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<title>Alice's 1998 Christmas Letter to All Her Posterity - by Alice Isom Gubler Stratton</title>
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<div class="title">Alice's 1998 Christmas Letter to All Her Posterity</div>
<div class="author">by Alice Isom Gubler Stratton</div>
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<p class="vpad noindent"><i>DECEMBER 1998</i></p>
<p class="noindent"><b>Dearest Children, Grandchildren, and Great-Grandchildren,</b></p>
<p>This year I will celebrate my 88<sup>th</sup> Christmas. I still marvel
over the charm of that one particular day each year. I remember my
excitement as a child when my cousin Cliff Spendlove stopped his team and
wagon at our front gate and left us a little pinion pine tree. He was returning
from the hills with a load of firewood. We didn't always have a tree for
Christmas because Papa was crippled, and he didn't own a wagon and
horses. Cliff put a base on the little tree so it would stand alone.</p>
<p>On Christmas Eve we put the tree in the center of the living room table.
We decorated it with apples, strings of popcorn, and twisted wax candles
clipped to the tips of the branches. Christmas morning after family prayer,
Mama lit the candles. In wonder, we sat around the table eating our
steaming bowls of cornmeal mush in the magic glow of the little candle
flames. This was before electricity had come to our town.</p>
<p>After breakfast Mama blew out the candles, and the precious tree was
lifted out onto the front porch. Our excitement mounted as we waited
breathlessly to see what Santa Clause had brought. My gift that year
was a rag doll named Polly. I thought all rag dolls were named
Polly!</p>
<p>The spirit of each Christmas day still clings to my memory.
Just what is it? The plates of homemade candy? The
steamed puddings? The hosts of aunts, uncles, and
cousins going in and out? The oranges we received
only on that special day?</p>
<p>It can only be one thing:</p>
<p class="doubleindent vpad"><b><i>It is the day we celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus.</i></b></p>
<p>And now, my children, I thank you for taking Grandpa and me on
the yearly tours to see Christmas lights. We have enjoyed both the
humble and the extravagant display. I especially loved seeing family
groups strolling reverently among the nativity scenes on the St. George
temple grounds. Each light has been a tribute to Christ, who is the
light and life of the world,<sup><a href="#footnote_i">i</a></sup> and the source of the very light of the sun.</p>
<p>Now I must mention one display that is unique to our area
alone. That is the light display on Harrisburg hill. Because some of
you live too far away to see it, I will try to describe it to you. The
freeway on Interstate 15 runs parallel to the hill just west of
Harrisburg. The hill is the easel upon which is written a Christmas
message to all the world. It shines forth its greeting to all the people
who pass. At the base of the hill, the rows of trees and homes
festooned in rainbow colors frame the picture above. Up on the
slope is a 400-foot long by 200-4oot high message in lights.</p>
<p>Two years ago the message read, "Peace on earth begins with
love at home." Conversations between truck drivers came over
channel 19 on the CB radio. "Be sure to slow down when you go
through the bottom of that dip, yso you can see the light display," one
driver said.</p>
<p>Another driver responded, "If all the world could get that messge, we would have peace." Last year's message was "His
name was Jesus; Wise men still seek him."</p>
<p>Jesus Christ is the central figure of the world's greatest music,
literature and art. He set the perfect example for all mankind to
follow. Instinctively the honest in heart look forward to his return
as was promised at the time of his ascension.<sup><a href="#footnote_ii">ii</a></sup></p>
<p>As the time of His ascension drew nigh, the Lord said unto the
eleven apostles:<sup><a href="#footnote_iii">iii</a></sup> "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,
Amen.<sup><a href="#footnote_iv">iv</a></sup></p>
<p>"The Lord lifted up His hands, and blessed them; and while yet
He spake, He rose from their midst, and they looked upon Him as He
ascended until a cloud received Him out of their sight."<sup><a href="#footnote_v">v</a></sup></p>
<p>"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went
up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also
said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This
same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."<sup><a href="#footnote_vi">vi</a></sup> This is the
promise. And so it shall be. In my mind there has never been any
doubt or debate about the Savior's second coming.</p>
<p>The other night as we turned on the TV for the news, the
reporter announced: "Earthquakes, fires and floods." Following
were stories of worldwide commotion, of drought, hunger, wars and
plagues. My heart yearned within me. Yearned, yet rejoiced, for in
spite of the adversities that distress our troubled world, we are aware
of the great goodness of the knowledge explosion in which we are
immersed. Light and knowledge floods the earth at an accelerated
speed. Daily we see miracles of lives that are extended, and doors of
opportunity that are opened.</p>
<p>Having faith in the second coming of the Savoir makes us
aware of the signs that point to the reality of this approaching great
event. Now is the time to prepare ourselves by keeping our lamps
trimmed and burning. I'm writing this Christmas letter to each of
you to expres my testimony that Jesus Christ will come again. I'm
asking each of you to prepare for that great and dreadful day. It will
be great for those who are prepared; and dreadful for those who are
not. Keep the commandments. Remember the promise: for he that
is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.<sup><a href="#footnote_vii">vii</a></sup></p>
<p>I suppose the reason I'm writing this Christmas letter to you is
becaue of an urgency within me. Time is running out. Since this is
my 89<sup>th</sup> year, I'm really cramming for finals. The certainty of the
Savior's second coming is the brightest of all my earhtly knowledge.
I want to greet him with joy.</p>
<p>From my candle-lighted childhood to the flourescence of today
seems but a moment. I want to reach out to each of you and say,
"Prepare for his coming. Keep all of Heavenly Father's
commandments. Today is the time to prepare. Tomorrow may be
too late. Love your fellowman. See all the good about you.
Scatter sunshine. Comfort the sad. Know the joy of work. Roll up
your sleeves and beautify your surroundings. Be like the wise
virgins and keep oil in your lamps."</p>
<p>My life has spanned the creaking of wagons and the clopping
of horses, to space travel; from telegraph messages to the lightning
speed of the internet. The light and knowledge that flow down from
heaven makes inventions of today obsolete by tomorrow.</p>
<p>When Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times; it was the worst
of times," he must have had today in mind. Each day that is filled
with tragedy and despair is also richly laden with wonders and
marvels. God is in his heaven. Truth and righteousness will triumph
over sin. The earth will be renewed at the coming of our Savior.</p>
<p>"Cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation,
preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming; for behold,
verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall
come in a cloud with power and great glory. And it shall be a great
day at the time of my coming for all nations shall tremble."<sup><a href="#footnote_viii">viii</a></sup></p>
<p>"With Christ shall come those who hae already been
resurrected; and His approach shall be the means of inaugurating a
general resurrection of the righteous dead, while the pure and just
who are still in the flesh shall be instantaneously changed from the
mortal to the immortal state and shall be caught up with the newly
resurrected to meet the Lord and his celestial company, and shall
descend with Him."<sup><a href="#footnote_ix">ix</a></sup></p>
<p>Your Grandpa Ermal and I were in the mission field in Kansas
at the time my mother, Annie Isom, passed away. We could not go
to her funeral, but she left a message to all of her children. "Tell
them to search the scriptures." And now I relay this message on to
you.</p>
<p>I want to bear my testimony to you that Jesus Christ will come
again. It will be a grand and glorious occasion. Angels' music will
fill all of heaven. The living righteous will ascend to meet him, and
the righteous who have already gone on will descend with him, and
glorious will be the reunion. I am hoping and planning on seeing all
of you there. You are a singing people. Your voices will join in the
Heavenly Choir.</p>
<p class="padbelow">My letter to you is rough shod. I cannot rewrite it because my
sight is dim. The important thing is that this is my testimony to all of
my posterity. Jesus Christ will come again. Above all else that I
know, this is the most important of all. I love all of you, forever and
ever.</p>
<p class="noindent vpad padbelow">Alice Stratton<br />
Mother, Grandmother,<br />
Great Grandmother</p>
<p class="noindent"><b><i>P.S. An afterthought:</i></b></p>
<p>The main focus of my letter is that I have faith that Jesus Christ
will come again. Of this I am more than sure. As you search the
scriptures, you will see the warnings of the terrible calamities that
will plague the earth prior to his coming. The Lord has said, "All the
proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn
them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts."<sup><a href="#footnote_x">x</a></sup> In this same reference he says,
"For he that is tithed shall not be burned."<sup><a href="#footnote_xi">xi</a></sup> That is enough! If there
are any among you who think you cannot afford to pay tithing,
you'd better think again!</p>
<p>Merry Christmas to all of you. May you all lift up your
hearts and rejoice in the beautiful, bright Millennial day.</p>
<div class="footnotes">
<ol type="i">
<li><a name="footnote_i"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/38.9?lang=eng#p8">Alma 38:9</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_ii"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-37?lang=eng#note45-">Talmage, James E., <i>Jesus the Christ</i>, p. 695</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_iii"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-37?lang=eng">Talmage, James E., <i>Jesus the Christ</i>, p. 695</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_iv"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/28.19-20?lang=eng#p18">Matthew 28:19,20</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_v"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-37?lang=eng">Talmage, James E., <i>Jesus the Christ</i>, p. 697</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_vi"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/acts/1.10-11?lang=eng#p9">The Acts 1:10,11</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_vii"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/64.23?lang=eng#p22">D&C 64:23</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_viii"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/34.6-8?lang=eng#p5">D&C 34:6-8</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_ix"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-42?lang=eng">Talmage, James E., <i>Jesus the Christ</i>, p. 787</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_x"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/64.23-25?lang=eng#p22">D&C 64:23-25</a></li>
<li><a name="footnote_xi"></a> <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/64.23-25?lang=eng#p22">Ibid.</a></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<p><b>EDITORIAL NOTES:</b></p>
<p>It's likely that Alice's footnote <i>ii</i> should like to the second-to-last paragraph of chapter 37 of Jesus the Christ prior to the chapters notes. That paragraph is:</p>
<blockquote>
When Christ and the disciples had gone “as far as to Bethany,” the Lord lifted up His hands, and blessed them; and while yet He spake, He rose from their midst, and they looked upon Him as He ascended until a cloud received Him out of their sight. While the apostles stood gazing steadfastly upward, two personages, clothed in white apparel, appeared by them; these spake unto the Eleven, saying: “Ye men of Galilee, why Stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
</blockquote>
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Copyright © Alice Isom Gubler Stratton - All Rights Reserved.<br />
This document may not be reproduced in part or in whole in any form without permission in writing from the author or her trustees.
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