“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, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” What is interesting, is that this scripture is found in the Book of Mormon, by Nephi, and the Bible by Isaiah. 2 Nephi 19:6 compare Isaiah 9:6 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/19?lang=eng
These words were written long before, even hundreds of years before, He was ever born into the world. They were written by Isaiah and then quoted by Nephi. The Lord loves to show forth his word and power in the mouth of at least two witnesses. Both of these great prophets not only knew by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost that He was to come, but because of their faithfulness and their determination to righteousness and their undying love of their Savior, they were shown all things. Not just a few scenes of history or prophecy here and there, but all things. Could you not have two greater witnesses than these? They truly saw His day and rejoiced in it and was glad. I think that they saw Christmas through new eyes.
That is my topic today and it is based on Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk, “Seeing Christmas through New Eyes” and I am excited for this opportunity to speak to you today. I have a spiritual blog and one thing that I do every week is a ponderize post with supporting picture and quotes throughout the week to help people to better ponderize the scripture. The above scripture I read to you was my ponderize scripture for last week. And I will say that my love of that scripture has grown significantly. I feel that it has prepared me for this talk in a powerful way.
President Uchtdorf spoke about, “The Grinch, that memorable character from a classic children’s story by Dr. Seuss, had a heart that “was two sizes too small,” and he hated everything about Christmas. Through the course of the story, however, he undergoes a dramatic transformation when he learns that there is more to Christmas than decorations and gifts.
He continues: We know what the Christmas season ought to be—we know it should be a time of reflection on the birth of the Savior, a time of celebration and of generosity. But sometimes our focus is so much on the things that… overwhelm us that we can almost hear ourselves say in unison with the Grinch: “Why, for fifty-three years I’ve put up with it now! I MUST stop this Christmas from coming! … But HOW?”
I know that for us, Christmas can be a hectic time. Just on Friday at 3:04 my wife texted me that she still needed to get 60 presents. It is not easy or cheap buying presents for a family of 11, plus our extended family exchange gifts. I know that for me, it is easier not to get so stressed but let’s be honest, my wife carries most of the load. If Christmas was up to me, it would be a disaster. She does such an amazing job.
Uchtdorf’s said, While it’s true that we can find materialism and anxiety in Christmas, it is also true that if we have eyes to see, we can experience the powerful message of the birth of the Son of God and feel the hope and peace He brings to the world. We, like the Grinch, can see Christmas through new eyes.
He suggests three things for us “to study, ponder, and apply in this season of preparation.”
Rejoice in the Birth of Our Savior, Ponder His Influence in Our Lives Today, and Look Steadfastly for His Coming
What an awesome way of thinking about Christmas. As I read this talk, I envisioned that if the Savior was here, he would not focus so much on His birth as He would on the purpose of His birth. I think of it similar to how the whole Christian world seems to have the cross as the symbol of their faith, which is a very important that of the Savior’s mission, and yet His Resurrection is an even greater part of His mission, which is why us as Later-Day Saints do not use the cross as other religions do. Uchtdorf’s message has a similar angle. The Savior’s birth is powerful and amazing, and yet it only marks the beginning of His mission and we need to look more at the purpose of His birth.
For His second point: Ponder His Influence in Our Lives Today, he said, “Christmas is a time for remembering the Son of God and renewing our determination to take upon us His name. It is a time to reassess our lives and examine our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Let this be a time of remembrance, of gratitude, and a time of forgiveness. Let it be a time to ponder the Atonement of Jesus Christ and its meaning for each of us personally. Let it especially be a time of renewal and recommitment to live by the word of God and to obey His commandments. By doing this, we honor Him far more than we ever could with lights, gifts, or parties.”
The third point was, Look Steadfastly for His Coming. Look at the scriptures and you will find that the coming of the Messiah in power and glory is what all the holy prophets have testified of, and the major reason that the Jews have rejected Him as the Messiah. Sadly, many generations have lived and died not knowing the truth and allowing their hearts to grow in love and respect for our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ. As members of the Church we have the clearest understanding of the Savior than any other group, for we have the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We should also set the supreme example as we look forward to His second coming when He WILL come in power and glory and fulfill all the prophecies ever written or spoken of Him.
Uchtdorf said, “The early disciples of Jesus Christ yearned for the time when He would come again. For them, mortality was a time of preparation and growth, of sifting and refining, a time for trimming their lamps and preparing for the return of their beloved Savior.”
He continues, “We live in the 11th hour before the coming of the day of our Lord. Let us therefore look forward to that blessed day when the King of kings descends with a shout, takes away death, dries up tears, and ushers in a new era of peace, joy, and learning.
We live in the 11th hour before the coming of the day of our Lord. Let us therefore look forward to that blessed day when the King of kings descends with a shout, takes away death, dries up tears, and ushers in a new era of peace, joy, and learning.”
I opened my talk with Nephi and Isaiah who saw with an eye of faith the birth, death, resurrection, and final triumphant in power and glory at His second coming. We too can look with an eye of faith and our hearts will be filled with love and gratitude for our Savior and King. We will then be bold as we play our part in preparing for His second return. We will have our hearts invigorated with a desire to open our mouths and share the glad tidings of good news and help to prepare all of God’s children for that great day when the Lord of Lords and King of Kings returns in His power and glory. We will rejoice at that day with all those who we played a part in their preparations and we will be His disciples.
With the hustle and bustle of Chritmas nearly over, it is the perfect time to refocus our thinking this Chritmas season. Uchtdorf said, “I pray that during this season and always, we will see the purity of the story of the Savior’s birth and feel sincere gratitude for His life, teachings, and saving sacrifice for us. May this gratitude cause us to renew our determination to follow Him. May it also lead us to draw closer to our family, our church, and our fellowmen. And may we look steadfastly forward to that blessed day when the resurrected Christ will walk the earth again as our Lord, our King, and our blessed Savior.”
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Seeing Christmas through New Eyes
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