Show Weeks Week's Activities and Services of Salt Lake City Churches f I II I Sermon e ef for o ife t s ee f 1 By DAVID O. O McKAY 1 Second Counselor First Presidency Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints Christmas is the thc season when in homes and in churches I Christians everywhere should again tell the sweet story of the I I multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying Glory to God d in the highest and on earth peace good will toward men Unfortunately too many far far too many look upon Christmastide as a time for cocktail parties hilarity and andi andL i L drunkenness drunkenness-an an attitude of mind that bodes ill for good of humanity and for the cause of peace on earth At Christmastide the thc smoldering spark of hope is fanned Into a promising flame that notwithstanding quarrelsome men c 0 and bickering nations peace may yet prevail This hope springs triumphant despite the fact I that more than three years jears have passed since the war with ith t tr y Japan ended and even a longer i f-i i time since since Germany surrendered surrendered l f j E de dered red yet no definite course courses I has been laid for wrecked war-wrecked jf r a S j 1 nations to return to normalcy despite the further fact that 1 I throughout the world there i is j J tf suffering b hunger unhappiness r that millions of people have ve lost I. I i- i their homes and millions of t i If others arc are stranded in m foreign b jS j.'S j. j S 'S countries unable or in many s i Ceases cases unwilling to return to their their native lands that even in S r our own country many of the A wounds caused by wars war's dislocations dislocations dislocations dislo dislo- remain unhealed Let us rejoice in this greatest greatest greatest great great- est of all Christian festivals because because be be- cause then for a brief period people put service above self and many give at least a passing passing passing pass pass- ing thought tho t to the Man of Nazareth as the peerless leader of pf men the incomparable Prince of Peace Glory to God and peace on earth were the paramount principles enunciated by the heavenly messengers at His birth and later in His life He said Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Toward the closing scenes of His life He comforted His disciples by saying These things I have spoken unto you that be pe of good cheer I have overcome the world JohnJ John J 1633 33 On the same occasion He said Peace I leave with you t-you ou my peace I give unto you not as the world give I Z unto you All through His life peace was on His lips and andin 4 in His heart r Peace E Exemption emption From Troubles Peace is exemption from individual troubles from family broils from national difficulties The peace as taught by the Savior refers to the individual just as much as it does to come com- com f e Th That t man is not at peace who is untrue to his better self when hen he transgresses the law of righteousness s by yielding to the he temptations of the flesh or by being untrue to trust or by transgressing the law of righteousness in in dealing with his fellow men Peace does not come to the transgressor transgressor trans trans- transgressor of ot law Peace comes comes' by obedience to law and it is that measure which Jesus would have us proclaim among men peace men peace to the individual that he may be at peace with his God perfect harmon harmony har har- harmony mon mony existing between his Creator and himself perfect harmony harmony har- har mony existing between himself and law the righteous laws lawsto to which he is subject and from which he he never never can escape the home families living at peace with their neighbors fl exempt from family and neighborhood broils striving to avoid petty jealousies selfish aspirations and ambitions that come into the home and breed discontent and unhappiness peace in inthe inc c the the families between fathers and children mothers and children children chil- chil dren husbands and wives v The spirit of the world is antagonistic to the establishment establish- establish went ment of peace The law of nature is the survival of the fittest at all costs but peace can come to the world only Il through compliance with the ethical and spiritual principles enumerated and lived by the Son of Man 0 T Tried Everything but Christiana Christianity n Speaking generally mankind has tried everything except excepts III s Christianity Selfishness drunkenness greed in intolerance tolerance and nd other Mother other traits of the jungle have brought the world to the verge of threatened destruction William WilIiam P. P King in The Practice of the Principles of Jesus aptly says gays Too long have we imagined that the principles of Christ were for some other world We have put the kingdom He came to establish beyond the stars but this was not the purpose of His mission this v-is v is not the meaning of His gospel His laws are to be followed V. V vin Ilin in the world in n which we live now and here in street and I market and factory It will only be through obedience to moral law w. w the Sermon on the Mount and the Golden Rule and wholehearted response to the brotherhood of man and a suffering suffering suffering suf- suf fering love of Jesus Christ that there can ever be frictionless society in our world r Then let us pray that come it may y r As come it will for a that That man to man the whole world oer o'er f Shall bra be for fora a that p M jw And such a day is coming in spite of political upheavals and 1 international dissensions Each recurring ebb and flow r of ot the years carries us a little farther from war and ne nearer I the haven baven of peace Have a joyous time in celebrating Christmas Yes Let it be the happiest season of the year But let us ever keep in r- r r r. mind that we celebrate His birth who is the light of the world worl and that people are most blessed who in th their ir daily 4 practices follow those standards enunciated b by y Jesus which 1 lead to peace on earth good will among men |