Long before the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a distinguished civil rights leader, he was a clergyman, like his father and grandfather. His sermons show the importance of God in his life and his life’s work.
The nation honors the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. today for his impact on civil rights. But before he became a champion of social justice and one of the most admired Americans of the 20th century, King was an ordained minister who said his first calling was his greatest commitment.
January 10, 2023
Did someone or something seize control of the United States?
What happened to the U.S. border? Where did it go? Who erased it? Why and how did 5 million people enter our country illegally? Did Congress secretly repeal our immigration laws? Did President Joe Biden issue an executive order allowing foreign nationals to walk across the border and reside in the United States as they pleased?
Since when did money not have to be paid back? Who insisted that the more dollars the federal government printed, the more prosperity would follow? When did America embrace zero interest? Why do we believe $30 trillion in debt is no big deal?
When did clean-burning, cheap, and abundant natural gas become the equivalent to dirty coal? How did prized natural gas that had granted America’s wishes of energy self-sufficiency, reduced pollution, and inexpensive electricity become almost overnight a pariah fuel whose extraction was a war against nature? Which lawmakers, which laws, which votes of the people declared natural gas development and pipelines near-criminal?
Was it not against federal law to swarm the homes of Supreme Court justices, to picket and to intimidate their households in efforts to affect their rulings? How then with impunity did bullies surround the homes of Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts, and Clarence Thomas – furious over a court decision on abortion? How could these mobs so easily throng our justices’ homes, with placards declaring “Off with their d—s”?
Since when did Americans create a government Ministry of Truth? And on whose orders did the FBI contract private news organizations to censor stories it did not like and writers whom it feared?
How did we wake up one morning to new customs of impeaching a president over a phone call? Of the speaker of the House tearing up the State of the Union address on national television? Of barring congressional members from serving on their assigned congressional committees?
When did we assume the FBI had the right to subvert the campaign of a candidate it disliked? Was it legal suddenly for one presidential candidate to hire a foreign ex-spy to subvert the campaign of her rival?
Was some state or federal law passed that allowed biological males to compete in female sports? Did Congress enact such a law? Did the Supreme Court guarantee that biological male students could shower in gym locker rooms with biological women? Were women ever asked to redefine the very sports they had championed?
When did the government pass a law depriving Americans of their freedom during a pandemic? In America can health officials simply cancel rental contracts or declare loan payments in suspension? How could it become illegal for mom-and-pop stores to sell flowers or shoes during a quarantine but not so for Walmart or Target?
Since when did the people decide that 70 percent of voters would not cast their ballots on Election Day? Was this revolutionary change the subject of a national debate, a heated congressional session, or the votes of dozens of state legislatures?
What happened to Election Night returns? Did the fact that Americans created more electronic ballots and computerized tallies make it take so much longer to tabulate the votes?
When did the nation abruptly decide that theft is not a crime, assault not a felony? How can thieves walk out with bags of stolen goods, without the wrath of angry shoppers, much less fear of the law?
Was there ever a national debate about the terrified flight from Afghanistan? Who planned it and why?
What happened to the once-trusted FBI? Why almost overnight did its directors decide to mislead Congress, to deceive judges with concocted tales from fake dossiers and with doctored writs? Did Congress pass a law that our federal leaders in the FBI or CIA could lie with impunity under oath?
Who redefined our military and with whose consent? Who proclaimed that our chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff could call his Chinese Communist counterpart to warn him that America’s president was supposedly unstable? Was it always true that retired generals routinely libeled their commander-in-chief as a near Nazi, a Mussolini, an adherent of the tools of Auschwitz?
Were Americans ever asked whether their universities could discriminate against their sons and daughters based on their race? How did it become physically dangerous to speak the truth on a campus? Whose idea was it to reboot racial segregation and bias as “theme houses,” “safe spaces,” and “diversity”? How did that happen in America?
How did a virus cancel the Constitution? Did the lockdowns rob us of our sanity? Or was it the woke hysteria that ignited our collective madness?
We are beginning to wake up from a nightmare to a country we no longer recognize, and from a coup we never knew.
Victor Davis Hanson is a distinguished fellow of the Center for American Greatness. He is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and the author of “The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won,” from Basic Books. You can reach him by e-mailing authorvdh@gmail.com.
January 10, 2023
I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY — HOPE SURFACES
FROM DESPAIR:
On Christmas day in 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
was inspired to write the poem we now know as the Christmas carol, I Heard the
Bells on Christmas Day. It was a testament to the resilience of the human
spirit.
"A Christmas Carol," a globally celebrated
timeless tale of heartwarming human redemption crafted as a haunting holiday
ghost story, was published in London on this day in history, Dec. 19,
1843.
Except for the biblical narrative of the birth of
Christ itself, "A Christmas Carol" may be the world's most well-known
and most frequently retold tale of the holiday.
English author Dickens, 31 years old at the time, had
recently gained literary celebrity following the release of "Sketches by
Boz," "The Pickwick Papers" and "Oliver Twist."
"'A Christmas Carol' was written over a few short
weeks to ensure its publication before Christmas 1843, but its message has
stood the test of time," notes the Charles Dickens Museum of London.
"Recognized by critics on its publication as ‘a
national benefit to every man and woman who reads it a personal kindness’, the
story has been retold and adapted ever since."
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.
"Suppose one reads a story of filthy atrocities in the paper. Then suppose that something turns up suggesting that the story might not be quite true, or not quite so bad as it was made out. Is one's first feeling, 'Thank God, even they aren't quite so bad as that,' or is it a feeling of disappointment, and even a determination to cling to the first story for the sheer pleasure of thinking your enemies are as bad as possible? If it is the second then it is, I am afraid, the first step in a process which, if followed to the end, will make us into devils. You see, one is beginning to wish that black was a little blacker. If we give that wish its head, later on we shall wish to see grey as black, and then to see white itself as black. Finally, we shall insist on seeing everything -- God and our friends and ourselves included -- as bad, and not be able to stop doing it: we shall be fixed for ever in a universe of pure hatred."
Prayer for the First Sunday in Advent
"Loving God, during these days of Advent, we
meditate upon the meaning of your coming.
We approach you and wonder at all as we prepare to
welcome the Christ, whom you have so sacrificially sent.
How thankful we are for His assurance that you do not
leave us alone -
Into our highest joys and satisfactions you send light
and warmth.
Into our experiences of worship, you bring insight
and renewal.
Into our times of stress and uncertainty you infuse
strength and faith.
We rejoice in your transforming work going on in us
and in the world, your work that nothing can stop.
We come to you as seekers as curious Children wanting
to explore the Mysteries of your grace and love.
Like Mary and Joseph,
we seek to experience the Christmas miracle ourselves
Like the shepherds,
we seek to worship at the manger in Bethlehem
Like the angels,
we seek to join the multitude of the heavenly host to
sing glory to you in the highest.
Give us sensitive spirits, attentive minds, and
receptive hearts, we pray.
Begin your work in us anew, that we might reflect your
light and life in every environment in which we find ourselves.
Show us how we may more fully receive the gift of
Jesus, who is the sign of your presence in the world.
Bring to our awareness the places in our inner spirits
where He has yet to enter - the places where we have resisted Him, rejected
Him, run from Him.
Help us to invite Him to enter now. Grant that during
this Advent season, we might hear His Word and experience His grace as if for
the first time, that we might respond with renewed commitment.
O God, rekindle the romance of our faith,
Awaken us to the attraction and the passion and the
devotion of Jesus Christ.
Let His hope live in us, not for our own sake only,
but for the sake of your eternal kingdom both in heaven and on earth.
In all things and in all ways, make us people who think
and act in peace, that the world may know of your saving love.
By Charlotte Larcabal and Eric B. Murdock
Lights.
Trees. Stars. Bells. Ever wonder what all these Christmas symbols might mean?
With all the hype of the holidays, you’re sure to see
Christmas decorations everywhere. It’s a huge part of celebrating Christmas!
But have you ever thought about how some of those traditional decorations can
help us get in touch with the true spirit of the season? If we look at them in
the right way, we can allow them to help us remember Jesus Christ in our
Christmas celebrations as Christians have done for centuries.
The Star:
It’s hard to go anywhere during Christmas without
seeing stars hanging from street lamps or sitting on top of Christmas trees.
The star is one of the most recognizable symbols of the holiday. It represents
the star that appeared in the sky when Jesus Christ was born. Five years before
Jesus was born, Samuel the Lamanite prophesied of the signs of the Savior’s
birth, including the appearance of a bright new star (see Helaman 14:5). The
star led the Wise Men to Jesus (see Matthew 2:2) and reminds us to follow the
light of the Savior just as the Wise Men followed the light of the star to find
Him.
Lights
and Candles:
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles has taught: “Many of our memorable and enduring Christmas traditions
include different kinds of lights—lights on trees, lights in and on our homes,
candles on our tables. May the beautiful lights of every holiday season remind
us of Him who is the source of all light.”1 Christmas lights can remind us that
Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. They can also remind us to be lights to
others and to help others come unto Christ.
For centuries, candles have brought brightness and
warmth to the season. Candles can also represent the light of the star that
appeared at the birth of the Savior, and like other lights, remind us that He
is the Light of the World. Did you know candles were often used to decorate Christmas
trees before electric lights were invented?
Trees:
Even before Christ’s birth, trees that stayed green
all year long carried special meaning for people. A green, thriving tree in the
dead of winter reminded people of hope and new life. Because of Jesus Christ,
we can have everlasting life (see 3 Nephi 5:13), so we can choose to see the
evergreen tree as a natural symbol of Him and His gift to us.
Poinsettias:
The poinsettia originates from Mexico, and like the
evergreen tree, it is a plant that thrives during the winter and symbolizes new
life. But it doesn’t stop there! Their shape resembles a star, like the one
that led the Wise Men to Jesus. Red poinsettias can remind us of the blood that
Christ spilled for us. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles taught, “Having bled at every pore, how red [Christ’s] raiment
must have been in Gethsemane, how crimson that cloak!”2 white poinsettias can
symbolize His purity (see Moroni 7:48).
Holly:
Because its red berries and prickly green leaves last
all year round, holly is used as a Christmas decoration all over the world. The
sharp edges of the holly leaf can remind us of the crown of thorns placed on
the Savior’s head (see Matthew 27:29). The red holly berry can remind us of His
blood shed for all of us. Christians have long seen these symbols. In fact, in
some Scandinavian languages, the word for holly is “Christ-thorn.”
Wreaths:
Traditionally, wreaths are made of evergreens such as
pine branches or holly. Their circular shape can represent eternity (see
D&C 35:1). Wreaths hung on doors or in windows are like a symbolic
invitation for the spirit of Christmas to fill our homes with the joy of the
season.
Bells:
For centuries, bells have been rung to announce the
arrival of the Christmas season. They can symbolize the announcement of the
birth of Christ when angels in heaven praised God and declared, “Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).
Candy
Canes:
Perhaps a better name for the candy cane is “candy
crook.” They can remind us of the staffs carried by the shepherds who visited
the baby Jesus. During Christ’s time, a shepherd’s staff often had a crook, or
bend, at the top that was used to hook sheep by the neck to gently lead them to
food or water or to protect them from harm. As you enjoy a candy cane, remember
that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd (see John 10:11, 14). If we choose to
follow Him, He will gently lead us to safety and peace.
Stockings:
If you think about it, it’s a bit strange for someone
to put goodies in your old sock. But like many Christmas traditions, the
tradition of Christmas stockings comes from an old legend. A long time ago (so
the story goes), a poor man had three daughters and couldn’t afford to give
them a dowry (money or goods given to the groom’s family by the bride’s
family). In those days, it was very hard for a woman to get married without a
dowry. A Christian bishop named Nicholas heard about the problem and wanted to
help, but the man refused to accept money. One night, Nicholas threw three
balls made of pure gold in through the open window of the man’s house. Each one
landed in a stocking hung by the fire to dry. The next morning, each daughter
found a gold ball in her stocking. With this bounty, they were all able to get
married. Stockings can remind us of the importance of service. The greatest
example of service is Jesus Christ. He always “went about doing good” (Acts
10:38). Take some time to think about the Savior’s selfless acts of service.
How can you give Christlike service and show kindness to others?
Gifts:
Christmas is the season of giving.Remember the Wise
Men who came to see Jesus? They “presented unto him gifts; gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11), but the greatest gift of all came from
our Heavenly Father: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life” (John 3:16). As you open your brightly wrapped presents on
Christmas morning, remember that the Savior is the true gift of Christmas.
We love Christmastime—gathering with family and friends, sharing gifts, good food, and happy celebrations. Do you know when those customs began in your family? Such traditions bind us to our heritage and will be passed on for generations to come.
