Second Sunday of Advent: Love

The Second Candle represents the love of God that he has shared with us in the person of his Son, and which Jesus Christ showed us through his sacrifice and death. This love, the pure love of Christ, we are enjoined to share with each other.

This candle also represents God’s covenant with Abraham, promising him an eternal glory and seed as numerous as the sands of the sea. The Lord further promised Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed, a promise that received its ultimate fulfillment in the coming of Jesus Christ through Abraham’s line.

“Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands . . .” (Isaiah 49:13–16)

“And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou? And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and

fair above all other virgins . . . And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh . . . And I looked and beheld the virgin

again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even

the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? And I

answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the

children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.” (1 Nephi 11:14–22)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in

him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to

condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16–17)

The Annunciation to Mary:

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named

Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the

virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, ‘Hail, thou that art highly

favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’

“And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of

salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found

favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt

call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord

God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of

Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’

Then said Mary unto the angel, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?’ And the angel

answered and said unto her, ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest

shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called

the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age:

and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be

impossible.’

“And Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ And

the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:26–38)