Christmas Tree

There are many traditions throughout the centuries that combine together to give us the modern Christmas tree. Pagans would bring evergreen boughs into their homes in winter to ward off evil spirits and to bring on the coming spring. Christmas trees were decorated with candles to symbolize Christ as the light of the world, which eventually turned to Christmas lights. They were also decorated with apples to symbolize the tree in the garden of Eden, which eventually transformed into round Christmas ornaments. Candy canes remind us of the shepherds who were the first to learn of the Savior's birth. A star on top symbolizes the star that led the three wise men to Bethlehem. But I was thinking about how the Christmas tree is used to symbolize Jesus Christ and in the scriptures, the tree of life also symbolizes Jesus Christ. John says in Revelation that the tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit, and we decorate Christmas trees with ornaments of all different shapes and colors. Lehi said the fruit of the tree was sweet above all that is sweet, and we decorate our Christmas trees with candy canes and other sweets. Even in the Garden of Eden the tree of life is surrounded by angels bearing flaming swords, and we decorate our Christmas trees with angels and stars and lights as bright as the flaming swords. Every year we set up a Christmas tree that perfectly represents so many aspects of the tree of life, and thus, our Savior Jesus Christ. When we see the many different colored ornaments on the tree, we can think of the many different fruits of the Spirit. When we see the candy canes, we can think of how the love of God is sweet above all that is sweet. And when we see the lights and the stars we can think of how Jesus is the light of the world.