On Christmas Eve our family gathers around the Christmas tree,
which for us represents the Tree of Life in remembrance
of our Savior Jesus Christ.
The
evergreen is the traditional Christmas tree.
Its branches and triangular shape point heavenward,
and its needles remain "ever green" through
the cold winter months to remind us of eternal life
symbolized in the Tree of life.
Traditional
Christmas tree decorations remind us of the first
Christmas. A star at the top of the tree represents
the new star that appeared in heaven on the day that
Christ was born. The angel represents the angel
that came to the shepherds to tell them of the Savior's
birth, and to go and worship him, and also represents
the angels who rejoiced with singing from the heavens.
Nativity
scenes frequently show a pure white little lamb closest
to the Christ child to remind us that he is the pure
and innocent "lamb of God" who was sent
to be sacrificed for the sins of the world in fulfillment
of the law of Moses.
The
colorful bulbs are fruits of the Tree of Life, and
the lights signify the everlasting light of life that
comes from the Savior Jesus Christ. The circle
of the evergreen wreath reminds us of eternal life.
The most precious gifts of the earth from the three
wise men —gold, frankincense and myrrh — are also
remembered in ornaments, in fragrant candles, and
herbs. And we similarly give gifts at Christmas
time in remembrance of the first Christmas gifts.
The Tree of Life in heaven described in the Book of
Revelation has twelve different kinds of fruit. This
is part of the traditional tree decorations in some
parts of Europe, where they hang
real fruit on the evergreen tree and eat from it through
the holiday season. Today the fruit has been
mostly replaced by colorful round bulbs. Fruit
of the Tree of Life of course represents eternal life
as the greatest of God's gifts to man (1 Nephi 8).
What could be more appropriate on Christmas than to
contemplate this wonderful symbol for the Christmas
tree?
To our knowledge, the Tree of Life was first depicted
in the Tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness (later
in the Temple of Solomon), with guardian angels (winged
cherubim) on either side of the tree, as a reflection
of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. This
art work was repeated around the inner walls of the
Tabernacle.
The
central Tree of Life symbol was in the form of a large
lamp stand, still used in the Jewish religion today.
It was in the form of a stylized tree with seven branches.
Each branch was carved with alternating leaves and
fruit. Lamps set on top of each branch burned
with oil of the Olive Tree, which is the traditional
Tree of Life of Israel.
The
lamps were kept burning continually to signify the
constant light and life of Jehovah that would lead
and guide the Children of Israel if they would be
obedient to the Gospel. Similarly, Christmas
trees always have their lights. Before electricity,
they were candles, and they are now electric lights
in the shape of candles or the candle flame.
Nephi and the Tree of Life
On Christmas our family reads the meaning of our Christmas
tree in the Book of Mormon from Nephi's vision of
the Tree of Life in the 11th chapter of 1 Nephi.
Nephi sought prayerfully to understand the vision
of the Tree of Life his father had related.
An angel appeared to Nephi, and when Nephi declared
his belief in his father's teaching about the Tree
of Life the angel rejoiced in Nephi's belief in the
"Son of the most high God," (vs. 5-6).
He did not yet understand the connection of the Tree
to the Son of God. He was then told that he
would be given a sign, that after being shown the
Tree of Life, he would behold a man descending out
of heaven and witness that he is the Son of God (vs.
7).
Nephi saw the Tree and marveled at its exceeding beauty
and whiteness, but he still did not understand its
relationship to the Son of God. Desiring to
know the interpretation of this tree, Nephi was then
told to look, and a vision of Jerusalem
opened up to him. He saw the city of Nazareth and an exceedingly fair and beautiful Virgin.
Within
this vision another angel descended from heaven to
Nephi, and reflecting on this fair virgin asked Nephi
if he knew how God bestowed his greatest gift upon
man. Nephi wasn't sure, but stated that he did
know that God loves his children. The angel
then revealed that the virgin is the mother of the
Son of God in the flesh. The scene then changed
and Nephi saw the same virgin bearing a child in her
arms, which the angel introduced to Nephi as the Lamb
of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!
Now, the angel asked Nephi if he knew the meaning
of the Tree of Life which his father (and he) had
seen, and Nephi exclaimed, "Yea, it is the love
of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts
of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most
desirable above all things." And the angel
added, "Yea, and the most joyous to the soul."
This
was the great joy Lehi experienced when he partook
of the fruit of the Tree of Life in vision. This
tree, as a sign of the Son of God, and the way God
bestows his greatest gift on mankind was now clear
to Nephi. It was all wrapped up in this infant
child. The Tree as a sign of life was a sign
of God's gift of the Christ child to the world as
the ultimate expression of God's love. This
was the first and greatest Christmas gift.
Truly,
the spirit of the love of Christ does spread abroad
in the hearts of the children of men throughout the
world at Christmas time.
The Savior’s Mission
Nephi's vision of Christ then concluded in witnessing
the mission of the Savior. Many worshiped at
his feet; he taught the multitudes; angels descended
from heaven to administer to them; he administered
to the sick and afflicted, healed them and cast out
devils; and finally he was judged of the world and
crucified on the cross for the sins of the world.
In
that final atoning sacrifice Christ completed
his earthly mission and redeemed the world from sin.
Three days later he broke the bands of death by resurrecting
that all mankind might resurrect and gain eternal
life.
The culmination of Christ's mission to the world is
the ultimate meaning of the Tree of Life (and the
Christmas tree) as a representation of eternal life,
which is the greatest of all the gifts of God (D&C
13).
God's greatest and very personal gift to each and
every one of us, his "condescension," was
truly the gift of the Christ child. The greatest
Christmas gift that we can give to God in return,
is to embrace the Christ child in truth and spirit,
just as we embrace all pure and beautiful infants.
And with that embrace let us embrace his gift of salvation
totally in our hearts. Only He is the Tree of
Life that bears the fruit of eternal
life.
This
is the spiritual feast by which we may freely partake
of the fruit of the Tree of Life, and experience the
exceedingly great joy that comes from no other source.
May we each find that great joy by feasting
from the fruit of the Tree of Life this Christmas
season, and continue to partake throughout the new
year as we accept the Lord's sacrament each Sabbath
day.
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