Enduring with Joy

By Elder Glenn M. Holmes

Area Seventy

“Christmas, the season of giving, is a perfect time to be intentional about ministering, about letting our hearts and heads turn to those around us and give gifts of time and service.”

I love Christmas and I always, during our celebrations, remind my family of why we are celebrating. I tell them just before we bless our Christmas meal, “Remember, we are having this special meal to celebrate the birth of the Saviour of the world—Jesus Christ, our gift from Heavenly Father.” I mention that, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”¹ From this we learn that everlasting life, or eternal life is the greatest gift that we can receive from Heavenly Father, but this gift is conditional upon having faith in Jesus Christ and on enduring on the covenant path.

I would like to see a new word in the English language dictionary: “Enjoyring”. I define this as “Enduring with joy”, a result of remaining on the covenant path. Let me tell you why:

On Christmas Day 2019, we had a large group of family and friends at our home for Christmas celebrations. It was a wonderful day with joy and peace in our associations with each other. After lunch, the children acted out the Nativity, dressing up as Joseph, Mary, and all the Nativity characters.

Later, we all sat around the pool enjoying and watching fun activities. Suddenly disaster struck. Our daughter Joslyn, who was born severely handicapped with cerebral palsy, suddenly started to have an epileptic seizure. I ran to her aid, knowing from experience that there was nothing we could do but wait for it to pass. We knew that the longer the seizure lasted, the more life threatening it would be. As we supported her, I could see that she was having great difficulty breathing, and that her lips were turning blue. I remember feeling desperate, thinking to myself that we had never seen her this bad before and realised she needed to be taken to the hospital immediately.

My wife, Mandy, and I left our guests and rushed off. In the car, Joslyn’s seizure subsided, and she was able to breathe a little better, but then she had a second severe episode. While Mandy drove, I sat in the back of the car with her so I was able to give her a priesthood blessing. When we arrived at the hospital, Joslyn was in a serious condition. She was quickly admitted into the intensive care unit for medical attention.

We returned home later that Christmas night, Mandy and I both feeling physically and mentally drained. In the car ride home, we talked about how we had just abandoned our Christmas guests, but we knew they completely understood the emergency. We knew that they had all returned to their own homes, and we concluded that we would spend the rest of that night cleaning our home. But when we arrived, we were very humbled and so grateful to find our home spotlessly clean, with dishes washed and put away, floors mopped, furniture and toys put in place—everything looking perfect.

We felt such gratitude for the thoughtfulness of our family and friends as they rallied together and cleaned up. Our spirits lifted, being the beneficiaries of such kindness after a stressful experience. That night we truly felt ministered to.

Joslyn spent the next week in intensive care, she had received a priesthood blessing, she recovered, and we felt at peace.

The Season of Giving

Christmas, the season of giving, is a perfect time to be intentional about ministering, about letting our hearts and heads turn to those around us and to give gifts of time and service. As we minister to those around us, we give back to our Saviour the gift of acknowledgement and gratitude for His gift of eternal life to us.

“The Savior is the source of true peace,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Even with the trials of life, because of the Savior’s Atonement and His grace, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace”². Understanding that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace can help us find inner peace and increase our faith in Him.

At one time in my business career, I travelled to Israel on many occasions. During my spare time, I would go sightseeing. During these times I felt the Bible coming to life. I particularly cherished my visits to Jerusalem, I returned there often. I visited Gethsemane where the Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself the sins of the world. I visited Golgotha, where our Lord was crucified, the final act of His atoning sacrifice. In Jerusalem is the Garden Tomb, where our Saviour’s body was laid to rest prior to His glorious Resurrection.

All my life I have sung Christmas carols and read about Bethlehem in the Bible. I remember on one of my visits to Israel, standing at the edge of that small town, looking over the hills of Judea and imagining the shepherds coming there to see what the angels had announced: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”³. We sing “Gloria in excelsis Deo” or “Glory to God in the highest” (Hymns, 203) and other Christmas carols, giving thanks to God for the inexpressible gift of our Saviour. Thanks be to God for His pure love and mercy unto the children of men.

Now, after a very challenging year, we can again celebrate His birth this Christmas. We can express our love and thanks to Heavenly Father and worship Him for the gift of His Son through prayer and the singing of Christmas carols, having a brightness of hope for a better year ahead.

Glenn M. Holmes was named an Area Seventy in April 2019. He is married to Amanda Mary Asgeir-Nielsen and they are the parents of four children. They reside in Benoni, South Africa.