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SEEING IN TODAY'S Bruce Satterfield Brigham Young University - Idaho

I remember looking around my childhood home at Christmas time and seeing a green tree ornamented with lights, golden ornaments and silver . There would be presents under the tree. Above our fireplace stockings were hung. was hung above the entrance way into the dining room. A wreath was hung on the door. Pictures of , Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, and Frosty the Snow Man were hung around the house. Special candles were brought out and a placed on the fireplace mantle. The outside of our house was always decorated with lights and we always wished for snow! My parents used to send cards to everybody, even people they hadn't seen in years. As I saw these things they would excite within me the thrill of the Christmas season. Yet, often I wondered what any of these things had to do with the birth of Christ that we were celebrating. It seemed that the birth of Christ was only of incidental concern at Christmas. As I grew, I remember hearing people complain about various aspects of the Christmas season. I remember such comments as, "If Christmas is a time to remember Christ why do we have a Santa Claus or a ?" Or, "Christmas has become so commercial." People complained about advertisements on T.V. about Christmas before the Thanksgiving holiday and seeing Christmas displays in stores at Halloween. I used to often hear complaints of doing Christmas shopping in the crowded stores and waiting in long lines to buy presents. When I was in high school, in an effort to convince me that the Christmas tree was of pagan origin, one of my friends showed me a scripture out of the Old Testament which reads: "For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not" (Jeremiah 10:3,4).

Yet in all these symbols are there not shadows of Christ?

I believe there is. The following is a brief list of different Christmas symbols that might be found around any home. I have listed next to each symbol an interpretation of that symbol. But the interpretation of that symbol is only as I see it. Others may view it different . . . yet that's the beauty of symbols!

SYMBOL INTERPRETATION

1. Red Symbolizes the atonement. The blood of Christ was shed to atone for the sins of all mankind.

2. White Symbolizes purity and cleanliness. Through the atonement of Christ mankind can become cleansed from their sins.

3. Green Symbolizes everlasting life (as seen in evergreen plants). Through the blood of Christ man can receive everlasting or eternal life.

4. Christmas Tree Represents the tree of life as in the garden of Eden or Lehi's dream. The tree of life is what all men seek for. Nephi learned that the tree of life was the love of God expressed through the atonement of Christ (see 1 Nephi 11:10-23). Through the atonement mankind may receive everlasting or eternal life. The green of the Christmas tree reminds us of the eternal life given us by Christ. The Medieval church celebrated Adam and Eve day of Dec. 24th and used the evergreen tree with apples hung on it to represent the "paradise tree” or the “ tree of good and evil". They celebrated the fall of Adam on Dec. 24th and on Dec. 25th they celebrated the redemption from the fall with candles being added to the tree to represent Christ the "Light of the World". 5. Ornaments and Ornaments symbolize the fruit of the Tree of Life (see 1 Ne. 8:10-12). The beauty Lights of the ornaments and lights declare the beauty of eternal life. The lights remind us of the Light of Christ.

6. Christmas Tree Every Christmas tree must have a stand to support it and give it water. The stand Stand may therefore symbolize the first principles and ordinances of the gospel (faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost) upon which the gospel or Tree of Life is supported. The water in the stand symbolizes the living waters that give the gospel its life (see 1 Ne. 11:25).

7. Gifts Symbolize the gift of Eternal Life. Christ's atonement was a gift to us. The gifts might also remind us of the gifts of the spirit that all should earnestly seek (see D&C 46). Our giving gifts to others reminds us that all our work should helping others to receive the gift of eternal life through the atonement.

8. Santa Claus Symbolizes the happy, loving, and giving Christ. His suit is red symbolizing the blood he shed for the atonement. He is trimmed in white symbolizing his purity. The gloves he wears can symbolize the work of his hands. If the gloves are red, they can symbolize that his work is the atonement. White gloves would symbolize that his work is to make mankind clean. If they are green, his work is to bring eternal life to man. Black gloves could symbolize that his work was to remove sin and death. By his very nature Santa is unselfish, laboring all the time to give his gifts. Yet when he gives his gifts, he always does it anonymously at night when everyone is asleep. He does not bring gifts for the honor or praise of the world. His gift is given personally to every home and to every person. In our world, only little children believe in the magic of Santa Claus. When they get older and wise to the ways of the world, they lose their belief in Santa Claus. Of a truth, we are taught to become like little children in our belief of Christ and not wise to the ways of the world and lose our belief.

9. Elves Angels, prophets, leaders of the church, and any who assist in the bringing of eternal life to God's children.

10. Rudolph Symbolizes Christ as a guide. Mocked and unaccepted by his peer until they realized He is the only one who can save them. He saves man by being a light (a red light!) to those in darkness (the mist of darkness of Lehi's dream?).

11. Symbolizes the miraculous Christ. Frosty is made of snow which is white symbolizing Christ's purity. Frosty was magic which is synonymous with miracle therefore symbolic of the miracle of Christ's atonement. The children believed in Frosty and it was for them that Frosty came alive. And so it is with Christ . . . we must all humble ourselves as little children and believe in the miraculous power of Christ and his atonement. 12. Nutcracker Symbolizes Christ as our leader against Satan and his influence. The Nutcracker was made a popular Christmas figure because of the Nutcracker Suite. The main character of the story was a little girl who received many toys for Christmas but her favorite was a Nutcracker. She dreamed that the nutcracker became a handsome prince who led the other toys in a victorious battle against the rats (which brought the black plague). After the victory, he escorted the girl into the Kingdom of the Sweets. The Nutcracker can symbolize Christ's victory over Satan (represented by the rats) and his escorting each of His follower's into the Kingdom of God.

13. Wreath Wreaths are round and green with red berries. This symbolizes that eternal life is everlasting and brought about by the atonement. In ancient Rome, a wreath was worn as a sign of victory. The victory we celebrate is Christ's victory in the Garden and on the Cross.

14. Mistletoe Mistletoe is green with white berries. Because of Christ's atonement, man can become pure (white berries) thus giving him the gift of eternal life (green leaves of mistletoe). This produces within man a pure, love of Christ and all people. Thus, underneath the mistletoe people kiss symbolizing that pure love.

15. Christmas Cards Symbolize the love we share with everyone - not just those near us.

16. Decorated homes Each home is decorated at Christmas to honor Christ and his mission. We decorate the outside of our homes to show that we are a "light unto the world" and we decorate the inside of our homes to show that the love of Christ and his atonement is within--that our outside display is not merely a hypocritical image portrayed to the world.

17. Christmas These symbolize the prophetic messages of prophets that Christ would come to advertisements the world and that Christ will return again. These prophetic utterances began to be given from the time of Adam and not just a few months before he came. Therefore, when Christmas advertisements begin early in the year they may remind us of the prophecies that Christ came and is coming again and that we should be getting ready for His coming now and not wait until the end.

18. Stockings We place special stockings out at Christmas within which Santa puts gifts. Stockings cover our feet. Our feet symbolize the course of life we take. The stockings therefore can symbolize that our path of life should lead us to the gift Christ has given to all men, even eternal life.

19. Shopping in This symbolizes that all mankind should be "anxiously engaged in a good cause" Crowds in bringing others the gift of eternal life because only by serving our fellow man can we hope to earn the right to have the gift Christ has given. Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone was getting ready for the second coming of Christ? 20. Christmas Is symbolic of the second coming of Christ. The hope of everyone is for a "White Morning Christmas." With snow everywhere we are reminded of the purity that will exist everywhere during the millennium. On Christmas morning, everyone arises early to receive their gifts which is reminiscent of rising on the morning of the first resurrection to receive the gift of eternal life. And though "it is more blessed to give than to receive" the gift of eternal is something we all hope and wish for. Christmas day is a day of rest, rejoicing and being with family and friends.

21. Xmas The term Xmas is often misunderstood. Sometimes people deride the term saying "They are Xing Christ out of Christmas." However, in Greek, the original language of the , the word Christ is OD4FJ@H. Note that Christ begins with an O. Anciently, early used to abbreviate Christ with an X because in ancient Greek the X was often written like a “ t ”. Consequently, X reminded them of the cross - a symbol of the atonement. Therefore, Xmas is a beautiful reminder of what Christ has done for us.

These are just a few of the many symbols that surround us at the Christmas season. To me, everything at Christmas reminds me that Christ came to the earth to live, suffer and die that we might live forever in God's kingdom. I have concluded that seeing Christ in Christmas is a matter of attitude. I can either see the commercialism of Christmas and let that ruin my Christmas or I can see Christ in Christmas. May you have the ability to see Christ in Christmas this holiday season.