On the First Day of Christmas

“Comfort ye My people”, saith your God. “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.” The voice of him that cried in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God”. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed; and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:1-5)

Christmas is a time in which we see our Heavenly Father’s transcendent love expressed in drastically specific ways. Life is not always easy to live, but the opportunity to do so is a blessing beyond comprehension. In the process of living we will face struggles, many of which will cause us to suffer and to experience pain. Many people will suffer in personal struggles, while others will suffer as they watch their loved ones in pain.

To gain strength in our struggles, we must have a positive perspective of the principles in the plan of salvation. We must realize that we have a personal Savior whom we can trust and turn to in our times of need. We must also learn and live the principles that the Lord has given to receive the strength needed during our struggles.

The first scripture passage in Handel’s Messiah highlights the contrast between specific and universal. In the midst of a terrible exile, the prophet brings words of comfort and peace to Jerusalem. The harsh judgment that the city has suffered will come to an end and sins will be forgiven.

But then the prophet makes a much grander promise. Not only will Jerusalem be at peace, but the entire cycle of sin-judgment-restoration which it has experienced will be altered. In the metaphorical language of cataclysmic geologic event, mountains will be razed and valleys will rise. The entire earth will be leveled, so that every person can witness the revelation of Heavenly Father’s glory.

The Savior knows each of us in a personal way. He has assured us of His personal acquaintance, His awareness of our needs, and His presence in our times of need. He counseled, “I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me” (D&C 38:7).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained, “The Savior is in our midst, sometimes personally, frequently through his servants, and always by his Spirit”

The Savior knows all things past, present, and future. Jacob taught, “For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it” (2 Ne. 9:20). He knows the things that we stand in need of even before we ask (see 3 Ne. 13:8).

When Jesus came the first time, He offered peace between God and the human heart; when He returns, He will bring peace that transforms all life on earth. The earth itself will become new. And with the Church through the ages, we say, Come quickly, Lord Jesus.