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: His Matchless Love

Jesus Christ loves you. If you aren't a particularly religious person to begin with, it may seem like an odd notion, but it is true nonetheless. He loves you more than you could possibly comprehend. Think of the person you love the most. It might be a spouse or significant other. It could be a parent, a sibling, a child, or even a close friend. It doesn't take anything away from the deep love you feel for that person, but the love of Jesus Christ, is so much deeper, so much purer, and so much greater than anything we can imagine.
Why does He love us?
Christ know us on a deeply personal level. He and our Heavenly Father know all about us: our motives, our thoughts, our desires, our actions, and everything in between. At the thought of this concept, many of us might make the mistake of thinking He has less reason to love us. After all, we have each and every one of us made one mistake or another in this life, and the thought that someone might know all the intricate details of our misdeeds is terrifying. So why would Jesus, the Son of God, and the most perfect being ever to walk the Earth, put up with such vile sinners for even a second? Surely He could find more worthy subjects than us. But the truth is, even as Christ knows all about our mistakes, our sins, and our misdeeds, He also sees and knows what we may become. He understands the context of our mistakes because He lived them. In the   Garden of Gethsemane, and on the cross in Golgotha, Christ suffered for all the sins and all the pains of mankind. Everyone that has lived, is living, or will live is cleansed through the ultimate self-sacrifice of the perfect, unblemished Son of God, but only if we allow it to.
When we sin, no matter how major our sin is, we have the opportunity and the duty to repent. When we correct the situation, asking forgiveness, and leaving our sins behind, we can then approach our Lord and Savior by praying with an eye single to Him and appreciation of His redeeming sacrifice. When we do this earnestly, He will forgive us.
Jesus Christ loves us so much, that He was willing to sacrifice everything He had--and more--that we might be cleansed from wickedness, and brought to the eternal happiness that comes from a clean conscience, and closeness to the Lord, our God. Because of His sacrifice, we are able to reach our full potential, and rise to the level of that person that Jesus knows we may become. With an eye single to Him, and a sincere love for all we meet, there is no limit to our progression in righteousness, our understanding of the mysteries of God, and  our ability to love in the supreme way that Christ the Lord did.
I leave this with you in His holy name, Jesus Christ--Amen.

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On Mormonism and Christianity: is there a difference?
For an exploration of the nature of the Holy Ghost, click here.
Sacrament or Communion?