On the 9th Day of Christmas Past,
Question: How did young President Gordon B. Hinckley express his gratitude Christmas Day 1933?
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“Missionary Christmas”
“In 1933 twenty-three-year-old Gordon B. Hinckley found himself sitting before a small fire in his missionary apartment in England. It was Christmas Day, and he had been in England for six months. It was Elder Hinckley’s first Christmas away from home. He sat before the warm glow of the fire in the boardinghouse where he and his companion were living and thought of his loving family in Utah. Those joyful family Christmases seemed very long ago and far away. His mother had been dead for three years, but many times he felt that she was near him, helping comfort and sustain him. Thinking of his mother, he said, “I have tried…to so conduct my life and perform my duty as to bring honor to her name.” That Christmas Day he also thought about his father, Bryant, and the love and support he felt from him. Elder Hinckley picked up paper and pen to write his father a Christmas letter.
“Dad,” he started. “This is the first time in all my life that I have not been home for Christmas. While sitting before a boarding house fire and watching the flames go up the chimney, pictures pass by in memories of other Christmas Days. There is the morning when, pajama-clad, we hurried downstairs long before the rooster in the back yard was awake. Such excitement – bulging socks, games, horns, a bright sweater, candy and nuts and fruit. Then we ran back upstairs blowing harmonicas to show all those wonderful things to you and mother. You were tired out but you played with us, and kissed us before sending us back to bed before daylight. During the day you pulled us up and down the street on our new sled, and we knew you were the biggest, strongest man in the world…Last night I missed the thrill of expecting Santa Claus. You have not come around this morning. I miss you. But with distance between us, I begin to see in your life the spirit of Christmas beyond the magic of Santa Claus…There is a deep and silent expression of the virtues of Him whose birth we honor on this day. God bless you, dad, and keep you ever wonderful to me.”
Christmas is a time to cultivate a grateful heart – to appreciate our family and those things they have done to help us along our way with thanksgiving. Such were certainly the feelings of young Elder Hinckley on that Christmas Day long ago in London.”
President Hinckley reflected on Christmases past and his appreciation for his father and the Savior, and shared those thoughts and feelings with his father in a letter.
Elder Hinckley spent his first Christmas away from home as a missionary in England. Reflecting on wonderful past Christmas memories, he wrote a touching letter of gratitude to his father.
Elder Hinckley cultivated a grateful heart and tried to appreciate family and the things they had done to help along the way.
President Hinckley’s experience reminds me of my own parents’ efforts to provide special Christmases for us. I would love to be able to send a letter of appreciation to them now.
Elder Hinckley wrote a thank you letter to his father his first Christmas away from home. We too can thank someone near and dear to us, close by or far away. We tend to forget to thank the ones we love.
He expressed his gratitude for his mother by living his life so that she would be proud. He expressed his gratitude for his father in a letter by remembering how his father made all his past Christmas’s wonderful. He expressed his gratitude for the Lord by realizing that the spirit of Christmas is honoring the Lord’s birth.
I express gratitude to my children. This is the first Christmas that we will not be together ever…. All of my kids and grandkids live next door to me, we have always been together for every holiday. Now My husband and I are serving a mission in Nauvoo together, and we will be away from our family. I express gratitude to my children because they are carrying on without us, doing the things that we would do if we were home with them, that brings joy to my heart! President Hinkley said, Christmas is a time to cultivate a grateful heart, to appreciate out family and those things they have done to help us along our way with thanksgiving, such were the feelings our Elder Hinkley on the Christmas Day long ago in London, and such are my feelings now on my mission in Nauvoo. I am missing my family, but I know they are taken care of by Heavenly Father. I am blessed so much.
During President Hinckleys mission, he spent time during Christmas reflecting on his family and past Christmas’s. He felt his mother’s presence and remembered how strong his father was… all nice memories
The love that we feel this time of year should be shared with other’s. Tell those we love how much we care. And, we should always remember why we celebrate Christmas.
Elder Hinkley recognized his father’s constant testimony of Christ and how he lived the spirit of Christmas every day.
This post brought back memories of my childhood and how my parents, like President Hinkley’s,) worked very hard to make Christmas a magical day for us. They have been gone for many years now and I regret I never thanked them as an adult for all the sacrifices they made for us at Christmas. I will now show gratitude to my own grown family for all of the blessings they bring into my life during this season.
Elder Hinckley recognized the Christlike attributes of his parents, particularly his father and gave his father the best gift in return. His gratitude for them as parents and a promise that he would like up to their example
Such sweet memories young Gordon had to look back on. And his living to bring honor to his mother paid back both his mother and father in unbelieveable ways. To have been the parents of such a dynamic and beloved prophet of God would be a blessing such as few parents have ever known.
He shared with his father gratitude for sweet memories of the past.
He wrote a letter to his dad to express his gratitude. He also spent time reflecting on his blessings.
President Hinckley expressed his gratitude to his father in a letter. Thinking of Christmases past and childhood memories.
President Hinckley showed love for his father by sending him a Christmas letter expressing his love and remembrances of Christmases past.
He talked to his father. It’s hard being away from family n being so far away.
President Hinckley expressed his gratitude in a letter to his dad for the wonderful Christmas memories that were made by him and his mother. He not only was grateful for his father but for the birth of the Savior and why we really celebrate Christmas.
Christmas is a wonderful time of year to be with your families I always look forward to seeing my children and grandchildren and when you’re far away it is difficult
He thanked his father for showing him what the true meaning of Christmas was all about–not just at Christmas time but throughout his life.