Merry Christmas

Latter-day Saints ("Mormons") observe the Christmas holiday in celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Latter-day Saints believe the scriptural account given of His birth as recorded in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. The Savior's birth was a miraculous event to begin the Savior's mortal life and ministry on the Earth.

I am profoundly grateful for the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph in raising God's Son. Likewise, the story of Jesus' birth shows Heavenly Father's mercy and love extended to Elisabeth, Zacharias, Anna, Simeon, the shepards, the wise men, and many others. These individuals had their faith and righteousness rewarded by witnessing the ministering of angels and the King of Kings in His infant form.

The Christmas season is the time to give gifts, heal wounds, forgive others, reach out to those in need, and to be charitable in our words, thoughts, and actions. Indeed, it is the time when we can recommit ourselves to being more like Jesus.

Latter-day Saints believe Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God. We believe Him to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. As such, we believe each of us should strive to follow His teachings in loving God and loving our fellowmen. There is no better time than Christmas to try a little harder to be true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dangers of Addiction

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider agency to be one of the greatest gifts of God. The ability to choose for ourselves was given to us when we lived with our Heavenly Father before we were born on this Earth. Because of the importance of agency, it is vital that we do not do anything that would diminish our ability to freely choose for ourselves.

Addiction in any form robs the human soul from the power to freely choose by enslaving us to certain destructive behaviors. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints warns against addictions of any kind. Notably, three types of addiction are often warned against in the Church.

Pornography
Pornography is any material depicting or describing the human body or sexual conduct in a way that arouses sexual feelings. It is prevalent on TV, in movies, books, magazines, music, and on the Internet. Not only is pornography morally wrong and a violation of God's commandments ("Thou shalt not . . . commit adultery . . . nor do anything like unto it" D&C 59:6; "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" Matthew 5:28), it is also tragically addictive. Like other addictions, pornography robs people of self-control and degrades a person's mind, heart, and spirit. Pornography will destroy a person and their sense of the beauties of life. It tears people down and leads to evil thoughts and possibly evil actions. Unfortunately, it not only destroys individuals, it destroys families. Pornography, in all forms, must be avoided.

Substance Abuse
The abuse of tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, and even caffeine (when consumed in large quantities) are extremely common in today's society. These substances are both harmful to our physical bodies and destructive of our spirits. The addiction to their use robs us of our ability to function without their influence. The harmful effects of tobacco are widely known as are those of illegal drugs. The inebriating effects of alcohol not only affect a person's physical health, but also diminish an individual's judgment and common sense. Even caffeine, largely seen as non-threatening, can be a dangerous addictive drug when consumed in large quantities such as in energy drinks and the intake of large amounts of coffee and cola drinks.

Gambling
Gambling is extremely common place. State lotteries, casinos, betting, and poker-playing, are all examples of gambling today. Like pornography and substance abuse, gambling can become addictive and (literally) rob a person of that which they hold dear. With gambling, a select few win, but most lose. We should be wise stewards over the finances the Lord has blessed us with. Using hard-earned money in games of chance is unwise and dangerously addictive.

Pornography, substance abuse, and gambling (like many other addictions), can often involve and perpetuate other crimes and illicit behavior. For all the reasons listed above, and many others, addictions should be avoided. If you or someone you love has fallen victim to an addiction, they should seek help. This may require professional help or counseling. Most importantly, however, it will require the strength of the Lord as you plead to Him for help and protection and for the chains of addiction to be broken. It is possible for those who seek to follow Christ. He has invited us, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). I promise you that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Material in this post came from "True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference" and from a talk entitled "Gambling" by President Gordon B. Hinckley, former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For the "Addiction Recovery Program" offered by the Church, click here.