When I was a little boy, Christmas was not very meaningful to me, because I didn’t know who Jesus Christ was and what he has done for us.
All I knew was that there was a Santa Claus who brought gifts to children on Christmas Eve. When the morning came, I realized that this was just a fantasy and a beautiful story, but it was still the same fantasy and hope every year. After all, this was happening in an era of poverty and material scarcity.
But as I grew up, I realized Christmas was more than just presents. Through being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have instead learned that Christmas is a time of sharing, joy, love, compassion, gratitude, and charity. For it is in the true spirit of Christmas that our Heavenly Father, in His divine love, gave us His precious Son, Jesus Christ, as a gift for the welfare of all mankind.
President Nelson’s teaching is vital: “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation … and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival”, Liahona, Oct. 2016, 84.)
“We can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy.”
Russell M. Nelson
Through His birth, we are assured that hope and peace are attainable. It is only through Him that we can discover life’s true meaning, be resilient in the face of challenges, and achieve peaceful resolutions to the trials and tribulations of this world. The love of the Lord and His mercy can free us from the many forms of wickedness and evil in the world. Where Jesus Christ is born, hope is born. Where Jesus Christ is born, peace and love are born, and where peace and love are born, there is no longer room for hatred, wickedness, evil thoughts, rumors of wars and wars. This knowledge brings life and hope to the world. Jesus Christ came to rescue, to save, to heal, and to make mankind right with God (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:17–21). That is cause for great joy!
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to teach the world how the birth of Christ has brought life and hope to the world. One such initiative is “Light the World”. The focus of this initiative is to remind us of the importance of the birth of Christ by sharing daily inspired messages about the Savior, bringing joy to someone each day of December. Another important activity is the “Strengthening Family Conferences”, which focus on uniting families through hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
President Dallin H. Oaks taught that “Jesus Christ is the light of the world because He is the source of the light which ‘proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space’. (D & C 88:12) His light is ‘the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world’. (D & C 93:2) …This is the light that quickens our understanding. (D&C 88:11) It is ‘the light by which [we] may judge’. (Moro. 7:18) It ‘is given to every man, that he may know good from evil’. (Moro. 7:16)
President Oaks continued: “Jesus Christ is the light of the world because His example and His teachings illuminate the path we should walk to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. Before Jesus was born, Zacharias prophesied that the Lord God of Israel would visit his people ‘to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide [their] feet into the way of peace’. (Luke 1:79)” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Light and Life of the World”, Liahona, Oct. 1987, 63)
To live without hope is to cease to live!
This living hope is the hope and promise of eternal life (Titus 1:2.) through Jesus Christ, “our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1). We have hope because Jesus came as a man, lived, died, and rose again.
May this Christmas be one of giving instead of receiving! Let us be the hands of the Savior to lift, encourage, and fill hearts with hope, love, charity, service and unity! May our actions express the true meaning of Christmas and focus on the Jesus who was born in Bethlehem to save us. I bear witness that He is our Savior and Redeemer, the light and the life of the world.
In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.