O Come All Ye Faithful

Last weekend was our stake Christmas Concert. Seth and I had been praying that the spirit would bless this concert and bless the hearts of those who sang and those in the audience, espeicially those who were visiting.

We sang some really fun songs, one calypso piece, some Christmas hymns, and Glory to God from Handel's Messiah. The piece that touched me the most however was the last one, "O Come all ye Faithful." When I first looked at the song, it looked easy, but when we started singing it we realized that the rhythms and the way they fit the words were quite tricky. As a section we practiced it quite a bit, but still didn't have it down at the dress rehearsal. The trickiest line was "Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing." I sang it over and over in my head. Then last Saturday at the concert, when we had the whole choir singing, and the congregation entered on the third verse, the words hit me with full force, "Son of the Father." I felt the spirit testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Father. He truly is the Son of God. I can't explain quite what I felt, but I know it was a witness of the spirit of the reality and divinity of our Savior. I felt the power of the invitation to "O come all ye faithful. . . come and adore him." I thought of Bruce R. McConkie's words that "He is God's Almighty Son."

Usually when I think of Christmas I think about that one Christmas night when Christ was born, but this year I've been thinking about more than just that night. I've been thinking about all those nights and days that Mary tended, fed, rocked and changed a baby Jesus. I think to myself in awe that Jesus really was a baby. He really came down and lived a mortal life. Now that I am seeing firsthand the experience of a baby it is even more incredible to me that the Savior of the World was born on earth of a mortal mother. I have a testimony of his love for us. I know that He is the Son of the Father. I know that He loves us and will save us and that He is calling all of us to come unto him, and to always remember him. Especially at this time of Christmas.