Sam Beeson was in Sunday School anda lesson on Matthew 5 when the teacher asked a question that got him thinking.
“And when the gospel doctrine teacher said, ‘Has there been a time when you’ve had to do good to those who despitefully use you or pray for those who hurt you?’ … almost every hand went up,” said Beeson, who is a high school English teacher and also teaches at Utah Valley University.
It captured his interest in how that touched people, and he wondered what gifts people would give to their enemy.
“The idea came to me: ‘On the first night of Christmas I gave my enemy …,’” Beeson said. “I thought it would be interesting for him giving to his enemy and then his enemy asking for forgiveness.”
The story of the gifts, from briars and rusty nails to cracked eggshells and twigs; what the enemy does with them; and the enemy’s request, is in Beeson’s “A Rare Nativity” (Ensign Peak, $17.99).
Beeson usually writes something for his family’s holiday gathering, and many times the stories are humorous and lighthearted. He went with this one this year to “go more reverent and authentic,” he said.
He changed what some of the gifts were in the initial story and made a box as a visual to share it.
When people read the first part of the story, he said, they usually wonder what is going on with the gifts.
“If you can make it to the ‘forgive me’ part, and then turn the page,” the point of the book is obvious, Beeson said.
The forgiveness turn in the story “really touched people,” Beeson said. “It comes from seeking to take something that’s ugly, like what the Savior does with all of our lives” with sins, and getting help to be forgiven.
Just about everyone has had to forgive someone or be forgiven during their life. And while there are plenty of stories of how people have forgiven others in incredible circumstances, it’s much easier to hear one of these stories than to be in one, he said.
“Being inside a forgiveness story means that you have to either forgive someone who has really hurt you or you have to extend a ‘sorry’ and hope someone forgives you,” Beeson said. “And that’s hard.”
He hopes that through “A Rare Nativity,” people will see the Nativity in a different light.
“You know the Nativity, Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the shepherds,” he said. “But what does it mean to us personally?”
Beeson said that it’s because of the Savior that change can take place in a person’s life.
“Let’s authentically seek to reconcile through genuine forgiveness and the lens of the Savior,” Beeson said. “That’s doable.”
After submitting the manuscript and after he and the publisher worked out what would be published, he worked with Alpine-based photographers Nina and Terral Cochran for the images.
Beeson created the angel that’s on the cover of the book. They needed one in the studio, and he crumpled some paper and looked online for ideas.
“I still have that angel,” Beeson said. “It’s framed in my house.”
On Christmas Eve, his family go to his mother-in-law’s homem for food, songs and festivities. There have been many times his five children have liked Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day, he said.
“The magic of Christmas Eve is hope and anticipation,” Beeson said. “It’s (looking to) what comes next.”
The Christmas season is largely a reminder of the impact of the birth of Jesus Christ, he added.
“It’s Christmas season, and (the season) is designed to bring people back to Bethlehem and back to the baby” Jesus, Beeson said.
Beeson does a writing project each year. This year, it’s been to write a handwritten letter each day.
“I have learned there are many people out there who are very thankful,” Beeson said of the reaction to the letters. Some people haven’t responded but others have written back, either by letter or email.
He hasn't settled on an idea for 2016, though he’s considering several options.
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