It’s become a tradition here to launch the Christmas holiday with this video, featuring Shawna Edwards’ “Do You Have Room?”

How did this song come to be? Shawna writes:

I wrote Do You Have Room? as a Christmas gift for my family, after reading these inspired words by Thomas S. Monson:

“In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ. Lovely homes dot the land and provide rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, playrooms, sewing rooms, television rooms, but no room for Christ. No room. No room. Ever has it been.”

I sang it to my family on Christmas Eve, then filed it away in my music drawer and forgot about it. It might still be there, if it weren’t for my Dad, who regularly asked me, “Have you done anything with that song?”

After her father’s death, she did do something with that song. She made a video and posted it on YouTube and shared it with a half dozen other people.

I was reluctant to send it to anyone else, but my kids weren’t. Within a few weeks, I was getting  emails from people all over the world, and from many different faiths and walks of life. They shared with me their stories of struggle and tragedy; of courage, hope, and triumph. I answered every email–it was the season of a thousand new friends.

This video has over 600,000 views, and Shawna’s YouTube channel now has over a million views.

You can download a free MP3 of “Do You Have Room?” song here.

This experience spurred in Shawna a desire to share her love of the Savior through music. She has two more Christmas songs coming soon.

p.s. We get a lot of traffic on our site and requests for Shawna’s music. (A post on The Miracle was the most frequently clicked-on page this past month.) If you are interested in sheet music or minus tracks for any of her songs, we encourage you to visit her site. Please note that the cost of sheet music and minus tracks helps cover costs of the music recording and video production. As you honor copyright laws as you use this music, it helps Shawna be able to continue to create these recordings and videos.

The post Do You Have Room? — Christmas song and video appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Sharing this Christmas song, “Do You Have Room?” (by Shawna Edwards) has become a tradition for kicking off the Christmas season here at Mormon Women. If you have already heard it, we invite you to share it — to help encourage more conversations about different how we can choose to make room for the Savior during this busy holiday season.

If you haven’t yet seen it, we hope you enjoy it! (And that you also might consider sharing it. And/or sharing other music that inspires you to remember the Reason for the Season.)

How are you going to make room for the Savior this Christmas season? How do you seek to make room for Him in your everyday life? Share in the comments below, on our Facebook page, on your Facebook wall, on your blog, in an email…. If you do share on your blog, come let us know so others can read what you wrote! Or you can submit a guest post to mormonwomen a/ gmail d/ com.

Merry Christmas season!

The post Do You Have Room? A Christmas video appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

[Update: A new version of the video is available here.]

——–

See the new Christmas page from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here.

Simplify your Christmas by embracing the spiritual side of the season.

The gift of Christmas isn’t wrapped up in presents or parties. The gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Son of God. As you follow Him, you put people first. You may spend less time in lines and more time serving others. You may spend less money on – and more time with – the people you love. You may lose yourself and you may find everything else that matters.

The LDS Church Christmas site includes many resources, including the following:

• Christmas videos
• Mormons talking about their Christmas traditions (What are yours? We’d love to hear them!)
• Ideas for ways to have a more worshipful Christmas
• Resources for teaching children about the real meaning of Christmas (including Christmas Coloring Pages and Games)

Enjoy the following free music downloads provided (music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on Temple Square):
Rejoice and Be Merry
“Christmas Processional: Gloria in Excelsis Deo”
“Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella”

You can read some of the following articles as well:

Jeffrey R. Holland, Maybe Christmas Doesn’t Come from a Store

James E. Faust, The Power of Peace

Henry B. Eyring, Home for Christmas

What is Christmas?

The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles

The post Links We Like: Sheet Music for Shawna Belt Edwards’ “Do You Have Room?” + LDS Church Christmas Page appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.