One of the joys at Christmas time is the sound of music, not just any music but the beautiful music of the season. There are great gospel principles taught through the messages of our Christmas songs. Remember the Lord said that “the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me.”
Consider this beautiful song titled “Mary Did You Know” Mary did you know that your baby would one day walk on water, save our sons and daughters, that He has come to make you new, the child that you delivered will soon deliver you. Mary did you know, that the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again, the lame will leap, the dumb will speak. Mary did you know, that He would calm the storm with his hand, He has walked where angels trod, that when you kiss your baby you have kissed the face of God. Mary did you know, that your baby boy is the Lord of all creation, that He will one day rule the nations, that He was Heavens perfect Lamb and is the Great I Am.
It is a thought provoking question – Mary Did You Know. The answer is taught so plainly in the Gospel. YES Mary knew long before the reality of her mortal experience and so did we. She and Joseph were both chosen and pre-ordained, for the marvelous earthly mission of being the parents of the Son of God. Mary to be his mortal mother and Joseph given the responsibility of providing for, nurturing, and loving as a Father would. We also were present in the counsel in Heaven when God offered His Plan of Salvation or as we often refer to it as the Plan of Happiness. This life was to be a test to see if we would obey all of the Gospel principles, laws and ordinances that we had been taught while in the presence of God in our pre-mortal state. God’s plan was based upon the principle of AGENCY, the opportunity to make the choices between good and evil that would allow us to return and live with our Father in Heaven again. With the ability to choose came the test, would we obey the commandments given to us by the principle of FAITH, having truth revealed to us through our hearts and minds by the power of the Holy Ghost rather than by always having to see evidence with our eyes.
Lucifer, as you will recall, offered a counter plan – that of removing our agency and replacing it with force. His price tag for bringing us all back would be that he would be given all of the credit, power and glory for his accomplishment, in other words he would replace God. One third of our brothers and sisters choose what they thought to be the easy way. We all know the consequences of their choice and that they were cast down without ever having the opportunity to have a mortal body. We also know that Jesus Christ was central to God’s plan in that He offered himself to be our Savior and atone for our sins and shortcomings here on this earth if we would repent. Yes, Mary knew, and even with the veil of forgetfulness she was valiant in her for- ordained calling to be the Mortal mother of Jesus Christ our savior.
Would you like to have been there on that Silent Night, Holy Night, when the Angels were heard singing in that sacred setting, Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains, where Shepherds Watched Their flocks by Night, or in the Little Town of Bethlehem where The World In Solemn Stillness Lay To hear the Angels Sing. Would you like to have been there when Mary sang her lullaby to her Boy Child as he lay in a manger, for He had no crib for a bed. There the Stars in the Heavens looked down where He lay, the Little Lord Jesus asleep on the Hay. The cattle were lowing, the poor baby wakes, but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes. Be near us Lord Jesus we ask Thee to stay close by us forever and love us we pray. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care and fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.
It is very probable that we were there on that night of all nights where the star led the way to His birth place, and where the choirs of angles, which we very well may have been a part of, heralded His coming and we rejoiced and honored our Lord and our Savior. Dear friends, we love and appreciate you all. There are gifts that no one can buy because they are priceless and your friendship is one of those.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. We will see you again in 2006. Love, Elder and Sister Jack and Joyce
