Mormonism, My Family, and Christmas

Though Mormonism is not unique for the mere act of celebrating the Christmas holiday, I feel that, throughout my life, the Christmas season  has always been a great bolster to my faith , as well as a blessing and uniting force over my entire family. Being conveniently located at the end of the calendar year, it provides a wonderful opportunity for reflection and personal growth. The family seems much closer, and the love is palpable.
One thing I am ever-thankful for is my father and mother's insistence that we keep the focus on the first syllable of the the word. "Christ". Like many children, we were also taught the magical, if silly, legend of Santa Claus, who lived up north, had a weight problem, and flew around the world to deliver presents to all the good little boys and girls. But my parents also stressed the Savior in all of our Christmas merriment. Being a family of history buffs, which may have been prompted by our father, we would often talk about the symbolic meanings and historic origins of the various decorations we were decking the halls with; how this or that pointed to Jesus Christ in some symbolically meaningful way, why people started doing it, etc.
At some point in the month, we schedule a time for what we call a "Back to Bethlehem" dinner. We discuss the Savior and His birth, and hold a feast, in which we put a large sheet on the family room floor, and have everyone sit in a big circle, while dining on finger foods, such as bread, meats, vegetables and fruits, somewhat like they would have eaten in the time of Christ, though we don't stress historical accuracy too much.
The festivities remind us of our roots, and make me thankful, not only for my Mormon upbringing, but for each of these opportunities to enrich my faith, and how often I am given the chance to testify of Christ, or have Him testified to me.
Every Christmas morning, before parading downstairs to see what "Santa" brought us, our parents would gather us all together in one room, and we'd kneel as a family and offer thanks to God for the ultimate gift that He had given us for Christmas: His Son. All in all, the Lord Jesus Christ features heavily throughout the whole affair, as well He should, and we try to use every opportunity to express our love for one another, and our gratitude for Jesus and His eternal sacrifice.

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On the Christianity of Mormonism.

Jesus Christ and the LDS Church; Is Mormonism Christian?

As an ardent believer in, and an intense lover of Jesus Christ, it can be a bit disheartening to hear certain people categorize my religion (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known by its nickname, "Mormonism") as "non-Christian", or imply that there is an inherent difference between it and Christianity. I've always viewed the term "Christian" (one who does their best to follow the example and teachings of Jesus Christ) as a personal choice. As mortal beings, we are not always able to know the thoughts and feelings of others. So it would seem to me that determining another Christian's level of devotion to Christ would be a matter of guesswork. Completely arbitrary.

As Jesus Himself told us in His Sermon on the Mount, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." I don't write this to call to repentance those who question my Christianity, as that is not my place. I merely write to ask for brotherhood in the beliefs and values we do have in common, and give some insight as to how this church--while not quite mainstream-- is an excellent example of a Christian church.

• The Savior's name is referenced the official title of the Church. The Church's name is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints".
• The Book of Mormon, a volume of holy scripture at the cornerstone of the Church's beliefs--and also where the Church gets it nickname-- mentions Jesus Christ over 482 times, not including when He is referred to by other titles, such as "Savior", "Redeemer", "Son of God", etc. The Book of Mormon has 531 pages, which puts a very conservative estimate at Christ being mentioned, on average, at least once every 1.2 pages of the book.
• The Book of Mormon is subtitled as "Another Testament of Jesus Christ"
• Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ. 
• Every Sunday, they renew their covenants made at baptism by partaking in the sacrament (similar to communion). Members are counseled to remain reverent at this time, and humble themselves by pondering on the Savior's ultimate sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross.
• Mormons believe that if they follow the Lord's commandments, and repent of all sins, they can be forgiven and washed clean by Christ's atoning sacrifice.
• The Church believes that after the death of Christ, their was a great apostasy among the believers, and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ (in its fullness) was lost from the Earth. The Church considers itself a restoration of the Church Jesus Christ started, a divinely inspired renewal of the original Gospel of Christ in its fullness. This is why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not trace its roots back to any Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox faith, as it arose independent of any of these lineages.

I love the Savior Jesus Christ, and do my best to follow His divine example. I am in awe that He would put up with me and my rebellious ways, and I would like to express a humble gratitude for Him and His condescension towards me--towards all of us. The perfect, sinless, Son of God was made to bear and overcome unthinkable agony and the deepest sorrow, all that we might be happy. I am proud to have Him as my guide, my example, and my Savior. I will close this article now in His sweet name, Jesus Christ--Amen.

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For more on the divine love of Jesus Christ read this post.
On Christmas, and how my family and I celebrate.