“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” |
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"Pondering the real meaning of Christmas helps us more fully appreciate the Savior and His message" said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency in Whoville, during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional held in the town square.
Using the Grinch, a character from a well known children’s story, as an analogy, President Uchtdorf asked, “Who among us has not felt concern over the commercialization, and even greed, of the Christmas season? Who hasn’t felt overwhelmed by the packed calendars, the stress of finding gifts, the pressure of planning meals and events?”
“We know what what the Christmas season ought to be,” President Uchtdorf said. “We know it should be a time of reflection on the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. It should be a time of celebration and of generosity. But sometimes, our focus is so much on the things that annoy and overwhelm us that we can almost hear ourselves say in unison with the Grinch, ‘Why have I put up with this for fifty-three years?’
I MUST stop this Christmas from coming! But How?” |
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President Uchtdorf pointed out that in spite of the negative features that many have come to associate with Christmas, we only have to look in order to experience the ‘powerful message of the Birth of the Son of God, and to feel the hope and peace that He brings to the world.’ We, like the Grinch, can see Christmas through new eyes.
President Uchrdorf shared his family’s tradition of observing the Advent of Christmas. On Sunday afternoons, his family would light candles and read scriptures that ‘center of Christ.’
To escape a Grinch-like attitude toward Christmas, and return to the true meaning of Christmas, President Uchtdorf suggested taking time as individuals and families to ‘study and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas...’ When we prepare for Christmas by pondering it’s real meaning, we prepare to experience the Christ and His message. |
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- Rejoice in the Savior's birth
- Ponder the Savior's Influence
in our lives today.
- Look steadfastly for
the Savior's coming.
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By doing these things and looking for the good in the season, “we can see this time of year with new eyes, perhaps even with the eyes of a child.” “Then,” he said, “perhaps our hearts, like the Grinch’s, will change as we look beyond the worldly aspect of Christmas and come to understand and refocus on the true meaning of Christmas.” |
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