s program towards the family. They are impressed with our law of health, on how we take care of our youth. Many are overwhelmed with our welfare program, in our ability to help our own and others not of our faith at the same time. No other religious organization has a missionary program as successful and as structured as our missions in the church. The church, for some, is too good to be true—a perfect organization which so many admire and would want to emulate. But when the discussion comes in about Joseph Smith and his first vision, people become disinterested, simply because the story is unbelievable.

This great church, brothers and sisters, is a product of young Joseph’s first vocal prayer. The significance of that prayer is that, the truth came out in the open.

Every time I read the personal history of Joseph Smith as found in the Pearl of Great Price, I am amazed at the events that happened before he made the attempt to pray vocally. It also teaches us how to receive answers to our prayers & experience our own sacred grove.

1st, Joseph had the desire to know the truth. The religious revival during Joseph’s time was so intense that churches would advertise their beliefs as if in the marketplace. Joseph was confused as to which church he should join.

He said: "During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.

"My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.

"In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?" (JSH 1:8-10).

Notice his statements of desire when he said: “What is to be done”? & “how shall I know it”? He wanted that something be done about the matter & he wanted to know how. If we are to read between the lines, his desire went together with study. Along the way, he was studying the different Christian denominations—the result of which was that his “mind became partial to the Methodist sect”.

The word “desire” in simple terms, means “to want something very strongly”. Because Joseph wanted, very strongly, to know the truth, he had to do some study about the issue he was facing. He studied the scriptures and he talked often with his parents about religion.
In the course of his study, he came across a verse in the book of James in the Bible which read: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).

Joseph did just what James suggested. He was only 14 years old. Early one morning, in the spring of 1820, Joseph went to a nearby grove of trees. He was alone. He knelt in solemn and humble prayer. All he wanted to know was which church was true. His faith was such that he believed he would receive that answer, just as was promised in the book of James. What he did not, even could not expect was the appearance of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Of this momentous occasion in his life as well as the history of mankind, he said:

"After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

"But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." (JSH 1:15-19)

What a glorious and straightforward result that was, to receive a specific answer to a specific question. The truth of the matter is, not only did the great restoration take place after that event, in its own humble setting; it was also a powerful example that our personal prayers can be answered, if we desire, study, believe, & not give up or give in if we are faced with adversity. I could not even begin to imagine the kind of opposition young Joseph came across with in that grove of trees while he was praying. He said: "I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction".

That moment was so significant that it would mean the end of the dark ages of Christianity & the start of the “restitution of all things” as prophesied by the holy prophets in the Bible, such as Amos & Peter. NO wonder the prince of darkness would react with such terrible demonstration.

For the remainder of Joseph Smith’s life, regardless of how many painful and difficult ways his enemies tried, Joseph Smith, Jr. never ever denied his testimony. Denying truth does not make it any less true, and he never denied truth.

Joseph lived a thousand lifetimes in his scant 38 years on this earth. His first prayer resulted to more accomplishments than any other prophet who lived on this earth, save Jesus only. The truth came out. The glorious gospel was restored. The meaning of the atonement was realized. The reality of the Godhead and the characteristics of each of its members were instinctively revealed.

I am obliged to Joseph Smith, who, prior to the coming forth of The Book of Mormon, became a prophet by virtue of his vision of God the Father and His Son. I know, regardless of personal acquaintance with Joseph, that he is a prophet of God; that even though I wasn't there to witness his experience with Deity, I know that it happened. What he said he saw, I know that he saw. When he related that he talked with God and Jesus Christ personally, I know that he did!