T's Garden: Grateful for My Savior

At this time of year, the ladies at church usually celebrate Christmas with dinner and a nice program. This year, dinner was off the menu, but we still had the program. They asked me to speak. So I had the opportunity to express my gratitude for my Savior, for his invitations to come unto Him and to hear Him, and for the many witnesses who bring those messages from him. You can watch the whole thing at this link, which includes some beautiful music and the fascinating story of "Oh, Holy Night," or just read what I had to say here:

On the night that our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born in Bethlehem of Judea, “there were in the same country shepherds, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them . . . .”ⁱ Have you ever met an angel? When we describe people as “angelic,” we think of calmness, serenity, and benevolence. Paul even says that “some have entertained angels unawares.”ⁱⁱ But there was no mistaking the power of this messenger, for “the glory of the Lord shone round about” him, and the shepherds, who didn’t know how the story was going to go, “were sore afraid.”ⁱⁱⁱ Not just startled or curious, but “sore afraid.”

Historically, this was not an unusual reaction. The glory of God has been recorded in ancient and modern times as being “like devouring fire”^iv, “above the brightness of the sun, . . . [defying] all description.”^v Prophets and priests such as the Brother of Jared, Moses, and Zacharias have been “afraid to look upon God” or His representatives.^vi Even the pure and righteous Mary was “troubled” by the really rather complimentary greeting of Gabriel, when he came to announce her unique life work.^vii And just like Gabriel, Moroni, and angels before and since, the messenger who appeared to the shepherds began by telling them to “Fear not.”

“Fear not,” he said, “for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.”^viii Was the angel a bit excited? This was, you know, the best news that had ever been given in this world. The Savior, the promised Messiah, had finally entered mortality. Things were going to change. The human family’s hope for salvation was that much closer to being fulfilled. And the first to hear about it, beside the infant’s own mother and stepfather, were these shepherds.

The angel concluded his message with an invitation to go and see the miracle for themselves. To come unto the Savior. And this invitation has been passed down through the centuries to us. “Oh, come, let us adore Him.”^ix

How did the shepherds react to this astounding opportunity? They did not hesitate. They did not worry about whether they were worthy. They did not wonder whether it was really true, or whether they could trust the messenger. They did not excuse themselves for having nothing to wear, which some painters of the nativity have taken to be literally true. They didn’t complain that it was the middle of the night, or stop to check for other messages. They don’t even seem to have been too concerned about leaving their flock for a little while. They said, “Let us now go, . . . and they came with haste.”^x

How do we come unto Christ? The angel’s directions to the shepherds were clear, to search the mangers in the nearest village. Our destination is not so literal—or is it? We have been commanded to “stand in holy places.”^xi Our church and temple buildings are obvious places for seeking the Lord. They are His houses, dedicated to and accepted by Him. We are invited to come to these places oft, to participate in ordinances that reveal His nature and purposes to our souls. Or, usually we are. In these trying times, our physical access to these holy places is currently limited. But the blessings of which we partake in the church and temple can be with us always, as we strive to remember and maintain our worthiness.

Our homes, where we may have been spending extra time lately, should also be holy places. It is just as important to seek the Savior in our own homes as in any chapel—maybe more so. For there we can introduce Him to our families, or find solace in His company when we are alone. And we can find sacredness and signs of the Lord’s love for us in nature, in other people, even in challenging circumstances, if we keep the Holy Ghost with us.

More important than physical places, though, are the things we do to come unto Christ. “Oh, come, let us adore Him.” The word “adore” comes from the Latin roots “to” and “pray to.” To pray to our Father in the name of Christ is an excellent way to approach Him. But “to pray to” is an incomplete form of communication if we do not listen for His answers. Thus, President Nelson’s repeated invitation to “Hear Him.”

Isaiah issued the same invitation from the Lord: “Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and you shall live.”^xii To come unto Him, we must not only tell Him our concerns, but listen for His, His advice, His love, His directions. These come through the still small voice of the Holy Ghost, not always immediately, not always as we expect. So as we seek the Lord, we must learn to listen always for these promptings.

And not only must we pray and listen, but follow the promptings he sends. Jesus has invited us, “Come unto me . . . take my yoke upon you, and learn of me . . .”^xiii We get to know Him better by joining in His work of saving souls. It may sound daunting, but he has promised to do the heavy lifting if we are willing to do our best. “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, . . . and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?”^xiv

Try as we might to follow the Savior’s course, we all fall short of complete obedience. Thus he invites, “come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”^xv Through repentance, we come even closer to our Redeemer. When we lay our burdens upon Him, we realize what he has felt in our behalf, and appreciate more fully the amazing “love Jesus offers” us.^xvi

We also come unto Him by seeking His words. “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ.”^xvii And while glory-laden, fear-inducing angelic visits may be few and far between, prophets are also messengers of divine words, servants of God. “Whether by mine own voice,” revealed the Lord, “or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”^xviii The scriptures and teachings of latter-day prophets are before us. Let us seek Him through them.

The shepherds were successful in their search. They did find “Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”^xix While the infant Jesus would not have had much to say at the time, the shepherds certainly received the Holy Ghost’s witness of the holiness of the child, the truth of the angel’s words that he would be their Savior.

Did they scurry back to their flock after seeing the marvelous sight? No. “They made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things.”^xx The news was too good to keep. The angel had told them that it would bring joy “to all people.”^xxi So they shared the miracle, their witness, their gratitude for the Savior with all they could reach. Should we do any less?

Come unto Him. Hear Him. And let His love light the world.

#givethanks #hearhim #lighttheworld

iLuke 2:8-9

iiHebrews 13:2

iiiLuke 2:9

ivExodus 24:17

vJoseph Smith—History 1:16-17

viExodus 3:6; see also Ether 3:8, Luke 1:12

viiLuke 1:28-29

viiiLuke 2:10

ix“Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns, no. 202

xLuke 2:15-16