Part II: God's Gift to Us

Cut off From Happiness

While any practicing Christian could rattle off the purpose of Christ’s ministry and the blessing of the atonement, how many have truly considered the atonement’s significance -- and how wonderful a gift it truly is?

Without Christ’s intercession on our behalf, we would have descended and become just like Satan, cut off from happiness, drowning in the depths of hell. 

As Christ explained in D&C 19, without his atonement we would have suffered the full consequences of sin -- which caused Christ, God himself, “to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit.”  

The wages of sin are death -- both temporal and spiritual.  Without the atonement, we would die never to rise again, our spirit subject to the devil to rule over us, never again to have a body and the joy that is found through properly subjecting it to the Spirit.  Our father would be Satan subject to his rule for all eternity.

Without the atonement, our spirits would have been cut off from the source of our life, and we would lack any awareness of the good. Instead our lives would be filled with torment and misery.  God’s love, while present before us, would pierce us to the core due to the piercing fires of our conscience and we would desire the mountains to fall and cover us if such were possible. 

Encircled by His Love

In the Book of Mormon, the righteous describe their relationship with God of being encircled by his love.  What a beautiful image!  Our Father of Heaven, as a tender and loving parent, brings us close into his arms, filling us with his love. 

But just as this image is beautiful, there is its opposite -- Satan encircles us with his chains.  Indeed, the Book of Mormon writers juxtapose these images throughout, pointing to the fact we will be encircled in the end, but the manner of this encircling is up to us. 

Consequently, not only did Christ free us from the devil’s grasp if we came to him, but his atonement gave us the agency to blaze our path.  For if we could not be redeemed, we could not have agency to choose eternal life or death -- God’s kingdom or Satan’s.  

And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him…Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. (2 Nephi 2:10, 27). 

 Truly, through Christ, we are free. 

It has been Satan’s modus operandi from the beginning to subjugate us into his dominion -- “for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”  Satan subjugates us into his dominion by taking over our hearts.  A hard heart serves as an impenetrable stone to the beneficent light of God.

What do the scriptures exhort us to do time and time again?  Turn and believe!  Plant the seed of truth in our heart and let it grow into the tree it will become.  Nourish and care for it and it will spout and develop. 

Yet we need not walk the path alone.  Christ is our succor and support.  He knows our weaknesses because he felt each and every one of them.  Thus, not only did God provide a way out of hell, but he provided his Son to serve as our tour guide. 

Turn to Him and Live 

But like any gift the receiver must accept it. 

We accept through repentance. 

Repent and turn.  Turn away from sin and darkness and face the light.  Turn to Christ.  Turn to his matchless gift.  Turn to his mercy --- with his arms extended -- and to his grace which he freely gives. 

Paul counted all of his worldly attainments as but dung for the knowledge of Christ.  King Lamoni and his father were willing to give all their kingdom to receive this gift -- the pearl of great price. 

When we are found in Christ, we have the assurance of our salvation.  This brings peace, “not as the world” provides, but peace that transcends the darkest and deepest depths of mortality. 

This is why Paul and others were willing to give up what they had for something greater -- because they could find it no other way. 

Peace calms the mind and inspires the soul.  When confronted with seemingly insurmountable challenges, the peace infused into us by the Spirit gives us resolution to press forward and obtain the crown of life.  

It’s no wonder Enoch did not receive comfort from the wickedness of the word until he witnessed the coming of the Lord who would overcome sin blazing the trail for us to follow. 

Alma remarks that Christ was lifted up to draw all of us to him.  Could it be that Christ’s humiliation by the world and in display of it, was designed as a magnet to pull us towards him?  Does not the selfless act of another prick our conscience and stir within a desire to transcend our banal state of existence into something more praiseworthy and honorable -- even if it is only for a second.  Do we not indeed stand amazed at Christ’s love? 

Taking Christ For Granted

How amazing that such a gift could come from an infant laying in a manger?

The fact that God’s greatest gift came from an infant wrapped in clothes, born in the outskirts of Bethlem --- mostly obscure from the word -- suggests that God’s greatest gifts are often undiscerned and go unseen unless we are paying attention.  Christ spent the majority of his life in obscurity until he preached for three years and then was crucified.  The majority of those with whom he interacted rejected him -- and his own town completely disbelieved to such a degree that Christ was unable to perform any miracle to them. 

Indeed, this seems to be the sad course of humanity -- taking for granted the things of greatest value.  God, for instance, gave the Jaredites and Nephites a land of promise, separate from the pagan influence of the Old world, yet they squandered it through their unrighteousness, bringing upon themselves misery and sorrow.

Are we different?  Has modernity with its advances swept away our child-like ability to believe -- or even realize -- that God has great things in store for us as manifested through his Son?

Is it really possible that the obscure birth of a manager born child caused the angels to rejoice and the hosts of heaven to sing?  

If them, why not us? Do we discount the stirring of the Spirit within us calling us to greater things if we would just believe? O, what privileges we squander. 

Christ’s birth was and is everything.  

His birth, life and sacrifice was the truest expression of God’s love for us -- which blessings are multiple. 

If we ever are tempted to question or doubt God's character, just look upon what he has given us through his Son. 

God be praised! 

Part I: God's Gift to Us

Past Christmases 

As another Christmas approaches, I reflect upon my previous understanding and perspective regarding this holiday.  

My attitude during my childhood years was mixed. Sadly, I wish my focus would have been more on Christ than on presents. 

As I grew older and into my college years and early adulthood, the magic of Christmas began to wane and I saw it merely as a cheap marketing ploy by businesses to increase revenue -- which I saw as nothing more than greed.

 Part of this came from my “enlightened state,” as (perhaps) well meaning professors made sure to remind me about the oppressive nature of capitalism and that true freedom came from within their hallowed “ivory” walls, even though probably half couldn’t balance their own checkbook yet they somehow had the solution to solve the world ills.  

And I bought it, hook, line, and sinker.  

Change of Heart 

Fortunately for me (but not quickly enough for my family) this scrooge-like attitude changed as I dedicated myself more to Christ.  

Well, my attitude sort of changed --as my wife is witness.  For a period I could still not get past the over-commercialization that seemed to obscure the true meaning of Christmas and consequently, despite the message of Christmas and the attendant holiday good will, I had some bitterness when this holiday season came around. The non-stop Christmas music didn’t help either.  

Now as a father of a very excited and impressionable two-year old, my view on Christmas has once again changed.  

My daughter is at the age where she understands the idea of presents and the concept of Santa.  Last year he was the boogie-monster, as attested by her Santa photos -- all tears and no joy.   

Yet this time around, not only is she excited for Santa and friendly when she sees “him” but she knows she needs to be on the nice list or else she is getting coal.  And yes, we have leveraged this to counter her toddler obstinacy, which she is perfecting at the worst possible moments -- run away from mom in a crowded parking lot, done.  Sit down in the middle of the store aisle, perfected.  However, little does she know that given the rise of price in oil these days (and in the future), a lump of coal in her stocking might be the better option -- but I won’t tell her. 

Consequently, she is very eager for Santa to pay a visit -- and I am very eager to spoil her rotten.  Of course, I’ll refrain -- at least I hope so, but Amazon doesn’t make it easy. 

But with saying this, I think the change in my attitude has come from my overwhelming desire to see my daughter happy -- and the fact that I have yet to hear “Last Christmas” by Wham!.  It brings joy to my heart to see her excitement as she talks about Christmas and munches her way through her advent calendar -- and even mine.  

Giving Brings Joy 

This is not to say that material gifts are the sole source of happiness or that we can expect to satisfy our kids' happiness through the gifting of material things, but it does show that for loving parents, we can express our love for our children through gifts.  And in turn, we also receive joy as we see that we’ve given them some happiness -- even through it is fleeting as more wishes (demands) accumulate each and every year. 

Nevertheless, I think this principle gives us insight into God’s character and his relationship to us as our Father who gives good gifts to us because he loves us. 

Indeed, God, who loves us more than we can imagine, granted us the gift of his Son.  

I do look forward to Christmas morning when my toddler will see what Santa has brought and the joy she'll have playing with her new toys.  I'm also excited that unlike previous Christmases, where the focus was on me and what I wanted, I will take joy in making my daughter happy -- however slight.  

In some sense this is a view into the long awaited Zion society.  Each will find greater joy in the success and happiness of others than their own.  I think of Ammon and the sons of Mosiah and the extended joy they had in reclaiming the lost Lamanites. 

The Gift of Everlasting Joy 

But Christmas gifts can only do so much to express the love I have for her.  Toys become outdated only to be replaced by some new toy that is better and cooler.  Kids also age and their interest changes. 

I look at the toys I've collected through the years.  I remember opening up and thinking life could not get any better -- until something else caught my attention And the only time I've paid attention to them was when I had to find a place to store them.  They haven't provided much value to me for a long time. 

As I am thinking about what are the best gifts I could give my daughter, would it be any different from what God would give when it comes to his gifting (and blessing) his children?  If God is loving (which he is) and desires bring us everlasting joy (which he does), and the gift of Christ was the greatest thing that God gave us, then his giving of his Son to earth must be a big deal and the source of true joy. 

But just how big? 

And what kind of joy?

That's the focus of the next part.