I love Christmas music. It has a powerful effect on people, and puts us at peace. I come from a very musical family. Myself, I can play three instruments, the piano, the ukulele, and the saxophone. Much of my family also plays the piano, guitar, or ukulele. Many of my siblings enjoy singing.We get this love for musical from our parents. Both my parents grew up around music. While my dad just loved singing, my mom learned plenty of instruments. She can play the piano, violin, and she sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for a time.
I also grew up hearing and learning music, and I especially loved around Christmas. I loved the hymns sang at church. The music on the radio. The Christmas songs my mom would turn on in the living room.
In the trenches of World War One in 1914, fighting between British and German troops continued into the winter. In the darkness of that Christmas morning, a song was being sang. The Germans were singing Stille Nacht. Soon, the British joined the singing with Silent Night, the English translation of the carol. They continued to exchange Christmas carols in their own language.
The soldiers exited the trenches, and greeted each other, wishing a Merry Christmas to one another. A truce was made for that single day. Fighting stopped for Christmas, while the young men enjoyed each other's company, and played soccer.
It seemed that day that the angels who appeared to the shepherd really did bring "peace, and good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).
Music has the power to end a war. Even just for a day, the fighting stopped, and a bunch of homesick young boys celebrated the birth of our Savior.
The angels who heralded the birth of Christ were the first to sing praises to God on Christmas. I can imagine those shepherds with their flocks. Seeing a multitude of heavenly host, and hearing them sing and praise God. Did they join in the songs?
"As the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger" (Luke 2:15-16).
I realized that words are not enough to capture the power of music. I picked a few of my favorite covers of Christmas songs by some LDS artists. After you listen to them, I urge you to go with haste to see the baby Jesus. Or in this case, think of Him. Think of how he came to earth to save us from our sins. Think of how much he has done for you.
The Piano Guys-
Carol of the Bells
We Three Kings
Angels We Have Heard On High
Lexi Walker-
The First Noel
Lindsey Sterling-
Hallelujah
Silent Night
What Child is This?
-Nathaniel
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