A NEW YEAR CELEBRATION ACCORDING TO WILFORD WOODRUFF
The Book of Mormon readathon had just come to an end and I was thinking, “okay, now what?” There has to be something for New Year’s Day equivalent to what we just experienced as the spirit was just beautiful and in an abundance. It just didn’t seem right to now spend the day (not that we would) in idleness, junk food, and sports as the world celebrates. It seemed like something was about to just drop if I didn’t think of something, kind of like the big letdown you experience after Christmas the next day?
As I was pondering how we would spend the first day of the new year, a whispering came to me to go look in a google doc I knew of from a few years ago of random Wiford Woodruff’s teachings. I had not looked in that doc for quite some time and wondered what I was being reminded of in there. I went quickly to hunt it down and as I scrolled I didn’t find anything of worth until I got to the last page! This is when his New Year’s proclamation teaching jumped off the page. Here lay a beautiful recommendation to all Utah saints on what Wilford had envisioned for the first day of the year, from each family!
And I recommend to all good citizens of Utah that they abstain from everything that is calculated to mar or grieve the spirit of their Heavenly Father on that day. That they rise Early in the morning of the first day of the New Year and wash their bodies with pure water. That all men attend to their flocks & herds with carefulness & see that no creature in their care is Hungry thirsty or Cold while the women are preparing the best of food for their Households & their Children [are] ready to receive it in Cleanliness & with cheerfulness.Then let the Head of Each family with his family bow down upon his knees before the God of Israel and acknowledge all his sins & the sins of his household call upon the Father in the name of Jesus for every blessing that He desires for himself his kindred the Israel of God the universe of a man praying with full purpose & heart & united faith that the union of the United States may be preserved inviolate against all the devices of wicked men until truth shall reign triumphant & the glory of Jehovah shall fill the whole Earth.
Then in the name of Jesus ask the Father to Bless your food and when you have filled the plates of your Household partake with them with rejoicing & thanksgiving & if you feel to make merry in your hearts sing a song of thanksgiving and lift up your hearts continually in praise & acknowledgment of the unbounded mercies you are momentarily receiving. The following is a portion of the proclamation: [Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, Vol. 4, p.92]
TIME TO RESTORE
After reading this teaching, we decided as a family we would do exactly this! This would be very fitting for our home and as a new beginning for the new year. So following the readathon, the next morning we awoke, showered, and then everybody chipped into helping each other to do chores together. We made a nice breakfast consisting of pancakes and hash browns, and fruit. Then, at last, we gathered together and each family member picked their favorite hymn to sing. Afterward, we knelt together as a family and each gave a heartfelt prayer acknowledging all the sins of the home. This was humbling as I listened to everyone share what was in their heart. Then we blessed the food and ate in Thanksgiving.
This simple morning devotional changed the course of the planned day events. This set the desired mood and was a perfect ending to our 19 days of reading the Book of Mormon. The rest of the day was spent on work projects for the Joseph Smith Foundation. This is a wonderful tradition that needs to be restored in every household! We need more time praising, and less time focused on idleness, food, fun, and fantasy. Rather, a Christian who obtains his greatest joy from the Lord sees January 1 as a time to remember the goodness of God as it has unfolded across the past year.
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