Real Life Answers

Recently we asked some of our contributors and their friends to answer the question, “What helps you feel peace, love, hope, or joy at Christmas?”

Here are their answers:

“What helps me feel happiness at Christmas is being able to look around and see all the people that I love and care about and show them that I love them, not only through gifts, but through words and actions. Giving to others is the best way to feel happiness.”

“My favorite part of Christmas is watching a lit Christmas tree in a darkened room. There’s a peace that comes from slowing down and enjoying that serenity during this hectic time of year.”

“I feel love at Christmas when I am with my family and we are all laughing together.” –Liza Marie

“The knowledge that Jesus Christ was born and atoned for all the unfairness and pains of the world helps me feel peace at Christmas.”

“Love is something which comes through most in the simple things in life. When I am with my family, helping them or talking with them about things we care about, it isn’t flashy or overwhelming. It just is. I know I am loved, and they love me. Help, consideration, being there: these are love. This is what helps me feel love at Christmas.” –James H.

“I celebrate Advent at Christmas. The four Sundays before Advent I read scriptures and sing songs. The first week is the prophet’s candle. We celebrate the hope they brought. The second week is the angel’s candle. It represents the peace brought to Mary and Elizabeth. The third candle is for the shepherds. They bring joy to all. The fourth and final Sunday is the Bethlehem candle. This is for love!”

“What helps me to feel hope and love at Christmas is to see how people change and treat others better at this time of year. A simple merry Christmas, holding the door for another person, or providing a shopping cart for someone else all embody a sense of charity and brotherhood during this season.” –Ben U.

“I feel peace and joy at Christmas when I see Christmas lights and hear Christmas songs. Could Christmas be Christmas without the warm glitter of lights or songs of worship dedicated to the Savior’s birth? And much like the Christmas spirit, the gifts of song and lights are limited by only time and the receptive heart.”

“Joy comes when the star appears.”

“For me, Christmas is about being surrounded by people you love and care about. The feeling of returning from far away to be held in love by family is an infusion of peace, love, hope, and joy!” –Kalli

“I feel peace at Christmas when I think about the life of Jesus Christ and his example. I feel love at Christmas when I gather with my family around the Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols. I feel hope at Christmas when I notice the good desires of people to serve one another. I feel joy at Christmas when I see the shining eyes of the children when they open their presents.” –Michael

“I feel love and also hope at Christmas when I see the community come together to support those in need. I’ve heard people offering to take in the homeless for a meal or to share their time with them. In general, it’s fun to see people from all backgrounds in a spirit and culture of love.”

“I feel hope when I focus on the true meaning of Christmas: that Heavenly Father gave us the gift of his only Son to save us all. As difficult as times may get, knowing that Jesus will always make up for our shortcomings brings comfort and hope. Christmas is a great time of year because we are always focused on Christ. Let us always maintain that focus and be blessed with hope.” –Seth

“I feel the most joy at Christmas because of my knowledge of Christ. I love being able to celebrate His birth. I know that because He was born, lived, and died for all mankind, I can return to live with Him and my Heavenly Father for eternity. That knowledge brings me joy because I know that God wants me to live with Him and receive a level of joy that I can’t even comprehend right now.” –Matt

“I feel joy at Christmas when I think outside myself; when I take time to do something for someone; when I reflect on the Savior and the service He did for others; when I think about the gifts he gave and try to emulate his example; when I show love and kindness; when my mind and heart are focused on my family, friends, and the Savior. I feel joy when I don’t dwell on myself.”

“Every year, we make a gift for one pre-assigned person in our family. It’s always a challenge to think about what the person would like and if I could feasibly make the gift. I find every year it seems hopeless to think of the perfect present to make, but right at the last minute inspiration hits. The experience of pouring my heart and soul into a sewing machine or artistic skills is thrilling. Then wrapping and putting the hard work under the tree is the most joyful part of my Christmas season. Christmas morning comes, and with it the anticipation, the pure joy of handing the present to my family member and watching them open their gift. And I think about Christ’s birth—the most thoughtful and selfless gift our Father in Heaven has ever given us. Christ’s miraculous birth, life, and death and resurrection give me the most joy of anything in the world.” –Chelsea A.

“My favorite word in the dictionary, English or Spanish, is hope or esperanza. I love the meaning of this word and the warm feeling I get when it is used. I love how it implies better things to come. Hope at Christmas time is something that most every human can have. Hope starts with a thought/prayer and can grow to be contagious, spreading around all throughout the season. I always hope that this feeling will continue through the year and try to carry the warm, giving spirit in my heart to pass along until the next year.” –Kjersten E.

“I feel peace at Christmas when my thoughts focus on the Savior and giving to others. With so much horrifying news these days, small acts of kindness can soothe those in pain and maybe even prevent further negativity.”

“I feel hope at Christmas through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because He was born and lived a perfect life, because He chose to die for our sins and our sorrow and our imperfections, I have hope. I have hope that those “who are dear to [me], will be near to [me]” again. I have hope that death is NOT the end. I have hope in a glorious resurrection when I will be reunited with those who have passed on. Because of my Savior, who we honor at this time of year, I need not fear the destruction in this world, its sorrow, nor its hurt. Because of the Savior, I have hope in a future free of such pain. Christmas helps me have that hope.” –Briana R.

“I feel joy at Christmas when I’m with my family and we’re having a blast—which is all the time. We love each other! We love playing games, cooking together, traveling, hiking, and otherwise just spending time together. It feels powerful and joyful to belong to a community like a family. No matter what, they’ve got your back.”

“Knowing the reason Jesus came—to save us all from death and make peace available during this life—gives me great hope. This knowledge is the reason I truly celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ. I am so grateful for the birth of the Savior.”

“Christmas time provides me with a great excuse to be generous. During the rest of the year, I feel, unnecessarily, in need of a reason to buy gifts for friends and do service for strangers. Come December, Christ is the reason for extra kindness, and most people seem to give and receive more freely. “

“To feel peace at Christmas, I find it helps to take time each day to write about that for which we are thankful. I also think that to feel peace at Christmas one needs to stay out of Walmart and major shopping hubs.”

“I feel peace at Christmas knowing that I have the opportunity to be with my close friends and family and being able to travel freely across the country to be with them.” –Pedro

“I feel hope at Christmas because I remember how people had been waiting for a Savior for so many years, and when Jesus was born he brought that help. He hadn’t done everything promised in the scriptures yet, but he was the hope of the promise, incarnate. I remember that even when things seem dark, the promises of the Lord are about to be fulfilled. Somewhere a star is shining, testifying of hope.” –Dara K

Please share what helps you feel peace, love, hope, or joy at Christmas.

By Natalie Q.

By Guest Blogger Brittany B.

Life is an interesting phenomenon. There are good days and bad days. Some days break our hearts to the point that we wonder if it will ever be possible to feel whole again, other days bring a sense of joy we never knew existed. At one point or another, almost everyone probably ponders what the purpose of life really is.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that life is part of a great plan of happiness that God, our Father, has designed for his children. The ultimate goal is to be worthy to return to live with our Heavenly Father again and experience a fullness of joy. With that goal in mind, this life then becomes a period of testing where all of us will experience trials and challenges to see if we will make righteous decisions, exercise faith in God, and remain true to sacred commandments and covenants. Yet it seems that for many, the struggles of life draw them away from God rather than closer to him.

An example of this is seen in the beginning of the Book of Mormon. After being commanded to leave Jerusalem and flee into the wilderness, Laman and Lemuel are constantly murmuring against God. We are told that this is in part due to the fact that, “They knew not the dealings of that God who had created them,” (1 Nephi 2:12). What exactly are the dealings of God and how can understanding them help us endure trials and draw closer to him?

My own knowledge of the dealings of God is still in its infancy, but I would like to share some of what I have learned on this subject throughout the past few years. I’d like to start by going back to another scripture from the beginning of the Book of Mormon. Nephi tells us, “Behold, I will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all . . . to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance,” (1 Nephi 2:20). Recall that this is the same Nephi who was told to flee Jerusalem and journey into the wilderness. What are these tender mercies Nephi speaks of and why are they so important? Elder David A. Bednar, a modern-day apostle, explains, “The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because and through the Lord Jesus Christ,” (The Tender Mercies of the Lord). Elder Bednar goes on to say that,

One of the ways whereby the Savior comes to each of us is through his abundant, and tender mercies . . . When words cannot provide the solace that we need, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, [and] when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, . . . truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (The Tender Mercies of the Lord)

God will not permit any of us to be immune from trials in life, but one of the ways the Savior reaches us is through his tender mercies. In my own life when I have faced some of the scenarios Elder Bednar described, as I have tried not only to accurately identify but also to regularly express gratitude for tender mercies, it has helped me remain bonded to my Father in Heaven even amidst overwhelming frustrations and challenges. The trial itself never disappears, but I can experience the deliverance Nephi speaks of when I encircle myself in the arms of his love.

Secondly, I’d like to mention what Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, another modern-day apostle, called the principle of compensation. Elder Wirthlin declared that, “The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude,” (Come What May, and Love It). This principle of compensation has helped me understand that it’s not always about the here and now. In my own life, there has been more than one occasion where I have cried out, “Heavenly Father, why did you let this happen?” In all the times that I have asked that question I have yet to receive an explanation, but understanding this principle of compensation has helped me to view things through the lens of eternity and to keep trusting in God even when it seems like heavenly promises have been broken.

Thirdly, I’d like to discuss the reality of angels. In his talk, “The Ministry of Angels”, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches, “From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for his children. They come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal. But seen or unseen they are always there.” I can likewise testify of the reality of angels. Even if we can’t see them, I believe God wants us to know that angels surround us as another witness that he never forsakes us, that he never gives up on us, and that heavenly help is always near.

My final point involves coming to better understand the magnitude and depth of the love our Heavenly Father has for us. There is an amazing scriptural account in Moses 7 in the Pearl of Great Price that we don’t fully appreciate. After beholding all the inhabitants and nations of the earth, Enoch is stunned to see God weeping. In complete awe, he asks, “How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” (Moses 7:29). God’s incredible response is this: “Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands . . . And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father: but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; . . . wherefore, should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?” (Moses 7: 32, 33). After viewing the wickedness and misery of the children of men, Enoch “Stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook . . . but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; . . . And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced,” (Moses 7: 41, 44, 47).

Consider what this passage of scripture teaches. We learn that God himself weeps over his children, even his most disobedient children. Furthermore, consider how quickly God rushes to comfort Enoch when his son begins to weep. In reference to this scene, Elder Neal A. Maxwell stated, “Not always, but more than we know, when we are confronted in the human circumstance with the difference between what could be and what is, we do not weep alone!” (The Pathway of Discipleship). Finally, consider that comfort comes to Enoch’s soul when he sees the Son of God. Elder Holland said it best when he said, “In His own ministry, Jesus did not come to improve God’s view of man nearly so much as He came to improve man’s view of God and to plead with them to love their Heavenly Father as He has always and will always love them. The plan of God, the power of God, the holiness of God, yes, even the anger and the judgment of God they had occasion to understand. But the love of God, the profound depth of His devotion to His children, they still did not fully know—until Christ came,” (The Grandeur of God).

God knows better than anyone else that in order for us to become like him and experience a fullness of joy, all of us will have to endure trials and heartache in life. But consider the depth of God’s love and everything he does to lessen the pain of mortal experiences—he sends us tender mercies to bless us instantly, he promises us compensation in the long run, and his angels walk with us and probably even carry us when we can’t go any farther.

The love God has for each of us and the individual plan he has for each of us transcends the mortal experiences we have in life. That is hard to believe when we are hurting or when we feel forsaken. But in those harrowing moments that you must inevitably face as part of your own journey through life, please look for the tender mercies of the Lord, find hope in the compensating blessings promised to you, and summon strength from the silent sentinels of heaven that surround you. Remember how much your Heavenly Father loves you individually as his literal son or daughter. If you will allow them, your challenges, reversals, and heartaches can bring you closer to Heavenly Father. And if you will cling to these principles of truth, you will find that they truly begin to mold you, to shape you, to change who you are, and to bind you closer to our Savior Jesus Christ.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that Jesus Christ is his only begotten son and our Savior. There is always comfort and safety in their outstretched arms.