Pressing Matters of a Sound Mind

"And it came to pass that I beheld a tree..."

On my mission , I saw a neat tradition that I wanted to adopt, and Love was understanding enough to let me start it in our home. We are SO excited to be able to be able to have our very own Christmas, in our very own home. This tradition dictates that our tree be arrayed in all in white. We all know the Christmas story as found in the New Testament, but I would like to turn your attention to the record as is in the Book of Mormon, some 600 years before the First Noel. A man named Nephi in vision sees a tree laden with white fruit, perhaps not too different from the tree in my very own house, a white tree "whose fruit was desirable to make one happy... that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen...the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow."

Yes, the Tree of Life. When Nephi is asked what he thinks the tree symbolizes, he replies with one of my favorite phrases; "I know that the Lord loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things", a fancy way of saying "I don't know." An explanation of the tree is given to Nephi through imagery; "I beheld the virgin... bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree?"

Nehpi finally understands; "Yea, 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, and the most joyous to the soul."


I don't know if this will make sense to others in the same way that it touches me. My white Christmas tree for me represents the Tree of Life mentioned the the Book Of Mormon. It is the Love of God, it represents Jesus Christ. It represents partaking of the sweetness of the Restored Gospel, "which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure". My tree is also decorated with homemade family ornaments, for upon tasting the fruit, Lehi (Nephi's father) states that he" began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit." Christmas is about families, about spending time with those who matter most.The family is ordained of God. Happiness in life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our family relationships will last far beyond the grave, and is one of the ways we can most impact the world. At the crest of my tree, is perched Angel Moroni, reminding us of the blessings of the temple; that our family is sealed together and that our relationships with those we love and care for most will last in to eternity. It is also a sign of our anticipation for the return of the Babe of Bethlehem in all his due glory.

This is Love's Nativity Set. I let her have it early; what's the good of getting one on Christmas? We wanted to have it out and displayed before Christmas, so she got her present early. I think of the meaning of a king whose majesty becomes evident in the powerless form of an infant swaddled in a manger. I think about the love and joy of a mother and father who looked at their child Jesus and beheld the creator of the world and may have felt the wonder we feel we hold a baby and feel a sense of awe at the miracle of birth.

I've held newborn babies before and I can hardly fathom how those present that night might have felt as they looked in to that manger and saw the newborn Savior. There, in that manger in the lowliest of places, lies the Son of God carnate in the form of a babe. There, among the ass and ox is the Savior of the World. There, that tiny child, seemingly helpless is the "Word made flesh". That infant is, as in one of my favorite Christmas songs " Mary, did you know ... This sleeping child you're holding is the Great I Am ?" The great Jehovah, who walked in the Garden of Eden, the Almighty I AM whose voice boomed commands from Sinai's mount, the God of Israel who parted the Red Sea, the Lord Omnipotent who communed face to face with the Brother of Jared and caused that stone illuminate, come down among man. Not only to come down among man and live as one of us yet not sin, but to serve us, to teach us how to live the Gospel, to heal and bind up broken hearts, atone for all sin, and to lay down his life and take it up again- only to be rejected, plotted against, spat upon, beaten, mocked and and sentenced to die- by his own submission! Is this not what the angel said to Nephi ," Look and behold the condescension of God"?

I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Promised Messiah. I know that his is a pure Gospel of love and peace is the only way to attain lasting happiness in this life. I know that his church, the church I was born in, the church I devote my life in service to, and the church I will die in, is Restored again on the earth. This is what this holiday means to me. Merry Christmas to all!

posted by Austin @ 9:34 PM