It is that time of year when most Americans celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether or not any individual American accepts Christ as divine, the message associated with Jesus Christ is applicable to all of us. Surely all of us, regardless of political persuasion, national origin, race, or religion, want Peace on Earth, or at least peace for our families and ourselves. I realize that there are individuals, groups, and even nations that would deny or destroy peace, religious liberty and freedom for others. It was the message of Christ that that kind of thinking and behavior is not just destructive to those who are victims of that thinking, but destructive to the eternal salvation of those who seek to take from others their lives and liberty. My message to you at this time is as Chairman of the Alaska Republican Party and so my focus is from what I believe to be the perspective of an average Republican. In doing so, let me emphasize that I would never suggest that all, or even a majority of persons of other political persuasions do not share in these beliefs. It is my personal belief that the average Republican believes in an all knowing, caring, and loving God, one who cares about each one of us individually and collectively. That same God would want each of us to do the right thing to the best of our ability, i.e. obey His commandments as best we can in accordance with what we know those commandments to be. That God expects us to love Him with all of our hearts, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. For that reason, when we serve as leaders in the Republican Party, I would hope that we do it primarily because we wish the best for our family, our friends, our state, and our country. The greatest politician is truly the servant of those he represents. I apologize if my concluding statement is too personal, but I wouldn’t be honest if I tried to hide my own convictions. I believe Jesus Christ to be my Savior. Christendom is celebrating His birth. I pray that each of you have a wonderful and joyous Christmas and that you and yours feel the love of our Savior. Remember that He is the reason for the holiday. It isnt about the gifts we give each other, but about the gifts that He has given us. Christ is the center of our celebration. After all, it is His birthday. I invite each of you to enjoy a video that I recently watched called “He is the Gift” mormon.org/christmas
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 23:43:01 +0000