The gifts from the wise men to the infant Jesus each held significant symbolic meaning. Gold was presented because Jesus was descended from King David and would be the future "King of kings". Frankincense represented Jesus' role as the great High Priest and his role in the atonement as the sacrificial lamb. Myrrh symbolized Jesus' role as a healer and his mission to die for humanity's sins.

1. the
great High Priest, the Sacrificial
Lamb — and exactly how His life’s
mission would culminate.
The precious, economically
valuable metal was a fitting gift
for the baby who would grow to
become“king of kings.”
It was also highly valuable,
making it especially useful for
Joseph and Mary who were
very poor. At the time, gold was
also symbolic of kingship and
royalty, fitting because of both
Jesus’ heavenly heritage as the Son
of God and his earthly parentage as
a descendent of King David.
Frankincense
Frankincense is an expensive oil
derived from a sweet tree resin,
used as perfume, sweet-smelling
incense and — most notably — in
priesthood ordinances. The gift of

2. frankincense to the boy Jesus is
rich in symbolism.
First, high priests used
frankincense in sacrificial
ordinances, indicating that the
wise man saw Jesus as a holder of
the high priesthood. In the
Savior’s time, the high priest was
also considered a mediator between
the people and God — an
obvious symbolic tie to Christ’s
role as Mediator.
The gift also alluded to the
offering of a sacrificial lamb,
which Christ would become as he
performed his atonement. And as
part of a sacrificial offering,
frankincense had been offered as
a gift to God for centuries. In
these ways, the gift of
frankincense symbolized Christ’s
role as the great High Priest, the
Sacrificial Lamb, the mediator and
the Son of God.

3. Myrrh, an aromatic resin, was
bitter-smelling and also very
expensive. Myrrh is known primarily
for its medicinal and preservative
qualities; in the Savior’s time, it
was often used in embalming.
During Christ’s life, he healed
many who were physically afflicted.
The gift of myrrh could be symbolic
of His role as healer, both during
His ministry and as a result of His
atonement.
Part of Christ’s earthly mission
was to die for the sins of the
world and to be resurrected,
breaking the bonds of death for all
mankind. Myrrh, used often in
embalming, was a fitting gift for
one who came to the Earth in order
to die.
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