| December 25, 1997 | Issue 11 | Orem, Utah |
In this issue:
Dear Santa…
Boss’ Note: Ethan was wandering around with a pen and paper on the day we were going to see Santa, so I thought he must want to write him a letter.
Dear Santa,
I’ve been very good this year.
I would like a new binkie, friends for Bear, fewer naps, more candy, my own TV, access to electrical outlets.
Respectfully Yours,
Ethan J. Smith
Faith, Intellect and Christmas
Editor’s Note: This was my hometeaching message for the month, but hey, if I’m going to spend a lot of time writing something, it’ll probably find its way into the Smithy.
We live daily by faith that our deepest convictions are true. But as we know from the scriptures, “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge,” and because of that there is always an opening for the wedging penetration of doubt.
For some people, the uncertainty is unacceptable. The lack of tangible evidence in a society that exalts logic and reason makes religion “unreasonable”. To agnostic and atheistic intellectuals, so talented in the world’s wisdom, religion is a crutch for the less analytically gifted. But faith is also a talent.
Do you think there are people in the world without the mental facilities to understand calculus? Such a person might berate himself for being slow. Yet some people lack the spiritual talent to have faith in Jesus Christ, and instead of saying, “I am faithless” they say, “Faith is folly”.
That faith and intelligence can co-exist is clear – we’ve met and listened to many people who have successfully combined them. But there does seem to be a societal pressure to ennoble intellect at the expense of faith. While thinking is heavily exercised, faith is ignored as subordinate at best.
This year, or last year, marks the 2000th anniversary of an event that turned the conflict between believers and unbelievers into a matter of life and death. In Zarahemla, here in the Americas, the prophet Samuel foretold the birth of Christ, along with unmistakable signs to accompany it. He even gave a five-year time frame for the fulfillment of his prophecy. But unbelief was the dominant attitude then, whether because of unbalanced rationalism, or some other regression to the natural man. This unbelief also wasn’t a passive unbelief, but an aggressive intolerance: the believing minority was sentenced to death if the prophecy wasn’t fulfilled.
The spiritual strength to believe under those circumstances is impressive. To surrender your life is the ultimate sign of conviction. Wouldn’t it be easier to say, “I believe that Christ will come, but I’m not willing to risk my life on that belief”?
As the allotted five years came close to expiration, the unbelievers’ confidence grew:
“…There were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite. And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain. And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land….”
To the believers, it seemed that all of society was against them, and doubt probed their hearts. But they still had an unmistakable sign to focus on: “…They did watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had not been vain.”
When the night of Christ’s birth finally came, the sign was given. “…There was no darkness all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And … the sun did rise in the morning again, … and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born….”
With the coming of the sign, the unbelievers’ plans for the destruction of the believers were frustrated. Christ’s birth was then a type of the salvation he would later bring to all mankind.
Imagine the joy as faith was validated. They were happy to be right, but I don’t think the faithful heralded their victory over the unbelievers – being right meant that the plan of salvation is true. The messiah, so long prophesied had finally entered the world.
I believe that we can build and exercise our faith as the Nephites did. It is a talent and a skill that, after trials will lead us to joy and knowledge.
Trash Talk
Ethan is really growing up. He walks pretty well and says a surprising number of words. Our current favorite is “gar” as in garbage.
Ethan has a real fascination with the garbage can. We can’t go into the garage without a short visit to the garbage can. Even if he has fallen asleep in the car, as I lift him out of his seat, he groggily points and says “gar”, as if it were part of his happy dreams.
After dinner, Ethan cheerfully carries our used napkins to the “gar”, and anything else he happens to pick up. He will even submit to having his diaper changed if we tell him he can take the used one to the garbage — that is actually pretty handy.
I have to really listen to his babbling because he usually announces his intention to throw something (anything — not trash — which will elicit a quick response) in the “gar” long before he reaches his destination.
I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised by Ethan’s fixation on garbage. For months we’ve been spending our Monday mornings waiting for the garbage man to come by in his big truck. We watch as the truck picks up our garbage and dumps it. Sometimes Ethan is even brave enough to wave to our garbage man.
Love,
Eric James Smith, Ed.
Shannon F. Smith, Boss
Copyright � Eric Smith, 1989-1998, All rights reserved.