What Did You Get For Smithmas?

[The Nehor]

I got some new electronic toys. We also enjoyed the normal Smithmas traditions of stick-pulling, wrestling, and plotting world domination.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable time with their family celebrating the birth of our Messiah. I am told there is another minor holiday tomorrow in celebration of some minor figure in our faith whose name escapes me at the moment. For those who celebrate that too enjoy.

[Kenngo1969]

I'm s'posta get presents on Smithmas, too?!

 

I was gypped, man!  Everybody's gettin' lumps of coal from me tomorrow!  (Either that, or everybody else has some catching up to do! )

 

[Coreyb]

Oh Smithmas this year was wonderful! In my family we hold a mid-day feast of beer and pancakes, followed by games and talents. My mother sung us a beautiful solo number in an unknown tongue, after which my father stood and declared it to be the pure Adamic language. At midnight we headed out to the backyard for the annual money-dig, and we almost got the treasure this time if it hadn't been for my youngest brother sneezing during the drawing of the sacred circle. My older brother and I took this appropriate occasion to solidify our spiritual bond by marrying each other's wives. All in all I think this was the most memorable Smithmas of my young life! #reason4theseason #heisthegift

Edited December 25, 2014 by Coreyb

[Duncan]

I got no one in line when I bought my Whopper meal at Burger king! It was a Christmas miracle!

[boblloyd91]

My wife made me do the dishes, so it wasn't very merry for me!

[Kenngo1969]

My wife made me do the dishes, so it wasn't very merry for me!

Ah, well.  There's always the prospect that she will ... Ahem! ... "pay" ... you later for doing those dishes (if you, ahhh, catch my drift).  Just sayin'!

Edited December 25, 2014 by Kenngo1969

[MormonFreeThinker]

Edited December 25, 2014 by MormonFreeThinker

[Mars]

Joseph Smith bobblehead.

[rodheadlee]

A lump of coal.

[intra]

i got salvation from sin, a new heart and a new spirit! 

... but it had nothing to do with "Smith" and everything to do with Immanuel 

[VideoGameJunkie]

I got 33 wives.

[Scott Lloyd]

i got salvation from sin, a new heart and a new spirit! 

... but it had nothing to do with "Smith" and everything to do with Immanuel

i got salvation from sin, a new heart and a new spirit! 

... but it had nothing to do with "Smith" and everything to do with Immanuel

Several of those posting on this thread might say something similar. This chatter about "Smithmas" is by way of poking fun at those who wrongly accuse Mormons of diminishing Christ by observing or mentioning the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Perhaps you realize this already, but it's hard to tell from the preachy tone of your post.

[Ham Clam]

A Christmas party with my Baptist boyfriend's parents who like me enough to "put up" with me being a Latter-Day Saint.

[JLHPROF]

i got salvation from sin, a new heart and a new spirit! 

... but it had nothing to do with "Smith" and everything to do with Immanuel 

 

You got salvation from sin, a new heart, and a new spirit?  All on December 23rd of 2014?  Wow, that's a coincidence.

 

What are the odds that your born again experience so perfectly coincided with the Smithmas celebration we are all discussing?  I would have thought you were born again a long time ago.  Or was this a second manifestation?  

[BCSpace]

There were no gifts here. Just feats of strength and airing of grievances.

[intra]

Several of those posting on this thread might say something similar. This chatter about "Smithmas" is by way of poking fun at those who wrongly accuse Mormons of diminishing Christ by observing or mentioning the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Perhaps you realize this already, but it's hard to tell from the preachy tone of your post.

if the only true and holy reformed church of the Lord of Lords would rather celebrate it's Savior with mockery and sarcasm, have at it. 

this Jesus made me a new creation, doing away with the former things! 

i would rather take the occasion to extol Him.  

[pogi]

if the only true and holy reformed church of the Lord of Lords would rather celebrate it's Savior with mockery and sarcasm, have at it. 

this Jesus made me a new creation, doing away with the former things! 

i would rather take the occasion to extol Him.  

 

So you "extol Him" with sarcastic mockery of his saints as you have done all Christmas season?  

[intra]

So you "extol Him" with sarcastic mockery of his saints as you have done all Christmas season?  

who's being sarcastic? 

every day i thank God for His mercy shown to me through Jesus Christ, who having conquered sin and death, removed from me the condemnation of transgression and gave me a spirit of adoption through His grace by faith in the propitiating work of the cross, that as i have died with Him in crucifixion, so also i might be raised with Him to new life in His resurrection. 

i have every reason to thank Jesus Christ on every day for His redeeming love! 

does His church not praise Him daily? 

 

[intra]

does His church not praise Him daily? 

 

please point me at the thread where Jesus Christ is praised! 

 

[MiserereNobis]

I was reading an interesting article about Christmas celebrations in America.  Since Christmas was a Catholic holiday (that's right, let's put the "mass" back in "Christmas", ha!) and had decidely pagan roots/overtones, Protestants had eschewed it.  Christmas was pretty much a nothing affair in America, especially in New England -- blame the dour Puritans!  But there were enclaves of Catholics here and there who would keep the traditions.  And then there were the European immigrants.  The article mentioned that the influx of Mormon immigrants also helped bring back some Christmas traditions until the Protestants started loosening up about it.

 

Of course, the Protestants made the Christmas season begin before Christmas day, instead of starting on Christmas day as in the Catholic calendar.  It's amazing how many people think the 12 days of Christmas lead up to Christmas, instead of starting on Christmas and ending on Epiphany.

 

Anyways, Happy Christmas to you all

[pogi]

does His church not praise Him daily?

 

Nope, but His saints do in secret and non-boastful way.

[Spammer]

I was reading an interesting article about Christmas celebrations in America.  Since Christmas was a Catholic holiday (that's right, let's put the "mass" back in "Christmas", ha!) and had decidely pagan roots/overtones, Protestants had eschewed it.  Christmas was pretty much a nothing affair in America, especially in New England -- blame the dour Puritans!  But there were enclaves of Catholics here and there who would keep the traditions.  And then there were the European immigrants.  The article mentioned that the influx of Mormon immigrants also helped bring back some Christmas traditions until the Protestants started loosening up about it.

 

Of course, the Protestants made the Christmas season begin before Christmas day, instead of starting on Christmas day as in the Catholic calendar.  It's amazing how many people think the 12 days of Christmas lead up to Christmas, instead of starting on Christmas and ending on Epiphany.

 

Anyways, Happy Christmas to you all

 

Here's another interesting piece of trivia.  Greek-speaking Christians in the East originally celebrated Christmas and Epiphany on the same day - January 6.  The Armenian church still celebrates the feast this way.  Celebrating Christmas on December 25 came to the East from Rome sometime in the 4th Century, after Christianity was legalized.  In one of St. John Chrysostom's Nativity homilies on Dec. 25, he notes that the church in Constantinople had made the change ten years prior.  The ancient Troparion (Hymn) of the Nativity contains the reason for why the the Church made the change.  Dour Protestants who banned Christmas misunderstood that reason, as they misunderstood so much about the Catholic faith, assuming it was pagan influence that infiltrated the Church.  To the contrary, the change was a conscious decision made for the purpose of evangelization.  The goal was to give pagan traditions associated with sun worship a new focus on the true Sun of Righteousness - the Son of God. 

 

Your Nativity, O Christ our God,

Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom!

For by it, those who worshipped the stars, were taught by a Star to adore You,

The Sun of Righteousness, and to know You, the Orient from on High.

O Lord, glory to You!

 

Today is the third day of Christmas.  During the twelve days of this great Feast, Eastern Christians greet each other by saying "Christ is born!" to each other.  The response is "Glorify Him!" 

 

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christ is born!

Glorify Him!

Edited December 27, 2014 by Spammer

[JLHPROF]

please point me at the thread where Jesus Christ is praised! 

 

 

This board is for discussing doctrine, history, theology, and Church practices.  Praising God is for worship services, prayer, and most especially in Mormonism for the Temple.

If you want to praise God, we are all in favor of that.  But that isn't the purpose of the website you are visiting.

[pogi]

who's being sarcastic? 

 

The sarcasm is in your friendly smile that you place at the end of a post after mocking us then gloating in your righteousness. 

[JLHPROF]

please point me at the thread where Jesus Christ is praised!

 

 

Here you go:

 

16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.

24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.