My Mormon Third Eye: I See... When Christmas Begins

Sunday, November 29, 2009

I See... When Christmas Begins

When does Christmas begin at your house? For most of the retail world, it begins on Black Friday after Thanksgiving. Some families abhor the commercialized nature of the holiday, and therefore wait two-three weeks into December before pulling out the tree and decorating the house with Christmas trinkets. For many fulltime missionaries, especially those totally consumed in saving souls and laboring in far-off lands where Christmas never arrives, the holiday doesn't happen until the night before, when they suddenly realize that tomorrow morning will be the time to commemorate the birth of the Master they serve so unselfishly. For the average monetized American kid hyped up on the mental steroids of consumer-driven hedonism, Christmas

never comes soon enough.

In our house, Christmas doesn't just “start;” it explodes. It is not uncommon for me to leave a mild-mannered home for the rock pile one December morning, and return in the evening to a virtual winter wonderland awash in a kaleidoscope of green and red and white decorations adorning every free surface of our home, representing both the legend (Santa and snowmen and candycanes and elves and reindeer with red noses and sleighs and..) and the spirit (mangers and wisemen and shepherds and babies in swaddling clothes and...) of Christmas. Fortunately my wife saves putting up the tree for me and decorating it for the family.

The Christmas season officially starts in my heart on the first Sunday in December when I enjoy the privilege of joining other like individuals in a Messiah “sing along.” It was Isaiah's messianic prophecies of the Savior's birth, life, and resurrection put to Handel's music that converted me to the gospel as a teenager too many years ago, and I thrill to re-live those critical moments almost every early December since then. The “voice of him that cryeth in the wilderness”cries out to me. Every hallelujah sung sends the excitement of a grateful Christmas surging through the spiritual veins of my soul.

I know of a family that has a Christmas room in their house. It is a room where the tree is always up and lighted all year-round, and includes all the green and red and gold and white ribbons and decorations that belong to the Christmas season. Obviously, they have no young children still in the house- that would be torture for both parents and children. Their lives reflect, however, the values and the gospel of the Christ child's birth they honor all year.

It made me think. Maybe the question should not be, “when does Christmas begin,” but “why does it have to begin at all?”

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The Mormon Third Eye Quote of the Week

"As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Priesthood Session Conference, October 2012

Why My Mormon Third Eye?

When I politely excused myself in the middle of dinner to make a bathroom stop, how did Mom know that I had uneaten peas in my pocket to flush down the toilet? When I came home late from a youth dance and slid quietly into bed to avoid waking parental units, how did Dad know, without looking at the car, that I smashed in the front bumper? When I watch my daughter play a video game, how do I know that she's not ready for her Geometry final?

Its the Third Eye. The notorious eye in the back of the head, the extra view of life that God blesses parents striving to do the right thing so they can see more of life than the children they chase after.

Our third eye also permits us to see things and feel emotions that are too refined, too far on the edge of our standard two-eyed peripheral vision to enjoy in its fullness. I've learned that I have a Mormon Third Eye; that is, as a life-long, fully-dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have unique perspective on how the doctrines of the gospel and the demands of my faith in them intersect every other part of my mortal existence to create the entertaining, self-deprecating kaleidoscope of my life.

So... for those of you bold and bored enough to read this far, every so often I'll be sharing here what my Mormon third eye sees. Third eyes are relatively huge; they see the humorous, the entertaining, the embarrassing, the beautiful, the inspirational, and even the moral and political; however, they tend to ignore the evil, depressing and destructive: there is enough of that in world already!

The Four Secrets to Successful Living

Always Go Where There is Free Food - This includes ward and work parties, wedding receptions and missionary open houses; the money you spend to buy the ingredients for the world-famous triple chocolate cake you bring doesn’t count.
Never Pay Full Price for Anything – See my posts on Black Friday escapades for more information on this.
Never, Ever Press the Red Button - Usually, if you are faced with a red button somewhere, don’t press it – it usually means trouble. For example, the red button launches the missiles. Do yourself a favor and don’t press it.
Any Problem You Face Can Be Solved With Bungee Cords and Duct Tape - Bungee cord and duct tape technology has saved many marriages and ward parties. I’m not just talking about problems with plumbing or keeping groceries from bouncing around the trunk; I know of relationship and family issues that have been solved with creative applications of these two substances.