The following relates to the Christmas Lesson on finding the symbols of the season wrapped up in the chaos around us at Christmas.
The 12 Days of Christmas: How the song relates to the birth of our Saviour
The 12 Days of Christmas: How the song relates to the birth of our Saviour
A partridge in a pear
tree: The partridge could represent
Jesus, who said He would shelter his chicks under his wings, similar to what a
mother partridge does (see Luke 13:34). Tell family members to make a list of
Jesus’s qualities & personality traits (compassionate, forgiving, powerful,
etc.). Adults & older children can find scriptures in the topical guide that
correspond with each of these characteristics.
Two turtle doves: These have been thought to represent the Old and New Testaments, but
they could also represent the Bible & the Book of Mormon. Talk with your
family about how all scripture works together to testify of Christ. Have each
family member find a scripture in each of the standard works that testifies of
Christ.
Three French hens: These
can represent the three kings bearing gifts, or they could stand for the three
Christlike attributes of faith, hope, and charity. Read 1 Corinthians 13:13 and
Moroni 10:20-23. Set goals of what you could do as a family or as individuals
to better develop one of these attributes.
Four calling birds: These represent the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John),
because each of these disciples call out to the world through their testimonies
of Jesus Christ. Look up “Gospels” in the Bible Dictionary; look at the chart
that depicts harmony in the gospels and notice how several of these four men
testified of some of the same events from Christ’s life. Talk about the
principle of having more than one witness, found in 2 Corinthians 13:1 and
Ether 5:4.
Five golden rings: These symbolize the first five books of the Old Testament (known in
some religions as the Torah or the Pentateuch). Talk about how Christ led Moses
and the children of Israel to the promised land, & especially discuss the
many miracles that happened along the way. Discuss other miracles that Christ
performed and look up corresponding scriptures. You can also talk about
miracles you have experienced in your own lives.
Six geese a-laying: These stand for the six days it took Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ to create the Earth. Read the account in Genesis 1. Have younger
children draw pictures of the creation.
Seven swans a-swimming: These represent the seven gifts of the spirit, although in LDS
tradition there are many more than seven. Make a list of spiritual gifts from
Doctrine and Covenants 46:11-33, 1 Corinthians 12:1-12, and Moroni 10:8-18. Try
to identify strengths you have and how you can improve upon them.
Eight maids a-milking: These stand for the eight Beatitudes, as taught by Jesus in Matthew
5 and 3 Nephi 12. Have family members make up skits to demonstrate one of the
Beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing: These represent the nine fruits of the spirit found in Galatians
5:22. On a piece of paper folded in the middle, write on one side family
members’ ideas of how they feel when the Spirit is present, and on the other
side how they feel when the Spirit is not present. Discuss what you could do as
a family to have the Spirit dwell in your home.
Ten lords a-leaping: These signify the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20 and Mosiah
12-13. Discuss each commandment or draw a picture to represent each one. Have
each family member share an experience where they chose to follow one of the
commandments even though it wasn’t the easiest choice.
Eleven pipers piping: These symbolize the eleven faithful apostles in Christ’s original
church. See if you can name all of them. Talk about who these men were before
they were called as apostles: Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen;
Matthew was a tax collector. Why did Christ call men from such humble
circumstances? How did these men learn and grow through their experiences with
Christ?
Twelve drummers drumming: In the original Catholic version, the drummers represent the twelve
points of the Apostles’ Creed (an early statement of belief accepted by the
Catholic Church). For an LDS take, they can represent the twelve living
apostles in Christ’s restored church. Look up information about the apostles
& prophets on lds.org.
Create an apostle memory game: children must match the faces with the names.
