[MUSIC PLAYING]

Brothers and sisters, we welcome you most warmly to the First Presidency's Christmas devotional. We are grateful that through the use of technology we are able to gather together to reflect upon the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. President Russell M. Nelson, who presides, has asked me to conduct this devotional, which is being broadcast from the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the number of General Authorities and General Officers gathered is limited because of current precautions to preserve health. President Eyring and many others are excused. The music for this Christmas devotional will be provided by The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. The selections have been previously recorded and will be under the direction of various conductors and organists. The Choir will open this meeting by singing "Joy to the World." The invocation will be offered by Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency.

[MUSIC - "JOY TO THE WORLD"] (SINGING) Joy to the world, the Lord is come; let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare him room. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love.

Our dear Father in Heaven, it's been a hard year.

We're so grateful for those who are listening tonight who have struggled and who need to feel thee close. We're grateful for the First Presidency and their amazing leadership during this hard time. We are thankful for our prophet, who just two weeks ago encouraged us to be grateful and gave the world a message of hope and healing. It was so wonderful to be able to pray with him and to hear him pray for us. We love these men and pray for their health and their well-being. We are grateful for missionaries who serve all over the world, from those who are serving here on Temple Square to those who serve all over the entire earth. We are just grateful for them, and we pray for their mission leaders and pray for their success. We pray for the youth. Please help them to be courageous and strong, and for those who have wandered we pray that they will be led home. Help us to feel Thy Spirit tonight during this devotional. And help us also to be able to feel the joy of Christ throughout this season. And we say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen.

The Choir will now favor us with "The First Noel." After the singing, we will be pleased to hear from Sister Rebecca L. Craven, who serves as the Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency. She will be followed by Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy. Following Elder Nielson's remarks, the Choir will sing "Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will then address us. At the conclusion of his message, the Choir will sing "The Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah.

[MUSIC - "THE FIRST NOEL"] (SINGING) The first Noel the angels did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay, in fields where they lay keeping their sheep on a cold winter's night that was so deep. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Born is the King of Israel.

They looked up and saw a star shining in the East beyond them far, and to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Born is the King of Israel.

Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord, that he this glorious earth hath wrought and with his blood mankind hath bought. Noel, Noel, Noel Noel!

Born is the King of Israel!

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel.

Born is the King of Israel.

Noel. Noel. Noel. Noel.

Noel.

One of my favorite Christmas memories happened when I was six years old. It was Christmas Eve, and I was asleep on the top bunk bed that I shared with my little sister in our home in Berlin, Germany. I was pretty excited for Christmas morning to come--so excited that I must not have been sleeping very deeply, because sometime during the night I was awakened by bells jingling. Then I heard the door of our room slowly squeak open, and when the light from the other room landed on my face, I quickly sat up and look towards the door. What I saw was unbelievable. Standing in the doorway was Santa Claus, and I'm not kidding. It was him. He bellowed, "Ho, ho, ho," and then asked if I would like to follow him into the living room to see the lit-up Christmas tree. I was stunned and totally speechless, but I scampered down the ladder of my bed and followed him to the front room, where my mother and older brother were standing by the tree. But as I looked around the room, I didn't see my dad. How could he be missing this. Mom said he was taking out the trash, but boy was he taking a long time. To this day, I feel badly that he never had the chance to meet Santa Claus. Santa asked if I had been a good girl, and I was so happy to report that I had. After making sure he had sampled the cookies and milk we set out for him, I went back to bed and a few hours later woke to a joyous Christmas morning. My husband's grandfather Heaton Lunt had a very different Christmas morning as a young boy living in the colonies of Mexico in the late 1800s. He tells this story in his history: "Christmas came and we had the sheep in a pen under the barn where it was warm, because there was snow on the ground then. I went up real early Christmas morning to see if my sheep were all right. I heard bleating in the stable that sounded very tiny. "I went inside and saw that Nelly had two tiny lambs--twins. I ran back to the house as hard as I could ... [and] I clapped my hands and said to my mama, 'I've got the best Christmas of any of you. O' Nelly's got two little lambs.' All the kids left their oranges and things on the table, and they ran up to the barn to see those little lambs Nelly had. It was the biggest wonder of anything we ever got on Christmas." Amazingly, the very next year, and for years following, new lambs were born to Heaton's sheep on Christmas morning. When I first heard this story, my heart and mind were immediately drawn to thoughts of another lamb born on that very first Christmas day: Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Just like Heaton ran to see his new lambs, I imagine the shepherds hastening to see the newborn son of God. Can you visualize what they must have witnessed in that humble and sacred setting? I envision a loving Joseph attending to his wife, Mary, as they pondered the birth of the promised Messiah. The account of Mary wrapping her tiny baby in swaddling clothes is particularly tender to me. We recently welcomed a new granddaughter into our family. I watched one day as her mother wrapped her in a soft, warm swaddling blanket and held her close. To swaddle simply means to hold tightly. Swaddling clothes and blankets have been used throughout history to comfort and soothe and even calm a fussy baby. As I watched our daughter-in-law swaddle her new child, I thought of others who might be in need of a swaddle, even a virtual one. A kind word, a listening ear, or an understanding heart can comfort and soothe the troubled soul of another. Almost three years ago, our son-in-law experienced a serious medical crisis. In finding answers, he underwent many tests and procedures which ultimately led him to needing heart surgery. As our son-in-law went into surgery, our daughter sent a message to her in-laws to give them an update on their son. From far away in another country where they were serving a mission, her mother-in-law responded with these comforting words: "Sending you heavenly hugs." Just a few moments later, a nurse walked by but then stopped. She looked into our daughter's tear-filled eyes and asked if she would like a blanket, but she declined, saying that she was OK. The nurse left but immediately returned with a warm blanket. She wrapped it tightly around our daughter and said to her, "I feel like you need a heavenly hug." The Lamb of God, also known as the Good Shepherd, knows each of His flock. In our moments of need, He often sends earthly angels, like the compassionate nurse to our daughter, to wrap and encircle us in the arms of His love. He came to Earth to bring peace and goodwill to all men. He comforts those who stand in need of comfort and mourns with those who mourn. As I consider the many ways the Lord loves and cares for each of us, I feel a desire to do more to share that love with others. I also wish to better recognize the heavenly hugs and swaddles I have received but have been slow to acknowledge. In a world so much in need of peace, our gentle words, our acts of compassion and kindness can be the means of wrapping another in a warm swaddling blanket. I have come to understand that the more we act on promptings to serve others, the more heavenly blankets the Lord gives us to share. What promptings have you received? Who do you know that is in need of a heavenly hug? Our personal or virtual touch may make all the difference in the life of a loved one or even a stranger. I pray as we celebrate the birth of our Savior that we not only feel of His love, compassion, and peace but that we share those blessings with others. As I ponder the gift of the Lamb of God, the Babe swaddled and laid in a manger, I echo the words of young Heaton: He is "the biggest wonder of anything we ever got [or will ever get] on Christmas. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen.

In another time and in another place far, far away from here, my father, Norman Nielson, was a very young man spending his second of four years fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II. Pictured here in front of his tent, he was an anti-aircraft specialist living in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. On Christmas Day 1943, he wrote this letter home to his widowed mother: "As you will notice by the date, today is Christmas. I got up at 7:00 a.m., had breakfast, and then worked until 3:00 p.m. when I went down to the creek to wash my clothes and take a bath. At dinner tonight, we had a very small portion of turkey, some sweet potatoes, corn, dressing, and raisin pie. I would've liked so very much to have been home with you and the family putting my feet under the table and eating again all the things we used to have when we were together a few years ago. We are disappointed that our Christmas packages did not arrive before Christmas. There are many of us who did not get anything for Christmas. I remember you telling me many times that you never miss the water until the well goes dry." This past year my wife, Marcia, and my sister, Susan, wrote the history of my father's four years of service during World War II. They compiled all the letters that he wrote home to his mother. I have to say that when I read this bleak Christmas letter, I was a bit incredulous. Although this may seem trivial to you, because this was my dad, whom I love, I wanted to somehow change the events of that Christmas Day. I cried out in my heart, "How much suffering can this young man from Idaho endure?" He lost his father to a heart attack when my father was only 12 years old. He was raised by his mother. He was drafted into the military, and he was now living in the jungle in the middle of a terrible battle. Couldn't he at least get a gift for Christmas? As I pondered his situation, I felt the Spirit speaking to me: "Brent, you know how this story ends. Your dad ultimately received the most important gift and went on to live a faith-filled life with Christmas as his favorite time of the year. As I read further in my father's history, I came to one of his last letters home to his mother in February of 1945. During his four years under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur, he had fought from Darwin, Australia, to Papua New Guinea, to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, and ultimately to Manila, where he ended his military service and returned home. Most of the time he spent serving during the war, there were no meetings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But once he arrived in the Philippines toward the end of his service, he was able to find a meeting of the Church. After attending that meeting, he wrote this interesting letter home to his mother: "I went to Church yesterday, but didn't care too much for the talk. Mother, a lot of things seem very trivial to me now that once were so very important. I don't mean my belief in God, that is probably as strong as ever, but I look on God as a person who is loving and understanding rather than one [who] is always standing over you to punish you for every mistake you make." What the Spirit taught me is that through extremely trying times, having participated in a terrible war where many soldiers, nurses, sailors, airmen, and innocent civilians on both sides lost their lives, my father found the gift. He found the true spirit of Christmas. He learned that he had a loving Heavenly Father who understood him and was watching over him. The most important lifetime lesson that he learned was this: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." In his extremities, when pushed as far as he could go personally, my father found a loving, kind Heavenly Father. What my father found brought peace and joy and happiness to him in a world full of confusion and pain and suffering. As he left the war behind, he brought the gift home with him. I'm not sure I could have survived the difficulties that faced my father during those three Christmases away from home, but I do know that the lesson he learned and that I learned is that the true gift at Christmas, given by our Father in Heaven, is the Savior Jesus Christ. This Christmas, because of world conditions, some of us find ourselves in situations far away from family or isolated from them even if they live nearby. Some of us might feel this year like my dad did on Christmas Day of 1943. We might even wonder why we didn't receive any gifts or visits. But if we look up and look to God and live, we will discover that Jesus Christ is the greatest gift. Opening that gift gives us the key to a wonderful, peaceful life. In Mark chapter 4 of the New Testament, the Savior's disciples had a frightening experience. They were on a ship with the Savior on the Sea of Galilee when a huge storm arose. The disciples were frightened, and the Savior spoke to them, saying, "Why are ye so fearful? Where is your faith?" With a voice command, the Savior caused the winds and the waves to be still. The disciples then asked this poignant question that I ask you to ponder this Christmas" "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" I will attempt to answer this question. Jesus Christ is the "[Wonderful Counsellor], the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." "By him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created." He is our Savior and our Redeemer. He is the Firstborn of the Father. Isaiah describes the Savior this way: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? ... They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." It is with this backdrop that the Savior invites all of us, at this Christmas season and always, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ... For I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." His invitation to us is to come. My hope during this Christmas season is that no matter our circumstances, no matter where we are, and no matter how we may be separated from family or friends, we will remember that He, the Savior Jesus Christ, is the gift; that as we come unto Him, He will make our burdens light; and that we might discover him as my father did in the middle of a terrible war. The Savior said: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." As we trust Him, we will find peace and happiness no matter our current circumstances. I wish you all a merry Christmas and pray that this year, as "the weary world rejoices," you will receive and acknowledge the gift that a loving Father gave to us as He allowed the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son. I bear my personal witness of this loving Heavenly Father and His perfect Son, the Prince of Peace. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

(SINGING) Oh, come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! Oh, come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold him, born the king of angels; oh, come, let us adore him; oh, come, let us adore him; oh, come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord. [MUSIC - "OH, COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL"]

(SINGING) Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God, glory in the highest; oh, come, let us adore him; oh, come, let us adore him; oh, come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be all glory giv'n.

Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing; Oh, come let us adore him; oh, come, let us adore him; oh, come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord.

Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord.

The setting was as peaceful as nature could provide, the coming of night in early spring. Skies crystal clear, with stars coming out first by tens, then by hundreds, and finally by thousands. Shepherds in the field finding relief from the glare of the day and fatigue of honest labor. The only unusual--but remarkably beautiful--element in this pastoral scene was in a hillside stable close to the village, in which two human figures huddled over an infant lying in a manger, with only a few domestic animals witnessing the wonder they had seen. These three, who had no friend or willing host in crowded Bethlehem town, were first a beautiful young virgin mother named Mary (probably in her early or mid teens, if the traditions of the day were in force), whose courage and conspicuous faith are as striking as anything ever recorded in scripture. Second, her husband, called Joseph, older than his young wife but one who by definition must have been the most worthy man on earth to raise a baby that was not Joseph's physical son but who would in time become Joseph's spiritual Father. Third, last, and most beautiful of all: the baby to be named Jesus, lying in swaddling clothes on the cleanest hay an anxious Father could collect. One irony this quiet, unpublicized scene belied was the fact that no baby had ever been born about whom so much was already known, of whom so much had already been written, and regarding whom so much was already expected. Indeed, knowledge about who and what he was started in the realms of heaven before anyone had been born. As Firstborn of the Father in the world of spirits, He was designated there to be the Savior of the world, foreordained to be "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Later, but still prior to His birth, He would be the grand Jehovah of the Old Testament, helping Noah save his family in time of flood and aiding Joseph save his family in time of famine. He was the magisterial Jehovah, whose names would include "Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." He was the Alpha and Omega in the great plan of mercy that would eventually, and I quote, "preach good tidings unto the meek; ... bind up the brokenhearted, ... proclaim liberty to the captives, and [open] the prison to them that are bound." To accomplish this, He would tread the wine press of redemption utterly and entirely alone, with no mortal companion who would aid Him and no heavenly companion who could. In bearing all the sins and sorrows of mortality, He would bring the incomprehensible gift of salvation to the entire human family, from Adam to the end of the world. In the full course of His journey, He would be "the Shepherd and Bishop of [our] souls," the great "High Priest of our profession," the free-flowing "fountain of all righteousness." All of these mortal duties and demands had yet to be met, but not tonight, not this night. Here He was just a baby in the arms of a mother who adored Him, watched over by a father who was gentle and strong.

Soon those shepherds came representing the lowest of earthly activities, the poorest of men and their labors. Later, kings came, the Wise Men from the East, symbolizing the loftiest of temporal achievements, the richest of men and their labors. Above all--literally above all--angels came singing "Glory to God in the highest," a veritable multitude of this heavenly host praising this little baby who had finally come to earth. Angels had, in fact, marked the path to this manger for centuries. Most recently an angel had come to Mary in the magnificent annunciation to her of what she had been chosen to do and who she had been chosen to be. An angel came to Joseph, giving him courage to marry this young woman who was mysteriously already with child, a commandment that he instantly and faithfully rose to obey. After the birth, an angel told the young couple to flee--flee what would be Herod's slaughter of the innocents, those tiny children who were the first of the New Testament Christian martyrs. And that same angel told the couple when they could return from Egypt and to settle in distant Nazareth rather than Bethlehem or even Jerusalem. Obviously, the angels in heaven knew far more than the mortals on earth regarding what this birth meant and what this child's mission was, namely "[to bear] our griefs, and [carry] our sorrows" ... [to be] wounded for our transgressions, [and] bruised for our iniquities: [to make clear that] the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and [that] with his stripes we [would be] healed."

For me personally, it is significant that all of this unfolds in the night, that period when muscles relax and fatigue is laid to rest, when prayers are said, when revelation is anticipated and divine beings are most likely to be near. And once a year, night is when children can scarcely close their eyes for the delight that is bubbling within them, knowing tomorrow it will be Christmas. Yes, however difficult our day has been, the sweet dreams of the night can make everything right. As Elder Parley P. Pratt once wrote: "God has revealed many important instructions ... by means of dreams. ... [Then] the nerves [are] unstrung, and the whole of mortal humanity lies hushed in quiet [slumber, and] ... the spiritual organs ... converse with Deity, ... [with] angels, and [with] the spirits of just men made perfect."

So it was this night of wondering awe, where truly "the hopes and fears of all the years" were met in the dreams of Bethlehem. "That night when in [the] Judean skies the mystic Star dispensed its light, a blind man [groped] in his sleep, and dreamed [that] he had sight. That night when shepherds heard the song of hosts angelic choiring near, a deaf man stirred in slumber's spell, and dreamed [that] he could hear. That night when in the cattle-stall slept Child and Mother [without talk], a cripple[d] [man] turned his twisted limbs, and dreamed [that] he [could walk].

That night when o'er the new-born Babe the tender Mary rose to lean, a loathsome leper smiled in sleep, and dreamed [that] he was clean. That night when to his Mother's breast the little King was held secure, a harlot slept a happy sleep, and dreamed [that] she was pure. That night when in the manger lay the Sanctified, who came to save, a man moved in the sleep of death, and dreamed there was no grave."

I leave with you, as my Christmas gift, the dreams of Bethlehem. And I do so in the name of the baby who makes all of those dreams come true, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen. [MUSIC - "THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS"] (SINGING) Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! [INTERPOSING SINGING] For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and of His Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever. And He shall reign forever and ever. And He shall reign. And He shall reign. And He shall reign forever and ever. [INTERPOSING SINGING] Kings of Kings. Forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And Lord of Lords. Forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! King of Kings. Forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And Lord of Lords. Forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! King of Kings. Forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And Lord of Lords. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And He shall reign. And He shall reign. And He shall reign. [INTERPOSING SINGING] And He shall reign forever and ever. King of Kings. Forever and ever. And Lord of Lords. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And He shall reign forever and ever. King of kings and Lord of Lords. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And He shall reign forever and ever.

[INTERPOSING SINGING] Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

We express appreciation to The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for their beautiful Christmas music that has filled our hearts. We likewise give thanks to our speakers this evening and recognize the efforts of all who have assisted in any way to make this devotional possible.

We enter this beautiful Christmas season after a challenging and difficult year. We sincerely pray that you will be blessed to experience the peace and hope that comes through the Atonement and redeeming love of our Savior. The gift of His miraculous life and atoning sacrifice are available to all. May you know of His incomparable love for each one of you. For our concluding speaker, we will be blessed to hear a Christmas message from President Russell M. Nelson. Following President Nelson's message, the Choir will sing "Silent Night." We invite you, wherever you are, to join in singing the third verse as directed. The benediction will then be offered by Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women General President.

My dear brothers and sisters, this has been a wonderful evening. Our spirits have been uplifted by the beautiful music and messages. Sister Craven has melted our hearts with her thoughts of heavenly hugs and blankets of comfort. Elder Nielson has moved us as he has recounted the life of his father, whose military duty deprived him of Christmas for three consecutive years. Elder Holland has inspired us while teaching about the life of the Savior of the world.

May I take this opportunity to thank you for your response to my recent invitation to flood the social media with expressions of gratitude for our many blessings. Millions responded, and I'm especially grateful that you are continuing to pray daily to our Heavenly Father to thank Him for His guidance, protection, inspiration, and, most of all, for the gift of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Christmas evokes wonderful memories. Just a year ago Wendy and I had the opportunity to celebrate the season with an adorable little girl, Claire Crosby, who sang a beloved Christmas carol. May I share part of our recording made for the Light of the World initiative. (SINGING) Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright, round yon virgin mother and Child.

Holy Infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace; sleep in heavenly peace.

As President Holland reminds us, truly that blessed night more than two millennia ago was a night made holy by the birth of one who was foreordained to bring peace to this earth and to inspire goodwill among men. Jesus Christ was born to bless all humankind, past, present, and future.

Even as we sing "Silent Night," we know the life of that Babe of Bethlehem did not begin there, nor did it end on Calvary. In a premortal realm, Jesus was anointed by His Father to be the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all humankind. He was foreordained to atone for us. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He came to make immortality a reality and eternal life a possibility for all who would ever live.

That means every one of us will be resurrected, including those dear to you who have departed during this turbulent year and who now live on the other side of the veil. It means each of us can continue to progress. It means we can hope for better things to come.

Have you ever wondered why the Lord chose to be born where He was? He could have been born anywhere on earth, yet He chose the very land that he made holy. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. That word in Hebrew, bet lehem, means "house of bread." How appropriate that He, the "bread of life," would come from the "house of bread."

His birth occurred in humble circumstances among the animals. There the "Lamb of God" was born during Passover season among animals being prepared for paschal sacrifice. And one day He would be "brought as a lamb to the slaughter." He was both the Lamb and the Shepherd.

At the birth of Him who is called the "good shepherd," shepherds were the first to receive the announcement of His holy birth. At the birth of Him who is called the "bright and morning star," a new star appeared in the heavens. At the birth of Him who called Himself the "light of the world," darkness was banished worldwide as a sign of His holy birth.

Jesus was baptized in the lowest body of fresh water on earth, symbolizing the depths to which He would go in order to save us and from which He would rise above all things--again, to save us. From His example, He taught that we too can arise from the depths of our individual challenges--our sadness, weakness, and worries--to reach the heights of our own glorious potential and divine destiny. All this is possible by virtue of His mercy and grace.

Amid the dry and dusty wilderness of a desert, the Savior taught lessons that could be fully appreciated only by those who knew what it was like to be parched with thirst.

To the woman at the well, Jesus taught: "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

This scripture reminds me of a tender experience I had with Elder Mark E. Petersen. He was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. And prior to my call to that quorum, I had the privilege of accompanying him to the Holy Land on what would prove to be His last trip in mortality. Elder Petersen was suffering greatly from cancer. During a long and painful night for him, I tried my best to comfort him. I saw that he was able to eat and drink only a very little bit.

The next day, he was scheduled to give a major address. Morning came. Bravely, Elder Petersen went to the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where a large congregation awaited him.

He chose to teach from the Savior's Sermon on the Mount. When Elder Petersen recited the passage "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness," tears welled in his eyes. He laid his notes aside, looked up, and asked, "Do you know what it is really like to hunger and to thirst?"

I knew he really knew. Then he taught, "When you can really hunger and thirst after righteousness, then you can become more Christlike." Elder Petersen was a living example of that. Not long thereafter, he graduated from this mortal life.

Whenever I contemplate hungering and thirsting after righteousness, I think of this venerable Apostle devoting one of his final sermons to teach what it really means to seek after the Lord Jesus Christ, to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to become more like Him.

This year, Sister Nielsen and I got an early start working on our Christmas errands of love for our family. In early November, Wendy announced that we were ready for Christmas. My instant response was "Oh, good. Now we can focus on the Savior."

During this unprecedented year, when virtually every person in the world has suffered the effects of a global pandemic, there is nothing more important we can do this Christmas than to rivet our focus on the Savior and on the gift of what His life really means to each of us. Our loving Heavenly Father "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Son of God then promised us that "whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." What unspeakable, incomparable gifts from the Father and the Son. I thank God for the gift of His Beloved Son, and I thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His incomparable sacrifice and mission.

At His first coming, Jesus came almost in secret. But at His Second Coming, the Lord's glory "shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." Then He shall "rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords."

Now, as an authorized servant of the Savior, I would like to invoke a blessing upon each of you, my beloved brothers and sisters.

May you and your families be blessed with peace, with an increased ability to hear the voice of the Lord, and receive revelation with an enhanced capacity to feel how much our Father and His Son love you, care for you, and are ready to guide all who seek after Them.

I join my words with those of Moroni and "commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, ... may be and abide in you forever."

For this I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[MUSIC - "SILENT NIGHT"] (SINGING) Silent night!

Holy night! All is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and Child.

Holy Infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace; sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from heaven afar; heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ, the Savior, is born!

Christ, the Savior, is born!

Silent night!

Holy night! Son of God, love's pure light radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth; Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Our dear Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for this glorious gathering that we had to remember this Christmas season. Father, we acknowledge and are so grateful for Thy love, Thy goodness, and Thy perfect plan. We are grateful for the gift of Thy Son, the Good Shepherd, the Prince of Peace, our Redeemer, our Savior Jesus Christ. We are so grateful for His life, His mission, and His infinite Atonement. We have been richly fed tonight as we have listened to the music. We've had increased peace and hope as we have listened to each message. We're especially grateful for our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, and the message and the understanding that we have of the Savior Jesus Christ that has increased because of what we've heard. Father, we pray that we may seek this Jesus, that we might turn our lives over to Him. Father, we hope, at this Christmas season, that we may have eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts that would be open to the needs and the suffering of others. Even in our own tribulations, may we be able to look outward to lift and to love as the Savior has taught in His perfect teachings. Father, we are so grateful, at this Christmas season, for our Savior. May we always strive to follow Him. We say these things humbly in His name, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen.

[MUSIC PLAYING]