As this Easter season has been coming to a close, I have been pondering upon the things that God try's to teach us and how often he teaches us those things. As I was thinking one day i thought what is the purpose of Easter? Then I thought to think of Christ.... then I thought what is the purpose of Christmas then? My answer that came in my head was "to think of Christ." I thought wow how often does god help us think of his son Jesus Christ? As I thought about this I realized every national holiday can be tied to Jesus Christ and his Atonement. The first big holiday of the year is New years day a time to "start over new" in one word that means "repent" next would be valentines day. As Christ was asked in matt. 22:36 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" He replied in 37-40 "37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." So we are to truly remember what love is, and to love our neighbor as our selves.
The next holiday is St. Patrick's day which is about "the luck of the Irish" or in the gospel terms "the blessings we get." Next is Easter about the resurrection and being "reborn again", it is interesting to me how in the space of only tree or four months we need another reminder of repentance. Mothers day will be the next one I can think of and it is to help us appreciate what our mothers do. All through the scriptures you see that women and especially mothers are important to god and he loves and takes care of them. The next is fathers day, this helps us remember our fathers hope fully pointing us to god, who is our father in heaven. There is memorial day to remember our kindred dead, and a reminder to do our family history work. July 4, is to find Joy in our country and the constitution and remember the hand that god had in the founding of our nation.
I will just list a few other main holiday's and tell their purpose, there is Veterans day a day to remember to fight for the things we love. The Book of Mormon says "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole." (Alma 46:12) Which rallied his troops to fight for righteousness and they were so great an army that not one died among them. Thanks giving to help us give thanks to god for the blessings we have received, Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ, and look to the many gifts he gave to us! Then on to new years again! God has given us all these holidays to remind us that he is there and that he wants us to live his doctrine which is: Faith, Repentance, Following the Holy Ghost, being Baptized, and Enduring to the End. With these holidays all through the year it allows us to choose to serve God or to serve mammon (Matt. 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24) if we remember what the holiday is really here for then we can have it help us serve God, if we forget why we celebrate these holidays it takes us one step farther to serving mammon. "O how great the goodness of our God!" (2 Nephi 9:10) He remembers to remind us to remember him by giving us these great holidays throughout the year! How have you recognized the hand of God in your holidays this year?
I will just list a few other main holiday's and tell their purpose, there is Veterans day a day to remember to fight for the things we love. The Book of Mormon says "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole." (Alma 46:12) Which rallied his troops to fight for righteousness and they were so great an army that not one died among them. Thanks giving to help us give thanks to god for the blessings we have received, Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ, and look to the many gifts he gave to us! Then on to new years again! God has given us all these holidays to remind us that he is there and that he wants us to live his doctrine which is: Faith, Repentance, Following the Holy Ghost, being Baptized, and Enduring to the End. With these holidays all through the year it allows us to choose to serve God or to serve mammon (Matt. 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24) if we remember what the holiday is really here for then we can have it help us serve God, if we forget why we celebrate these holidays it takes us one step farther to serving mammon. "O how great the goodness of our God!" (2 Nephi 9:10) He remembers to remind us to remember him by giving us these great holidays throughout the year! How have you recognized the hand of God in your holidays this year?
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