Skousen, “The Real Story of Christmas” (reviewed by Elizabeth W. Roach)

Review
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Title: The Real Story of Christmas
Author: W. Cleon Skousen
Publisher: Izzard Ink Publishing, Charleston, SC, USA
Genre: Christmas
Year Published: 2014
Number of Pages: 20 pages
Binding: softbound
ISBN10: N/A
ISBN13: 978-1-63072-064-3
Price: $12.95

Reviewed by Elizabeth W. Roach for the Association for Mormon Letters

Christmastime can be a cherished, yet hectic, part of the year for many people. Presents, delicious special occasion foods, Christmas pageants at school and church to participate in, to-do lists get longer, days get shorter; all of the emotion and commotion of the holiday can become overwhelming. It is into this hubbub of activity that I imagine Dr. W. Cleon Skousen walks one day. I can imagine him talking to his children or grandchildren and hearing accounts of reindeer, a mysterious man in red, piles of presents or hearing them sing jingly jangly tunes that do nothing to promote peace or goodwill. It may have been a similar scene when Dr. Skousen realizes that his children or grandchildren may be missing the importance of the reason behind the season.

There is a current trend of looking for ways to make Jesus Christ more of the central figure in the Christmas season instead of all the commercialized distractions. Many times it is difficult to sift through the tinsel and packing peanuts to find the parts of Christmas that are deeply meaningful. Dr. Skousen’s “The Real Story of Christmas” reads like it springs from a father wanting his family to know about what matters most.

Upon hearing an incomplete understanding of what makes Christmas special, I see him gathering his family together, the younger children sitting around his chair on the floor in their pajamas, lights glowing from candles and the tree reflecting in their eyes and making the room feel cozy and warm. I see him waiting until Mom comes in from the kitchen bringing one last bowl of popcorn and him saying, “Well, after all we have talked about, let me tell you The Real Story of Christmas.” This book is that story. It is a short 20 pages that is separated into sections that could be read easily over a few days at bedtime or in one longer winter afternoon.

It is an invitation to gather family and loved ones together and revisit the miraculous events that preceded the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ. Skousen illuminates the setting of the Nativity story with his insights into the political history and current conflicts of the day. He then goes on to detail situations in the lives of real people that had been chosen to serve as Christ’s earliest mortal witnesses: Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, Zacharias and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna, and finally the wise men. Each of these people learned of the Messiah’s coming in glorious ways and each chose to act on that knowledge and to seek Him out. After each one received a testimony of who this Baby was, they all acted in accordance with their faith: from Zacharias testifying in the temple, the shepherds leaving their flocks to seek the Lamb of God in wrapped in a manger, to the wise men traversing a wilderness in search of the Light of the world, to righteous elderly servants faithfully serving in the temple while waiting to see the fulfillment of their hope in deliverance, to Joseph leading his new family to Egypt, and of course, Mary, who had the most profound experiences of them all.

“The Real Story of Christmas” ends with how the real spirit of Christmas can continue through us seeking Him and striving to live lives of peace and good will to others. Dr. Skousen shares that our yearly extra effort at living with the spirit of peace prepares us to look forward to the Millennium, the time where the best parts of the Christmas season — the hope, peace, joy, love, and salvation — will endure a thousand years.

This very concise retelling of the Nativity could easily be used in a Family Home Evening with a wide age range of participants. I would say the intended audience would be older children to early teens, who are in the Christmas-is-still-magical era before they devolve into teens just wondering how many electronics and gift cards they are going to get. A fresh reading every year might prove inspiring and helpful as we refocus our holiday celebrations on the Real Reason for Christmas. Readers might want to preread the section about Bethlehem after Joseph, Mary, and Jesus escape to Egypt to see if it is appropriate before reading it aloud to very young children.

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