For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11-14
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The birth of any child is a wonder and a delight. During this holiday season Christians remember and celebrate the birth of the Christ child. Part of the miracle of children is their bright potential. The prophesied role the baby Jesus would fulfill as an adult was the reason His birth was so important.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Our best days still lie ahead
A new year gives us a chance to reconsider our choices in the past and where we want to go in the future. With the upcoming presidential transition, our country has an opportunity for a rebirth of truth, reason, health, prosperity, and good will among our people.
So here is my Christmas wish list for America (and the world).
- Plentiful good, healthy, food for everyone.
- Clean air, clean water, and a healthy climate.
- Safe, clean, comfortable, housing for everyone.
- Affordable (or free), universal, health care.
- Well-funded, well-supported, high quality, public schools.
- Accessible, affordable, higher education and trade schools.
- Jobs that pay a living wage (including health and retirement benefits) to all.
- Clean, effective, efficient, transportation systems.
- Easier, and guaranteed, access to voting for everyone.
- Peace on Earth and good will among all people.
I want to believe that everyone shares these goals and values. Sadly, too many people want these good things for themselves but don’t care about anyone else. Nevertheless, I believe that anyone who claims to be a Christian is obliged to seek these blessings for everyone because Jesus instructed us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Matthew 22:37-40
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Building a Zion society
As for my fellow Latter-day Saints, the responsibility is even greater. We have committed ourselves by covenant to build the Kingdom of God, a Zion society, here on Earth. I believe such a society will look precisely like the Christmas wish list above. We need to get to work!
Yet, when I advocate for government policies that will begin to help us achieve these goals, I encounter stiff opposition. Most of the opposition comes from Republicans. The excuses are many, but they always boil down to the same thing – money. “Of course we want those things (clean air, good schools, higher wages, etc.), but we can’t AFFORD your proposal.”
This is Satan’s big lie. We can ALWAYS afford to do good. Doing good is more effective, more efficient, and brings more happiness than doing evil. The price of single war could fund a lot of school lunches, college educations, and virus vaccines…
Government spending is never a question of cost, it is a question of priorities. Congressional Republicans regularly give huge benefits to the wealthy while bounteously funding military spending. The Utah legislature short changes school kids annually, but never fails to generously fund road construction projects.
This Christmas season, I propose that we reorder our priorities and become more “Christian” to one another. Much good could be done if we would just give up our obsession with personal power and gain and redirect our time and energy to helping others. The world would be a much better place if we “Saints” would not only read the scriptures, but more consistently endeavor to live by them.
Compassion is not weakness, and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism.
Hubert Humphrey
Well said, I agree totally not only with your article but particularly with the closing quote by Hubert Humphrey. Why shouldn’t we want for all what we want for ourselves.