The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas. Heber 5th Ward Sacrament Mtg. Talk 12.14.25
1994 was a big year for me. I graduated HS, moved out, got married, moved out of the state…wrote my first check! That Christmas season, President Gordon B. Hinckley, then counselor in the First Presidency, spoke at the Christmas devotional. Though I would have been in attendance, I do not remember the talk. However, it was re-published in the December 2000 Ensign as the First Presidency's Christmas message. I remember because I used it when I spoke that month as a new member of the Heber 5th ward. Though much in my life has changed since 1994. The truths taught have remained with me as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during the Christmas season, and His Resurrection at Easter each spring. It seemed a tender mercy to again be assigned to speak on President Hinckley’s words from over 30 years ago, which are just as relevant today. “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.” (12-4-94)
In our home, as many Christians do, I’ve tried my best to celebrate the season of Christmas and Easter in our marriage and while raising a family. It is said that a triangle is the strongest shape. For example, in marriage, a triangle would include both spouses and God. I want to speak of another image of a strong triangle: 1. the birth of the Savior, 2. the Resurrection of the Savior, 3. the Second Coming of the Savior. As prophesied in Isaiah, “We testify that he will someday return to earth, ‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together’” (Isaiah 40:5).
The birth of Jesus Christ is seen as Christianity’s greatest gift from God
President Eyring spoke about gifts, in what he calls the Eyring Theory of Gift Giving and Receiving: It sprang out of an experience he had not around Christmastime. He had been at the hospital with his brother and father. It was the day his mother died. As friends and family came and went, the day wore on. Dusk fell, and they still had not turned on the lamps. The doorbell rang, it was his Uncle Bill and Aunt Catherine. His uncle was holding a jar of deep red cherries and said, “You might enjoy these, you probably haven’t had dessert.” From this, the theory has three parts: 1. The giver felt what the receiver was feeling and had been touched. 2. The gift was free. Not in the monetary sense, but it was given freely, not to compel a response. 3. There was a sacrifice. The cherries were home-bottled for Aunt Catherine’s own family. A sacrifice was made for a greater return, the happiness of him, his brother, and his father. President Eyring used this theory when asked by a friend if he should give his teenage daughter a car for Christmas. He had found a used car at a good price. It would alleviate a lot of strain on the family for the daughter to have a car, but his friend worried about spoiling his daughter. President Eyring applied this theory in his advice that a car could be a good gift. However, the daughter would need to see past the car to Dad and the family. (1) To see that he had read her heart and cared. (2) That they were not giving it to wheel some performance. (3) And if she could see the joy in the sacrifice made for her. Then the gift would be more than wheels. In fact, it would carry her long after they no longer turned.
I experienced something similar last month, when we celebrated my mom’s 80th birthday. My mom began to cry as we passed a book of memories down the table to her before she even knew what we were presenting her; however, she knew it was a gift from her children; that we had felt what she must be feeling and cared, that it was freely given, and that our sacrifice of time brought us joy. It was a gift of love!
How do you and I receive the gift and sacrifice of the Savior? He felt what we would feel, and was touched; the gift was freely given, and the sacrifice brought him joy. President Nelson taught, “Think of that! In order for Him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured on earth, our Savior focused on joy!”
The Atonement, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ULTIMATE Gift from God
As I discussed Christmas traditions with a friend, who has long since lost faith in anything at all, she said, “It probably doesn’t sound very Christmassy, but we always visit my sister’s grave.” She had forgotten this key piece of Christmas! I reminded her that is the most Christmassy thing she can do. It is because of Him that we will all live again. That is what we are celebrating! As I visited your fast and testimony meeting last week, I was touched to hear these truths taught by the brother who reminded us to look beyond the commercialization of Christmas. So, let’s look beyond to…
The Second Coming of the Savior Jesus Christ
We celebrate the birth of the Savior as an event that happened in the past; however, there was a time when His arrival was anxiously awaited. Did you know that in the scriptures, there is a four-for-four? There is. In Jacob chapter FOUR vs FOUR, which begins, “For, For this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before he came;” (vs 12) “…for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?” They had faith and hope in the resurrection before it even happened—just as we look forward with faith. The scriptures are full of examples.
In Matthew 25, Christ teaches the Parable of the Ten Virgins.
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Recently, while I was out Christmas browsing, I saw a beautiful painting depicting one of the wise virgins holding a lit lamp, it was a reminder to me that looking BEYOND is to see past Christmas, and even past Easter, to when He comes again, or whenever it is that each one of us will meet the Savior, at our second coming. Until then, we keep adding oil to our lamps, drop by drop.
What can we give to the Savior at Christmastime?
When I served in Young Women’s, about six years ago, one of my Laurels worked at the Abbington Care Center. She was unable to come to many of our weekday or Sunday meetings because of her job as a CNA. One Sunday in December, she arranged for our Laurel class to come to the Care Center and sing for the residents during our YW class time. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the timing wasn’t great. Many of the residents were unavailable. We had just a handful of spectators to perform for. Because we were also limited on time, we decided to press on. There was an older gentleman resident who indicated he would like to direct us. We agreed to have him do so. As one of our Laurels began to play the piano, he waved his arms excitedly and directed us in our singing as to when to sing louder or softer and end at just the right moment. He was beaming. He must have been a composer in his early life! As we left, our hearts were full. It didn’t matter that the hall wasn’t packed with residents. As Jesus had previously taught, out of a hundred sheep, one is just as valuable as the remaining 99 (Matt 18:12). Good shepherds go after one sheep.
In his address, President Hinkley referred to another composer from 1741, George Frideric Handel, whose musical work, the “Messiah,” which celebrates Christ’s life, was performed a year later during the Easter season in 1742 as a benefit concert with proceeds going to pay the debts of those in debtors’ prison. As a result, 152 debtors were freed from the proceeds of the benefit concert of Handel’s Messiah. President Nelson explained that “the release of these prisoners from debtor’s prison beautifully symbolizes our own redemption through the Savior Jesus Christ. Our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to pay a debt he didn’t owe, because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.” A few years ago, my heart was heavy as the holidays approached. Some hard things had happened in our family, and I felt like I was just getting through the holidays. The next year, another unexpected “hard” happened. My heart felt heavy because I love the holidays and felt like feeling this way was going to be my new normal. As I poured my thoughts and heart out in prayer (which was easy since I was on my knees scrubbing the kitchen tile grout), I felt the words, “Give it to me.” Could I do it? Could I hand my burden over to Christ? With clenched fists, I did. It made all the difference. If we don’t feel like we have anything to give this season, we can give our burden to Christ. We can trust him. “He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him, (Rev 19:16).
As we focus on 1. the birth of the Savior, 2. the Resurrection of the Savior, 3. And with the Second Coming of the Savior, our celebrations will become richer. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
