Do you believe in Santa?
Do you believe in Santa?
O.k tis the season to ask this question. I for one certainly have believed in the concept of a Santa in this world. So, yes I believe in Santa - I love watching "Miracle in 34thSt."
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon.
115 West 95th Street.
"Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest man that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank GOD! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."
Francis Pharcellus Church, Editor of The Sun, 1897
Virginia O'Hanlon.
115 West 95th Street.
"Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest man that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank GOD! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."
Francis Pharcellus Church, Editor of The Sun, 1897
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
Many years ago, Aunt Betsy wrote a beautiful story that is a lovely and honest way to explain Santa to children that allows them to enjoy the tradition of Santa without the confusion or the eventual disallusionment. Let's see if we can get her to post it or let us know how to get hold of it. It's well worth your consideration.
"Music's golden tongue flatter'd to tears this aged man and poor."
Along with that, I don't think you have to "try" to get any child to believe in him. They simply will. It's a gift they all have, to simply believe without coercion or convincing. All I think we have to do is protect the beliefs they have, because like Santa Claus, they enrich and teach them real truths. I just saw "Santa Claus is coming to town," and for being as simple a film as it is, it really is a beautiful little movie. The editorial says exactly what I feel about Santa Claus--we need him. I know he isn't "real," but I believe in him, and very much so.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
My sister's convinced it's setting a precedent for deception in the home. She figures that Christmas will mean just as much (if not more so) with Santa out of the center ring. So they'll still exchange gifts and enjoy family traditions, but she just doesn't want her children to believe that she'd intentionally deceive them, even for something "good."
It seems sort of ridiculous at first, especially with all the fond memories I have of the tradition and the excitement it builds for kids, but when it really comes down to it, it is kind of a strange tradition.
From my perspective, though, you're already dealing in a sort of "lie" when celebrating Christmas on December 25 instead of April 6. We do this to join in the seasonal tradition with the rest of the world who believes Christ was born in December. As far as Santa is concerned, I see it as another way of celebrating the spirit of giving with the world. If you place Christ at the center of the season, I think it's fine to join in with the rest of the world as they personify the Christmas tradition of exchanging gifts through the jolly old character of Santa.
It seems sort of ridiculous at first, especially with all the fond memories I have of the tradition and the excitement it builds for kids, but when it really comes down to it, it is kind of a strange tradition.
From my perspective, though, you're already dealing in a sort of "lie" when celebrating Christmas on December 25 instead of April 6. We do this to join in the seasonal tradition with the rest of the world who believes Christ was born in December. As far as Santa is concerned, I see it as another way of celebrating the spirit of giving with the world. If you place Christ at the center of the season, I think it's fine to join in with the rest of the world as they personify the Christmas tradition of exchanging gifts through the jolly old character of Santa.
When God can do what he will with a man, the man may do what he will with the world. ~George MacDonald
well i'm sorry to shift off topic momentarily but a year or two ago i was very curious about whether Christ was actually born on april 6. i researched a bit and copied some quotes/wrote a little essay about it, please excuse the grammar/typos or whatever, i haven't taken time to edit it, and let me apologize in advance for the long post (and remember this is just my opinion):
Is April 6th the birthday of Jesus Christ?
Many members of the Church believe that Jesus Christ was born on the day corresponding to April 6th. The scriptural basis for this belief is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. D&C 20:1 contains the opening words of a revelation received by the Prophet Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830, which was the day in which the Church was formally organized. The verse states as follows:
Those who argue for a literal interpretation of D&C 20:1 often cite the section heading to D&C 20, which states the following:
Elder Hyrum M. Smith, for instance, wrote in the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary: “The organization of the church in the year 1830 is hardly to be regarded as giving divine authority of the commonly accepted calendar.... All that this Revelation means to say is that the church was organized in the year commonly accepted as 1830 A.D.”
President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., stated in Our Lord of the Gospels that he could not yet propose any date as the true birth day of the Savior, and that “the Church has made no official declaration on the matter.”
In The Mortal Messiah, Elder Bruce R. McConkie noted: “We do not believe it is possible with the present state of our knowledge—including that which is known both in and out of the church—to state with finality when the natal day of the Lord Jesus actually occurred.”
Recently, however, at least two Presidents of the Church seem to have affirmed their belief that April 6 is the anniversary of the Savior’s birth. On April 6, 1973, President Harold B. Lee noted that the day was “the anniversary of the birth of the Savior,” and proceeded to quote D&C 20:1 as a reference. On April 6, 1980, speaking at the dedication of church buildings in Fayette, New York, President Spencer W. Kimball stated:
Is April 6th the birthday of Jesus Christ?
Many members of the Church believe that Jesus Christ was born on the day corresponding to April 6th. The scriptural basis for this belief is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. D&C 20:1 contains the opening words of a revelation received by the Prophet Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830, which was the day in which the Church was formally organized. The verse states as follows:
The wording of this scripture is not clear, on its face, as to whether April 6, 1830, was precisely 1,830 years since the birth of the Savior, or whether it was simply a formal way of stating that the year was 1830 A.D. Church leaders have expressed varying views as to which interpretation is correct.The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April— (emphasis added)
Those who argue for a literal interpretation of D&C 20:1 often cite the section heading to D&C 20, which states the following:
Elder James E. Talmage stated in Jesus the Christ that: “We believe that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, April 6, B.C. 1.” He based this conclusion partly on our understanding that the Savior was born in the spring, and partly on D&C 20:1. In Elder Talmage’s words, the basis for the belief that the Savior was born on April 6 is as follows:Preceding his record of this revelation the Prophet wrote: “We obtained of him [Jesus Christ] the following, by the spirit of prophecy and revelation; which not only gave us much information, but also pointed out to us the precise day upon which, according to his will and commandment, we should proceed to organize his Church once more here upon the earth.” (emphasis added)
It should be noted that Talmage does not declare in Jesus the Christ that we as members of the Church know, on the basis of modern revelation, that April 6th is the birthday of Jesus Christ; but rather, that we believe that the Savior was born on April 6th. This distinction (albeit, perhaps, overly semantic) may be helpful in reconciling the words of Talmage with comments made by other apostles and general authorities.We believe April 6th to be the birthday of Jesus Christ as indicated in a revelation of the present dispensation already cited [D&C 20:1], in which that day is made without qualification the completion of the one thousand eight hundred and thirtieth year since the coming of the Lord in the flesh. This acceptance is admittedly based on faith in modern revelation, and in no wise is set forth as the result of chronological research or analysis.
Elder Hyrum M. Smith, for instance, wrote in the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary: “The organization of the church in the year 1830 is hardly to be regarded as giving divine authority of the commonly accepted calendar.... All that this Revelation means to say is that the church was organized in the year commonly accepted as 1830 A.D.”
President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., stated in Our Lord of the Gospels that he could not yet propose any date as the true birth day of the Savior, and that “the Church has made no official declaration on the matter.”
In The Mortal Messiah, Elder Bruce R. McConkie noted: “We do not believe it is possible with the present state of our knowledge—including that which is known both in and out of the church—to state with finality when the natal day of the Lord Jesus actually occurred.”
Recently, however, at least two Presidents of the Church seem to have affirmed their belief that April 6 is the anniversary of the Savior’s birth. On April 6, 1973, President Harold B. Lee noted that the day was “the anniversary of the birth of the Savior,” and proceeded to quote D&C 20:1 as a reference. On April 6, 1980, speaking at the dedication of church buildings in Fayette, New York, President Spencer W. Kimball stated:
These statements may not have been intended as declarations of doctrine. To date it appears that no official declaration pertaining to the issue has been made. However, comments such as the preceding statement made by President Kimball add to the impression that a literal interpretation of D&C 20:1 is generally accepted in the Church, though not officially affirmed by Church leaders.My brothers and sisters, today we not only celebrate the Sesquicentennial of the organization of the Church, but also the greatest event in human history since the birth of Christ on this day 1,980 years ago. Today is Easter Sunday.
so let it be written... so let it be done.
by the way i think it's fun to pretend santa is a real person. and if nothing else, it helps children to use their imagination. and you don't have to lie to your kids. if they ask you if santa is real, just answer their question with a question, or talk about the spirit of giving, or some other political trick.
so let it be written... so let it be done.
Good point, Ian. There probably is still some speculation as to when the Savior's exact birthday is.
There are some additional quotes on the subject, but you're right, they're pretty rare. One "over-the-pulpit" example is Elder Scott, April 1997 General Conference:
"It is April 6th. Modern scripture records that Jesus Christ was born on this day."
At any rate, the important thing is that we know that the Savior was born on this earth and that He lives. Merry Christmas!
There are some additional quotes on the subject, but you're right, they're pretty rare. One "over-the-pulpit" example is Elder Scott, April 1997 General Conference:
"It is April 6th. Modern scripture records that Jesus Christ was born on this day."
At any rate, the important thing is that we know that the Savior was born on this earth and that He lives. Merry Christmas!
When God can do what he will with a man, the man may do what he will with the world. ~George MacDonald
Haha, I agree with you. But it is still a touchier subject than I first suspected.Ian: ...you don't have to lie to your kids. if they ask you if santa is real, just answer their question with a question, or talk about the spirit of giving, or some other political trick.
Gospel Fundamentals manual:
"When we lead people to believe something that is not true, we are not being honest."
The Family Home Evening manual:
"We can effectively communicate a lie without ever speaking a word. A nod of the head or just keeping silent can deceive.
"What are some ways we can deceive? (Recommending a questionable business investment, pretending not to hear mother call, using flattery to get our way, or withholding important facts.)" (emphasis added).
Preparing For Exaltation manual:
"Emphasize that anytime we cause or allow someone to believe something that is not true, we are being dishonest."
These are just instructions in church manuals, but I'm sure the leaders have also voiced similar declarations during General Conference and in other talks on honesty. As you can see, it's not all that simple...
When God can do what he will with a man, the man may do what he will with the world. ~George MacDonald
That's a hard question, since it's been a fun family tradition for millions of people for years and years.
However, as defined by gospel instruction, can you see any way that it's not dishonest? After all, aren't we "causing or allowing someone to believe something that is not true?"
However, as defined by gospel instruction, can you see any way that it's not dishonest? After all, aren't we "causing or allowing someone to believe something that is not true?"
When God can do what he will with a man, the man may do what he will with the world. ~George MacDonald
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