The
Most Wonderful Time of the Year
There is a song
that is often heard during the Christmas season “It’s the Most Wonderful Time
of the Year”. It was written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle and first
sung by Andy Williams. I really believe this is the most wonderful time of the
year, not just because “everyone telling us be of good cheer” or because of the
“caroling out in the snow”, but primarily because “it’s the hap – happiest
season of all and tales of the glories of Christmas long, long ago”. When we
center our thoughts on Jesus Christ and his birth it brings us peace and
inspires us to serve others. I hope you enjoy the scriptures and music below
that help to make this one of the most wonderful time of the year.
Isaiah
prophesied about 700 years before its fulfillment that the Messiah would be
born:
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)
Therefore the Lord himself
shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear
a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah
7:14)
Isaiah was not
alone in his prophecies of the Messiah many other ancient prophets foretold of
the birth of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament as well as in the Book of
Mormon.
But
thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou
be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth unto me that
is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old,
from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)
Yea, even six hundred years from the
time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God
raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of
the world. (1 Nephi 10:4)
And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of
the flesh.
And it came to pass that I
beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried
away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel
spake unto me, saying: Look!
And I looked and beheld the
virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
And the angel said unto me:
Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of
the Eternal Father! (1
Nephi 11:18-21)
Home Free - "Angels We Have Heard on High"
But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry
unto this people, saying—Repent ye,
and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for
behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth.
And behold, he shall be born of
Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of
our forefathers, she being a virgin,
a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and
bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. (Alma
7:9-10)
A Christmas version of Hallelujah
Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs
be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto
me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews,
among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they
shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other
nation on earth that would crucify their God. (2 Nephi 10:3)
Five years
before the prophesied time of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prophet Samuel
came to the people in America and gave them a sign of the Savior’s birth:
And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give
unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh
the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.
And behold, this will I give unto you for
a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great
lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no
darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.
Therefore, there shall be
one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were
no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the
rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a
surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall
not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.
And behold, there shall a
new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also
shall be a sign unto you. (Helaman
14:2-5)
