John Taylor's Revelations: Christmas Day, 1884

Revelation Received Thursday, December 25, 1884, at Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.  (John Taylor Papers, LDS Archives):

There are some things that ought to be put right.
2 Some time ago there was word given for the
brethren and their families to put themselves in
order before the LORD;
3 And it is necessary that these things should be
carried out, for there has been a negligence in
some of these matters;
4 And if My people and priesthood desire My
blessing and guidance and protection, they must
and shall be subject to My law.
5 And it is necessary that the various quorums of
the Priesthood should place themselves right
before Me, saith the LORD;
6 And that as individuals they should place
themselves in that position, for if they do not they
have no claim upon My blessing or My
protection.
7 A day of trouble and anxiety and sorrow and
judgment will soon overtake this nation, and
other nations-- it is nigh at hand.
8 And the inhabitants of Zion must purge
themselves from iniquity, folly, covetousness, and
vanity, and listen to and obey My laws, or they cannot have My protection--
for I the LORD will not be mocked.
9 But the wrongdoer shall receive the just
recompense of reward; and the sinners in Zion
shall be afraid;
10 And fearfulness shall also take hold of the
wicked and the ungodly that are in your midst.
11 And if you, My people, obey My law, and
keep My commandments to do them, not in name
only, but in reality, I will be your shield and
protector, and your strong tower-- and no man
shall be able to hurt you, for I will be your
defense.
12 Therefore, humble yourselves before Me, and
purify yourselves that your acts and doings may
be acceptable before Me.
13 For if you do not, you will share in the
condemnation of the wicked.
14 Therefore, listen to the counsels of those
whom I have appointed, and seek not your own
will and way, but the will of the Lord your God.
15 For by Him only can you be sustained in the
time of trouble which is fast approaching.
Even so, Amen.

"Oh, Come Let Us Adore Him"

Hymn #202 in the LDS Hymnal contains the words, "Come, and behold Him born the King of angels; Oh, Come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!"  My favorite time of the year is Christmas.  I seem to fight more with the ones I love, unfortunately, but when it all comes down to it, I am humbled when I listen to the Sacred strains praising the Son of God and His matchless life. 

During this time of year - and especially on this Christmas Day - I stand in wonder and awe at Jesus the Christ.  Am I worthy to actually come and adore the Risen Lord, let alone a Baby Boy in a Manger?  Do I hear what the "night wind to the little lamb" says, when it saith "do you see what I see?"  Do we really see the Star whom we worship in our own lives?  Is the Star's light shining from our countenances, as Alma saith, "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God?  Have ye received his image in your countenances?  Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" (Alma 5:14).  More straight to the point is the Word of God Himself.  Saith He, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

Today is Christmas, and should be about Christ.  We should give glory this day to the Newborn King, and adore Him, making Him the center of our thoughts, that our actions might bring others closer to Him and His Restored Church.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

For the last 10 years, "Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir" has graced the airwaves of PBS broadcasts.  Each concert, which takes place at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, has contained a different celebrity.  The Choir's most popular Christmas concert was in December 2010, which featured David Archuleta.

The Conference Center decorated for the 2011 concert

What I love most about the Choir's Christmas concert, is that every year the decorations are different.  Each year finds a new way to layout and display the trees, garlands, snow, etc., so that the display is unique.

I love the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and know that their music is the most sacred of any.  I know sacred music brings the Spirit of the Lord.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

First Presidency Christmas Devotional

From the homepage of www.lds.org:

Left to right: President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Henry B. Eyring, and Thomas S. Monson make up the First Presidency, with Thomas S. Monson as Church President

The First Presidency invites all Church members and their friends to participate in this year’s First Presidency Christmas Devotional on December 4, 2011, whether in person or by viewing the broadcast.

The one-hour program will originate from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, at 6:00 p.m. mountain standard time.  The devotional will include a Christmas message from each member of the First Presidency and music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square.

Tickets are required for this event and have been distributed by random selection.  Those with tickets should be in their seats 30 minutes before the event start time.  Standby seating for those wishing to attend in person is available on a first-come, first-served basis.  The standby line is formed at the north gate of Temple Square.

Those wishing to watch the broadcast from their homes may access it live on various broadcast, cable, satellite, and Internet television stations and broadcast, satellite, and Internet radio stations throughout the world, including Mormon Channel HD Radio.  Check local program listings for availability in your area or visit mormonchannel.org, byubroadcasting.org, or ksl.com for more information.

The devotional will also be available online at mormonchannel.org (audio only) and LDS.org (audio and video).  Audio and video archives in multiple languages will be available on LDS.org shortly after the broadcast.

The devotional will be broadcast to meetinghouses around the world through the Church satellite system in more than four dozen languages.   For those locations with significant time differences from the live broadcast, the devotional will be rebroadcast at various times over the following two weeks.

The devotional has been scheduled early in the Christmas season so that it may be recorded for use later.  Leaders may use all or portions of the devotional with local Christmas programs.

On this year's Christmas Wishlist: No more militant-Atheists

This billboard will be seen in Ohio, New Jersey, and Florida this December

It's that time of year again, folks!  During December for the last few years, The Mormon Eagle has noticed the not-so-subtle attempts by Atheist groups to bash our Savior Christ and Christmas this season (most recently the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers).  According to the Washington Post's On Faith blog, the aforementioned group has not "voiced any concern about the U.S. Air Force Academy’s new $80,000 taxpayer-funded worship center for pagans, Wiccans, druids, witches, and other 'Earth-based' religions. . . . No, their focuses remains on eradicating what they consider 'Christian' symbols from the military this holiday season." 

Therefore, The Mormon Eagle must proclaim (even before December is upon us) that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  As the Atheists claim He is a myth, they have nothing to stand on but their word only.  We Christians, as Alma saith, "have the testimony of all these thy brethren [of the Church], and also all the holy prophets[.]  The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator" (Alma 30:44).

No matter what the Atheist says, Christ is real, His love is all-encompassing, and He mercy and justice fail not.  The Mormon Eagle bears witness to the Christ as an actual, personal Being of bodily form and substance, and as the Atoning One prophesied of by ancient Prophets and Apostles.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.