Mosiah 3:8 “And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning”
This Christmas, among the branded, the material, and the secular we implore all those within our reach to remember the reason for the season, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Celebrations of the holiday were not nationalized in the United States until 1870 by President Ulysses S. Grant along with Independence Day, New Years, and Thanksgiving. During the lead up this event after the Civil War, Lincoln dedicated multiple efforts to unite the North and South surrounding the holiday. He as well wanted to tap into the core of our Judeo-Christian ethic as a nation.
Christmas was mainly celebrated in the South prior to the war and was banned by the Puritans. However, through political messaging, Lincoln used the artwork of Thomas Nast to unite the North and South under the celebration of Christ.
Since then, in US and world history, Christmas has been a landmark holiday of unity and putting aside differences for greater purposes.
In World War I, the English and Germans put their differences aside to play soccer in no man’s land in what became known the 1914 Christmas Truce. In World War II, although not as well known, Amercian and German soldiers found themselves together in a small cabin, sharing dinner in peace on Christmas Eve.
The higher meaning of Christmas, when Christ came in the flesh, has the power to unite the divided, give hope to the hopeless, and bring peace in war.
We celebrate as Latter-day Saints and Christians, not just the birth of Jesus Christ, but also the power He brought to us, our families, and the world. As Isaiah declared, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Merry Christmas to all, and may the reason for the season remain in your hearts continually. Let us celebrate the birth of Christ, King of Kings, the Prince of Peace.
Editorial from the Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
