I have always been fascinated by the night sky. When I was a kid we lived out in the country and I would spend hours laying on our trampoline staring at the stars. Every time there was a meteor shower, a comet, or an eclipse, I would head outside to spend hours enjoying the show. Because I live in Canada, that usually meant bundling up in blankets and sleeping bags to try and stay warm. But I was still out there. The only thing that could stop me… clouds. It didn’t matter how bundled up I was, or how excited I was to see something if the sky was cloudy the night was usually a bust.

If you have ever spent much time looking at the stars, you will have noticed that the stars move through the sky. Just like the sun and the moon travel across the sky, the stars move as well. If you look at the sky at different times of the night, or in different seasons, you will notice that stars and constellations are in different positions. In one season you might be able to see the big dipper right side up, while other times it will appear to be upside down.

So here is a thought that has always perplexed me about the Christmas story. In the Christmas stories I read to my kids, it is often said that the “wise men followed the star” to the babe lying in the manger. But stars move. Trying to follow a single star would lead you on a very confusing journey. Now I realize that nothing is impossible for my father in Heaven. If he wanted a star to stay in a geosynchronous orbit directly over the manger, then it would have. But I am not sure that is what the scriptures are saying. In Matthew 2 it says that the wise men came “from the east.” They also say they saw his star “in the east.” So if they had come from the east, and followed the star to the east, they would have taken a very long trip to get to the Savior. Some translators of the Bible have translated that they saw the star “at its rising,” instead of “in the east.” Matthew also says that “the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” I am not sure if this is a factual account given by Matthew or just a poetic way of saying that the star led them to Jesus.

How long was the star up there? Some scholars believe that it could have been 2-3 years after the birth of Christ when the wise men arrived to present their gifts. If the star was still shining to guide their way as Matthew’s account suggests, then it could have been in the night sky for several years. It may have become a commonplace thing. Just another star.

I know in the grand scheme of things the details of the star don’t really matter. What does matter is that when the wise men saw the star, they knew what it meant. That is the crucial detail. I do not believe for a second that a star appeared in the sky and the wise men just said to each other, “hey I bet there is something cool under that star.” In fact, they say in Matthew 2:2 “where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east (or possibly “at its rising”), and are come to worship him.” These were men who were familiar with the prophecies of the Savior’s birth in their scriptures. They saw the sign of the coming of the Savior. A symbol of God’s love. And they knew where to go to find Him. At least a general idea of where to go. I personally don’t think that they followed the star like a GPS. I think they saw the promised sign and followed their scriptures.

What about everyone else? What did they see? The difference between the wise men and everybody else was a matter of their perspective. To one group it was a new star in the sky, worthy of a night or two of gazing and conversation and then probably back to normal life. To another group who knew what to look for, it was the sign of the promised Messiah. What a stark contrast that is.

Now I am not suggesting that we should be a “sign seeking people.” The scriptures are pretty clear on how the Lord feels about those who need a sign before they will believe. “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign.” Mathew 12:39. But the wise men saw the sign of the star, so seeing a sign is not the problem. It is when we seek the sign before we will believe. In the Book of Alma, Korihor had been going around trying to convince the people that they were following the “silly traditions of their fathers.” Eventually, he is brought before Alma the prophet. And Alma lets him have it. Refuting his arguments and calling him out on his lies. In the end, Korihor says, “If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and THEN will I be convinced of the truth of thy words.” Listen to Alma’s reply. “Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? … and all things denote there is a God.” Alma essentially says there are signs all around you, but you wouldn’t see them.

My wife and I recently took a trip to Hawaii. It was a wonderful trip to unwind from a year that has seen its share of ups and downs. It was also a chance to catch up with some terrific friends. My cousin, who I consider more of a brother, and his wife were kind enough to let us stay with them for a few days while we were there. It was awesome! We had a great trip and saw so many beautiful places. Then at night we would stay up and talk, or play games, or roast hotdogs over the hibachi.

One thing we looked for the entire time we were there was a sea turtle. My son loves animals, but there are a few that he LOVES. Turtles fit into that second group. I wanted to take a picture of a turtle to bring home to him. There was one day while we were swimming at Hukilau Beach in Laie we saw a turtle pop its head up near where we were swimming. It was close enough that I could see the markings on his head, but I didn’t have my phone with me so I couldn’t get a picture.

Despite keeping an eye out wherever we went, we hadn’t had any luck. On our last full day on the island, we were driving back from the north shore when we hit some pretty dense traffic. For most of the northern part of Oahu, there is only one two-lane road that leads around the island. If there is an accident or traffic gets congested for any other reason, there aren’t any alternatives. Just that one road. We were slowly driving down the road a minute or two behind our friends when they sent us a text. “there is a turtle on the beach, you should stop!”

We found the beach and quickly pulled over. There he was, George the sea turtle (that really was his name), laying on the beach and relaxing. We were so excited that we called our kids at home on a video chat just so we could show them the turtle. It was such a small moment, and to anyone else, it was a turtle on a beach in Hawaii, nothing out of the ordinary. But to me, this was a tender mercy. The spirit filled my heart on that beach. This was a moment where a father in heaven looked down and said, “don’t worry, I got this.”

I think we should all try to be like the wise men. We need to see the signs and witnesses all around us for what they really are. I believe that there are moments every day when the spirit can testify of truth to us, or just give us a little moment to remind us that our Father in Heaven loves us. They can come in the strangest places and the oddest times. We just need to be ready to see them.

Just like when I was a kid, there will be clouds in our lives that can make it hard to see the stars that are sent to guide us. There will be times, like in the days of Alma, that people will call us foolish for recognizing the hand of the Lord in simple moments of our lives. But if we will let those little moments speak to us, they will lead us to Christ. One day, and one step at a time, until we are back in his presence.