Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
By Jim Greer
LW contributor
As we begin the annual reading of the Christmas story, we recall that the prophets testified of the coming Messiah, a descendant of King David who would deliver his people. Revelation teaches that the longanticipated Messiah was the great Jehovah of the Old Testament, who took upon himself a body of flesh and came to earth as Jesus Christ. This month’s “Come Follow Me” study recalls that Jesus showed himself unto the brother of Jared, Mahonri Moriancumer. Recorded in Ether, Chapter 3, Christ declares, “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name.” So faithful was the brother of Jared that “the Lord said unto him: ‘Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast.’ The Lord showed himself unto him, and said: ‘Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. They who shall believe on my name shall become my sons and my daughters.’ “‘All men were created in the beginning after mine own image. Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.’” With this knowledge of Christ, we who take upon us Jesus’ name feel in the Christmas season that same anticipation that the Israelites must have felt in anticipating the Messiah’s coming.
Today, we listen to carols that speak of his birth and feel joy in his promise of peace on earth and goodwill to men. As believers did in the early days of Christianity, we decorate our homes with colorful wreaths of holly and ivy. With their sharp leaves and red berries, the holly and the ivy remind us of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ on the cross and the drops of blood he shed for us in Gethsemane.
The tradition of giving and displaying decorative wreaths dates back to the Roman Empire and St. Augustine, who spread “good tidings of great joy.” To many, the holly represents the baby Jesus, and the ivy represents his mother, Mary. That circle of holly and ivy, which endure through winter, emphasizes the gift of eternal life given to us by our savior.
May the symbolism in our seasonal decorations, the carols we sing, and the gifts we share remind us of he whose birth we celebrate. As we celebrate this sacred holiday, may we be as faithful as Mahonri Moriancumr. May we he did, gain a perfect knowledge of God, believe on his name, and be brought back into his presence.
