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.

I’ve encountered many people in my life who ask me if I am a Christian.   I know there is a LOT of dispute about if Mormons are Christian in the theologic community, but as a Mormon, I can tell you that we definitely consider ourselves to be Christian.

On a superficial level, some of the confusion lies in what we are called.  Many people, members and non-members alike, refer to individuals who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as Mormon.  Why is that?  The name Mormon is a nickname that comes from the book of scripture unique to our faith called The Book of Mormon, which is titled after one of the ancient American prophets who compiled the book. However, what some people don’t notice on this book is the subtitle – Another Testament of Jesus Christ. This book is exactly that – a testament of Jesus Christ – the same Jesus Christ who was born in Jerusalem and was written of in the New Testament.  In John 10:16 Christ preaches, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”  It is widely understood that the “other” sheep He was referring to were the Gentiles, ergo, Christ’s mission was to teach all people, not just the Jews.  Why wouldn’t that extend to all inhabitants of the earth and not just those in the surrounding vicinity?  I firmly believe that a loving God would want all of his children to be able to hear his word.  The Book of Mormon is a record of Jesus Christ’s ministry to the people of the American Continents.

Gordon B. Hinckley, a deceased modern-day prophet, said, “we have a very vital and dynamic religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. We, of course, accept Jesus Christ as our Leader, our King, our Savior…the dominant figure in the history of the world, the only perfect Man who ever walked the earth, the living Son of the living God. He is our Savior and our Redeemer through whose atoning sacrifice has come the opportunity of eternal life. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pray and worship in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the center of our faith and the head of our Church. The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ and witnesses of His divinity, His life, and His Atonement.” (see here)

I think that a lot of the dispute about Mormons being Christian comes from some beliefs that we have about the nature

Jesus Christ

of God.  Some Christians would argue that even though we claim to follow Christ, the Christ we believe in is not the same as the Christ of the New Testament.  I’m sure we could go on endlessly comparing scriptures that talk about the nature of God and Jesus Christ and get nowhere.  I’m not writing this post to convince you that it is the same Christ.  But I do want to voice my firm testimony that it is the same Christ.

Besides the fact that we claim to follow Christ, evidenced by the name of our church, I believe that being a Christian is an individual quest that boils down to these basic principles:

1)  Being a disciple of Jesus Christ by being a witness of Him and following his teachings

2) Believing that He lived and died for us and accepting His atonement

3) Developing Christ-like attributes

According to these principles, Mormons are Christian.  We take his name upon us at Baptism, thereby committing to be a disciple.  We believe in his divinity and accept Him as our Savior.  We strive to develop Christ-like attributes, which can be evidenced by our 13th Article of Faith “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men.”

People can debate the semantics of what it means to be a Christian all day long.  In the end, I think it really comes down to a personal commitment to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  As Mormons we take that commitment seriously.

As I leave my apartment each Sunday morning to head to church, I’m struck by how quiet the neighborhood is. Weekdays bring the hustle and bustle of a community rushing separate ways to work and school. On Friday and Saturday nights the restaurants and bars on my street are packed (and parking is extremely frustrating). But Sunday mornings are different.

For some, Sunday is different because it’s the last sleep-in day before a long week of work or study. For other people, it’s different because they understand that God created it to be so.

The pattern began thousands of years ago when God created the earth. In the book of Exodus we learn that God labored for six days to form the earth and everything on it, but on the seventh day he rested — “wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11). As a Mormon, I also hallow one day each week — Sunday.

Growing up, Sunday was largely about dos and don’ts. Going to the movies and playing at friends’ houses were both don’ts. Attending church and spending quality time with my family (board games and popcorn happened frequently) were definite dos. I appreciate my parents’ efforts to set aside the Sabbath as a holy day, but as I’ve grown up I’ve realized the day is about far more than what I can or can’t do. Ideally, the whole day should be filled with worship to God through prayer, meditation, and study of the scriptures and teachings of modern prophets. Additionally, we can participate in activities patterned after Christ’s behaviors — like visiting a sick friend or serving a neighbor in need.

I still have moments where I think about the don’ts. For example, I abstain from shopping on Sunday, which proves difficult when I’m cooking dinner and I realize I’m missing a seemingly essential ingredient. But overall, I find great peace in dedicating the Sabbath as a day reserved for holy activities. It is a day sanctified by God for his followers; we are blessed by Him when we treat it as such.