Why is Christmas important to us? What is the real reason we celebrate this holiday?
It really is all about Jesus Christ, and his divine birth. But it was his atoning sacrifice that sanctified the silent night that we commemorate.
Everything else is fun, but compared to the significance of Christ's life, it is just fluff.
May we remember the true meaning of Christmas as we celebrate it.
I
am thankful to be here today, representing our Stake Presidency. I bring you
the love of our Stake Presidency, as well as their wishes to all for a merry
Christmas and a happy and spiritual 2017.
At
the close of a painfully contentious year, I am grateful for the Christmas
holiday, when we join the angels in singing of peace on earth, goodwill toward
men. I have always enjoyed Christmastime, and I wish you all the merriest of
Christmases.
As
many of you know, I love good music. I have collected a wide variety of
Christmas music over the years. Sometimes we begin listening to Christmas music
long before the season. Good music touches my soul, and I appreciate those who
use scripture texts in their lyrics. I can’t read Isaiah without hearing the
music of Handel.
“For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa.9:6) speaks
Christmas to me. I like to think that we were a part of that angelic chorus
that sang the night Christ was born.
The
season makes the music special to us.
Why is Christmas so important?
President
Monson taught: “Because He came to earth, … we [can] have joy and happiness in
our lives and peace each day of the year. … Because he came, there is meaning
to our mortal existence.”
President
Hinckley gave an additional explanation: “There would be no Christmas if there
had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby
without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact
of the Resurrection.”
Jesus’s
birth in Bethlehem is not the beginning of the story, and Calvary is not the
end. The scriptures teach that He was “in the beginning … with God” in the premortal
Council in Heaven. We were there as well, where we knew Him as Jehovah, the
Firstborn of our Eternal Father. We learned that He would perform the essential
role as Creator and Redeemer of the world. We shouted for joy as we embraced
our Father’s great plan of happiness. Although there were some who rebelled
against God’s plan, each one of us is among those who placed our faith in Jesus
Christ. We willingly accepted the perils of mortality because we had confidence
that Jesus would accomplish the will of the Father—that through Him we would be
saved.
From
the beginning, Heavenly Father has sent prophets to teach his children the
truths of the gospel. The primary obligation of these prophets was and is to
testify of Christ and his mission. They understood the doctrine of Christ and
its importance in our lives; not just in this mortal life, but in our premortal
life, and in the eternities to come.
In
beautiful, memorable language, they foretold the coming of Christ through
mortal birth, where he would fulfill his mission as our Savior and Redeemer,
and his second coming, when he shall come in power and glory to reign forever.
Their prophetic teachings warn and prepare Heavenly Father’s children for
Christ’s coming.
Why is this necessary?
We
must remember that Heavenly Father has a plan for our eternal happiness. As a
part of his plan, we came to earth, to learn, as Paul told the Corinthians, to
“walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). The words of the prophets help us
to walk by faith. As we read their revelations concerning Christ’s life and
mission, our faith in Jesus Christ is strengthened.
Nephi
described such a revelation in detail.
He
saw in vision a tree that was exceedingly beautiful and white. When he asked to
know the interpretation of his vision, he was shown the city of Nazareth and
Mary, a virgin who was most beautiful and fair. The angel attending to Nephi
then asked this most penetrating question: “Knowest thou the condescension of
God?” In other words, “Do you understand why God Himself will come into the
world, why He would condescend below all things?” Nephi’s response showed a
degree of uncertainty: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do
not know the meaning of all things.”
The
angel then said, “The virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God.”
Nephi saw Mary holding a child in her arms, and in joy the angel cried out,
“Behold the Lamb of God, … even the Son of the Eternal Father!” Suddenly, the
meaning of the tree—and the reason we celebrate Christ’s birth—became clearer
to Nephi. Said he, “It is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the
hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all
things.” “Yea,” the angel added, “and the most joyous to the soul.”
God’s
love truly is joyous to our souls. Jesus did come to earth, and spent his brief
mortal life engaged in his Father’s business. What was his Father’s business?
To “fit us for heaven, to live with [him] there.” Or in other words, “to bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Mos. 1:39).
We
are told that Jesus spent His life “doing good.” As we strive to live more
Christlike lives, we should be trying to do good as well. The Light the World campaign this month
encourages us to follow Christ’s example. The short daily videos each emphasize
a way in which Christ blessed others, and encourages us to bless others in the
same way. Each one last 30-40 seconds, and suggests ways that we can emulate
Christ’s service. These videos make living a Christlike life seem doable. (See mormon.org for more information.)
Eventually,
the Father’s business led Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, to the cross on
Calvary, and to the Garden Tomb.
Our
eternal salvation hung in the balance as Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane
and bore the weight of all our sins and afflictions. His infinite and eternal
atonement frees us from the effects of our sins if we choose to have faith in
Jesus Christ, which leads us to desire forgiveness of our sins.
Because
of the Atonement of Christ, we must still repent of our sins. But we do not
have to bear the full burden and suffering for own sins: Christ has paid an
incredible price for us so that we will not have to suffer as he did!
Through
his Atonement and his grace, we can eventually overcome our sins, our weaknesses,
and our afflictions, if we have sufficient faith and if it is in accordance
with Heavenly Father’s will.
Christ’s
suffering and death in our behalf would be incomplete without his resurrection.
Just as his birth was not the beginning, his death was not the end. Beginning
with Mary Magdalene, thousands have witnessed the resurrected Christ and borne
witness of him. The light of the world lives and continues to light the world!
The
prophet Mormon taught that “the firstfruits of repentance is baptism” (Mni.
8:25). When we are baptized by one having authority from Jesus Christ, we make
sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father. Each week, we are blessed to receive
the sacrament at the hands of worthy priesthood bearers and renew the covenants
that we have made. Ordinances and covenants are a vital part of the doctrine of
Christ.
We
cannot live in this wicked world and be true and faithful to our covenants without
some help. We have been offered a wonderful gift that won’t break or wear out:
the gift of the Holy Ghost. As we take advantage of the blessings of the
promised companionship of a member of the Godhead, we will be able to focus on
our covenants and always remember Jesus Christ and move ever closer to him.
This focus is what the scriptures refer to as having an “eye single to his
glory.”
The
Holy Ghost is called to assist us in our quest for eternal life through
inspiration, comfort, and even strengthening our memory.
Each
time we receive the Holy Ghost into our lives through faith, repentance,
ordinances, Christlike service, and other righteous endeavors, we are changed
until step by step, little by little we become like Christ.
In
Heavenly Father’s plan, accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior is not just a
one-time event. We become like Christ just as he became like his Father: step
by step, line upon line, precept upon precept. The race that Paul speaks of
that has been laid before us is not a sprint or even a middle-distance run.
Rather, it is an ultra-marathon, and more.
It
is a challenging race requiring superhuman endurance. We are expected to endure
until we reach the finish line. As I have come to know Mel Behunin better, I
know that he would be quick to tell you that the finish line is much farther
away than he ever expected.
But
we run this race based on faith. And that is why Mel is still running. Even
though his legs are giving out on him, his faith in Jesus Christ and in
Heavenly Father’s plan is carrying him forward. He is a great example to all of
us.
This
same faith can carry us forward. We cannot endure to the end without
continually strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ, which will lead us to
continue to repent of our sins and to repeatedly renew our covenants through
partaking of the sacrament. This will lead us to a closer companionship with
the Holy Ghost, who will enable us to endure to the end.
“Wherefore,
ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect
brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall
press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold,
thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
“And now,
behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor
name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And
now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without
end” (2 Ne. 31:20,21).
Joseph
Smith testified:
“And
this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore
record unto us—
“That he came into the world, even
Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to
sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
“That through him all might be saved
whom the Father had put into his power and made by him; …” (D&C 76:40-42).
These
are the “good tidings of great joy” that we celebrate at Christmas – not only
that Christ was born, but that He lived among us, gave his life for us, was
resurrected, and ultimately “finished the work which [His Father gave Him] to
do.”
We
rejoice because the chaos and confusion of this world can be attenuated by the
promise God made to us from the very beginning – a promise fulfilled by the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of this, the story of Christmas is not
complete without the story of Easter.
The
Savior’s atoning sacrifice made that silent night a holy night for each of us.
The Christmas light we love has its origin in the Light of the World, the
Savior, Jesus Christ. The gift that makes the Christmas season sacred is His
life, which He gave that we might have everlasting life.
Just
as the Jews and the Nephites were expected to prepare for the first coming of
Christ, we are now preparing for His second coming. Both have been times
eagerly awaited by believers and dreaded or denied by unbelievers.
As
we celebrate Christ’s birth and prepare for His return to the earth in power
and great glory, we are commanded to “stand … in holy places, and be not moved,
until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord”
(D&C 87:8).
What
are these holy places? We first think of the temple, with its covenants faithfully
kept; this chapel, where renew our covenants and worship the Lord; our homes
where children are treasured and taught; and our various posts of duty assigned
by priesthood authority, including callings faithfully fulfilled by each of us.
As
we prepare for His Second Coming, and as we stand in holy places, we continue
to observe Christmas not just as a season of “greetings” or a “happy holiday,”
but as a celebration of the birth of the Son of God and a time to remember His
teachings and the eternal significance of His Atonement.
I
testify that our Heavenly Father lives, and that He loves us. I know that He
sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins and make it possible for us
to return to His presence. I know that Christ lives. I know that He is our
Savior: my Savior and your Savior. This is the true Church of Jesus Christ,
with all the keys and the authority necessary to bring us back into Heavenly
Father’s presence.
May
we commit to do as the repentant Ebenezer Scrooge, and “honour Christmas in [our] heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.