[ORGAN PLAYING: “THE FIRST NOEL”]

Brothers and sisters, we welcome you most warmly to the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional.

We are grateful for the opportunity to gather with you and reflect upon the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

President Russell M. Nelson, who presides this evening,

has asked me to conduct this devotional.

We extend our Christmas greetings to each one of you and pray that you will feel the true spirit of this sacred occasion.

The music for the devotional will be provided by The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square under the direction of Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy,

with Andrew Unsworth at the organ.

The Choir will open this meeting by singing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

The invocation will then be offered by Brother Ahmed S. Corbett,

First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency.

MUSIC PLAYING: “HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING”

Father in Heaven, unitedly as Thy children from throughout the earth,

we come before Thee and express our gratitude

for the gift and grace, the life and love

and light of Thy Holy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,

whom we love and who first loved us.

We are grateful, Father, for His gospel,

for the covenant He extends to all of us, each of Thy children.

We pray that we might embrace it and walk on that covenant path toward Him with all our hearts.

We thank Thee for the words which will be spoken, which will be sung,

prayed. We are grateful for

the opportunity to unite with all of Christendom

and many of goodwill of all religions and of no religion

to mark and commemorate this wonderful season of the birth of Thy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray now that Thy Spirit will be poured out upon all who participate and all of us,

wherever we may be throughout the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Choir will now favor us with “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.”

After the singing, we will be pleased to hear from Sister Michelle D. Craig,

First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency.

She will be followed by Elder W. Mark Bassett of the Seventy. Following Elder Bassett, the Choir will sing “In the Bleak Midwinter.”

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will then address us.

MUSIC PLAYING: “O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM”

When I was young, the highlight of Christmas was the arrival of Grandma and Grandpa Lundgren. Each year, they would make the long drive in an old car to visit. We loved them, and we loved Grandma’s Swedish pancakes, made with fresh sour cream that she brought with her from a local farmer in her hometown.

She stood at the stove for hours, making pancakes until we couldn't eat another bite.

Now, two additional generations of children have grown up feasting on those Swedish pancakes. And every time we make them, we remember Grandma Lundgren and her gift of love.

Some of the very best gifts are gifts of our time and talents.

I believe such gifts are holy gifts. This is the season of anticipating new gifts.

But tonight, let’s pause to consider gifts that you have already been given,

and who has given them and why? God has given each of us gifts.

You may not feel gifted, but you have spiritual gifts from God, so you can bless others and draw closer to Him. What gifts has God given you?

To be honest, I have never really seen myself as a gifted person.

I'm not much of a singer or dancer or athlete or artist or mathematician, or I'm just very normal, and at times I have looked at others great gifts and felt small. But I am learning how pointless and even destructive such comparisons are.

More importantly, I have come to see the sacred power of God's less conspicuous gifts.

And to rejoice in these as evidence of his love and confidence.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton taught that God's spiritual gifts includes, though,

include those that are less conspicuous, including the gift of asking,

the gift of listening, the gift of hearing and using a still small voice,

the gift of being able to weep, the gift of avoiding contention,

the gift of being agreeable,

the gift of seeking that, which is righteous,

the gift of not passing judgment,

the gift of looking to God for guidance, the gift of being a disciple,

the gift of caring for others,

the gift of being able to ponder, the gift of offering prayer.

Does this list help you see your gifts in a new light? It helps me.

These quiet gifts do as much to lift God's children as others that we recognize and celebrate more often—

quiet gifts that help us accomplish our most important purposes in life.

But unfortunately, we sometimes hold back and fail to appreciate or share our gifts, fearing that they're not as polished, perfect, or as pretty as we would like.

When we fail to appreciate these less conspicuous gifts,

we miss a chance to lift His children, and we miss a chance to feel God’s love.

Let me show you another gift, a gift from my Grandpa Lungren.

Grandpa always wanted to play the violin.

However, this violin sat unused and dusty on his shelf and then on mine

for many years, the music in these strings silent.

Compared this to the violin of my six- year-old granddaughter Scarlett.

She has a gift to share with us tonight.

Thank you, Scarlett. That was beautiful. I love you.

Our gifts from Heavenly Father are meant to be shared.

Scarlett's violin isn't expensive,

and we could find flaws in the instrument or technique,

but because she has put her heart into it, she has given a gift and brought joy.

Don't let God's gifts to you,

even his less conspicuous ones, go unused or unappreciated.

Take the gifts He has given you from off the shelf.

If you had stored them out of self-doubt, shake off the dust and try.

Offer them to God and His children.

The gifts we have from our Heavenly Father are meant to be used and shared.

All your gifts from God, however imperfect,

bring Joy and are when offered to him a hymn of praise.

Take your gift of listening with love and visit a lonely friend.

Do you have the gift of avoiding contention and of being agreeable?

Those gifts have never been more needed.

Give them to your family, friends, and neighbors.

Tell a wanderer you love them, and invite them to your kitchen table.

Teach an inspired lesson. Write a kind note.

Use your gifts to reach out and build Zion and build the people around you.

God needs all kinds. He’s given all gifts for uplifting His children.

Don’t let the music in you go unsung,

The hug ungiven, the forgiveness and offered.

During the Christmas season of 1832,

the struggling early Saints faced civil and political unrest.

The Prophet Joseph Smith had just prophesied a civil war.

Now that's not very cheery.

But on December 27, Joseph received another revelation,

a message of peace from the Lord.

In these hard times, the Lord reminded Joseph of the gifts he’d given His Saints,

most importantly, the gift of the Savior Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal life.

The way to rejoice that Christmas season was to see and receive God’s gifts,

first and foremost of which is the matchless gift of a Savior.

The same is true this Christmas season.

In the Revelation Joseph received, the Lord, asked him the following question: “For what does it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him and he received not the gift?

Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him.

Neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.”

I hope that we can each see and receive the gifts that God has given us.

But especially, I hope that we can each rejoice in God, the giver of these gifts.

I am grateful for the matchless gift of his son.

A Son who came to earth as a baby swaddled by a young mother and laid in a manger, a baby who would learn line upon line and grow grace for grace until He laid down His life as an offering for my sins, for your sins,

for the sins of all who have ever lived and will ever live on the earth.

We sing the words of a well-loved hymn, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come; let earth receive her king.”

The gift of Jesus the Christ has been given, and at what cost?

The question is: “Will we receive Him? Will we let Him in and let Him prevail?

How?” I testify that receiving our King and His gifts will bring true joy,

joy to the world and joy in the world.

Thanks be to God for the unspeakable gift of His Son. In the holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Once again, our beloved First Presidency has invited us to come together

as we begin our celebration of Christmas.

While our traditions and customs throughout the world and nations vary,

we are all grateful and blessed to be united, worshipping as one our Savior, Jesus Christ, and celebrating His birth over two millennia ago.

One favorite tradition in the Bassett home, as well as in many of yours,

is to re-enact the Nativity story. For us, reading the accounts of Isaiah, Luke,

Matthew, Nephi, and Mormon,

accompanied by Christmas hymns and animated by a live performance portraying Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus has been inspiring and spiritual. But not always. For example,

one Christmas Eve, our flock of toddler sheep erupted into a chorus of crying babies. They’re bawling quickly spread to the shepherds and angels and even to the swaddled babe himself.

The next year, we had no flock.

No one dared play the role of a sheep for fear that somehow sheep were the cause of the frightening and calamitous whaling. A different year,

The shepherds’ staffs became light sabers. And another year,

no one was willing to be a wise man or an angel,

insisting instead of donning dinosaur and dolphin costumes from Halloween.

But perhaps our most memorable reenactment was when the very newborn child tumbled from his much too-elevated

and very unstable manger, plummeting toward the stony hearth,

only to be caught inches above the floor.

Now, I’ll take credit for the diving catch,

although the fall was completely my blunder as well. Silent night?

All is calm?

Our negativities might better be called “Pandemonium in the Manger.”

I must admit that as Christmas rolls around, I often wonder if maybe we should try a Christmas tradition that actually invites peace. Peace.

That sweet and hopeful state we all desire not only at Christmas but always throughout the world today.

However, it seems that peace is becoming more difficult to find.

While studying the Doctrine and Covenants this year, I was reminded of a revelation describing our day.

“And in that day, the whole earth shall be in commotion,

and men’s hearts shall fail them.”

In today's state of earthly commotion,

where can be found this greater peace that all the world desires?

President Russell M. Nelson has declared”

“The gospel of Jesus Christ is exactly what is needed in this confused, contentious, and weary world.

Each of God's children deserves the opportunity to hear and accept the healing, redeeming message of Jesus Christ.

No other message is more vital to our happiness now and forever.”

The message of the restoration is the message of Christmas.

The light of a star that guided the shepherds to the babe in the manger parallels the pillar of light that descended upon Joseph,

both preceding glad tidings of great joy announcing Christ to the world.

Isaiah’s message to our troubled world continues to be for unto us: “A child is born unto us, a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

The Mighty God, The everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace.”

Elder Quentin L. Cook taught one of the most cherished titles of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is Prince of Peace.

His kingdom will be established, including peace and love.

As we read the words found in Luke this year,

I hope you'll consider the words of the multitude of the heavenly host praising God when they said, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men.”

I have pondered these words and thought that it might be appropriate for us to consider this as a declaration that on the earth is now peace.

“Peace has come,” they might have exclaimed. For literally,

on that evening in that humble stall,

the very Prince of Peace was come to earth.

On that first Christmas, it was the herald angels declaring that peace had come.

Before them, Jacob declared:

“We knew of Christ and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming.

And not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us again.” Isaiah prophesied now of our day as he wrote,

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him [or them] that bring us good tidings that publishes peace.”

So who are these beautiful people who publish peace?

The Savior declared to His disciples, in both Galilee and the land Bountiful, that, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” In addition,

King Benjamin taught: “And now because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you;

for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name;

Therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.”

You and I are the covenant children of Jesus Christ, each his children.

Remember, He declared that the peacemakers are to be called the children of God. Therefore, we, the children of God,

are to be peacemakers. This is our covenant duty.

You and I make a difference in today's troubled world

as we strive to be peacemakers in our homes, our congregations, our communities,

even across the world, by our kindness, by our good works, and by our words,

face to face as well as virtually.

Let us faithfully publish peace as we testify of Him in word and deed. Again,

from Luke, we read: “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them and to heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even onto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying, which was told them concerning this child.” Likewise, let us now go

and make known abroad the message of peace concerning this child.

This is the message our missionaries teach our loved ones and friends.

This is the living message that service missionaries share as they serve as the Savior would. This is the message we declare as we love,

share, and invite those around us to partake of the hope and peace found in the good news of Jesus Christ. So, back to the Nativity.

Scenes that the Bassett's reenact those chaotic attempts every Christmas.

Why do we insist on keeping this tradition encouraging our children and grandchildren to re-create for us that beautiful night of all nights when angels came with good tidings of great joy? Well, the answer is simple and delightful. “We talk of Christ,

we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ,

and we write according to our prophecies

that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

Yes, we see that the whole earth is in commotion and men’s hearts fail them.

However, despite the challenges in the face of opposition and and amidst the commotion, let us persevere in publishing peace this season and always

as we prepare ourselves and all around us for the great return of the Prince of Peace, even the Lord, Savior, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Repeating President Nelson’s words,

“Each of God’s children deserves the opportunity to hear and accept the healing, redeeming message of Jesus Christ.”

May we be publishers of peace as we celebrate the birth,

life, and mission of our Savior this Christmas season and always is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

MUSIC PLAYING: “IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER”

My dear brothers and sisters,

Christmas in my childhood home was heavily influenced by the traditions of my parents’ homelands.

My mother had immigrated to the United States from Sweden

and my father from Finland.

In preparation for Christmas,

we decorated our Christmas tree with handmade ornaments.

And my mother baked and baked and baked. For all I know, she was related to Sister Craig’s Grandmother Lundgren.

Our Christmas Eve celebrations began with a fabulous smorgasbord of the traditional delicacies my mother had prepared: meatballs, rice pudding, and the plentiful breads, cakes, and cookies.

The Christmas Eve festivities ended with the arrival of jultomten, Santa Claus,

who brought gifts for all the children.

But before jultomten came, my mother always gathered my brother, sisters, and me to listen as my father read the Christmas story from the New Testament. My father was a quiet man,

a man of few words in both his mother tongue and the English he learned as an adult. He was tactlessly honest and never effusive with praise.

He was never fanciful and he never embellished.

On Christmas Eve, he read from Luke chapter 2.

He read about Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem,

the angels’ appearance to the shepherds,

the birth of Jesus, and Mary pondering all that had happened in her heart.

But my father didn't stop there in verse 19.

He continued with the account of Mary and Joseph bringing the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to make an offering in accordance with the law of Moses. My father read:

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon,

and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the spirit into the temple.

And when Mary and Joseph brought the child, Jesus then took Simeon him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us thou thy servant depart in peace,

according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou has prepared before the face of all people.”

At that point, my father always paused. Then he bore his testimony.

Always in the same brief way he declared in heavily accented English:

“I may not be able to hold that little baby Jesus in my arms,

but I know just as well as Simeon knew that that baby was the Son of God,

my Savior and Redeemer. He is real, and he lives.”

After this declaration, he looked at each of us with his piercing blue eyes

and said with an emphatic nod, “And you can know it too.”

My father and mother knew who that babe in Bethlehem was and what he would grow up to accomplish.

This knowledge transformed them.

They desired not only that we children would believe on their words

but that we would come to know for ourselves

so that we could be transformed too.

Prompted by my parents’ testimonies,

I embarked on the covenant path with the desire to know it too.

When I was 11 years old, our family was living in [INAUDIBLE] Sweden.

The mission president invited all the youth to read the Book of Mormon.

I was technically not included in the invitation,

but my brother was a deacon at the time, and he accepted the challenge.

I always wanted to be like my brother and do what he did. So I joined in.

My parents had given my siblings and me each our own set of scriptures.

And I began reading every evening.

Some months later, President Josiah Marlen,

a counselor in the mission presidency,

encouraged the youth who were reading the Book of Mormon to ask God about its truthfulness.

I decided I would do just that.

That night, I waited until my brother had fallen asleep.

I climbed out of bed, knelt on the cold floor, and I began to pray.

I soon felt as if I were being told,

“I have been telling you all along that it’s true.”

And with that, an indescribable peace came over me.

I knew for myself by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true.

Just as promised in the introduction of the Book of Mormon,

I also came to know by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his prophet in these last days,

and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the Earth,

preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.

That knowledge, combined with subsequent witnesses,

transformed me just as it had my parents.

This knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He was crucified for the sins of the world is a spiritual gift.

This gift isn't tied to a particular priesthood office,

nor to a particular gender. Rather, it is available to all who qualify for it.

We’re not asked to bring the Savior gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to qualify for this beautiful spiritual gift.

We're asked to give ourselves.

The Book of Mormon prophet Amaleki pleaded with the people:

“And now I would that you should come unto to Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel,

and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption.

Yea, come on to him, and offer your whole souls as an offering to him; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.”

As I grew older, I saw my parents serve others.

I saw them keep covenants they've made with God.

I saw them diligently perform home and visiting, teaching,

striving to minister to those they served.

I saw them participate in temple ordinances and accept Church callings.

And each year on Christmas Eve,

my father testified with Simeon of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Over the years, my father extended his invitation to know it too to in-laws and grandchildren.

Decades after my boy had experience with the Book of Mormon,

I was called as a General Authority Seventy

and assigned to speak in general conference.

My sisters made sure that my 92-year-old father could watch the conference

and especially my talk. After general conference, I went to his home.

I asked, “Dad, did you watch conference?” He responded, “Ja.”

I asked, “Did you hear me speak?” He responded, “Ja.”

With some exasperation, I blurted out, “Well, Dad, what did you think?” He replied:

“Oh, it was all right. I was almost proud.”

After a long moment, he said, “Dale, I have something I need to tell you.”

I then realized that while I was fishing for a compliment,

my father was preoccupied with something far more important than giving me praise.

He continued: “Last night, I had a dream. I dreamed I died and I saw the Savior.

He took me in his arms and told me my sins were forgiven. And it felt so good.”

That was all my father said out loud, but the look on his face spoke volumes.

He knew Jesus Christ. He knew that the babe in Bethlehem who had increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man was His salvation that the Son of God had grown up and atoned for His sins.

And my father knew it long before this dream.

The dream was simply a tender mercy,

a gift from a loving Heavenly Father to an old man who died two months later.

Of all the Christmas gifts I ever received, I treasure most

the gift of testimony and faith exemplified by my father and mother.

This Christmas, ask your Heavenly Father for the spiritual gift of knowing of the living reality of the Savior of the world.

The Christmas season is a beautiful and natural time to study His life

and to strive to emulate His character and attributes.

As you do, you can know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that He atoned for your sins.

This knowledge is better and longer lasting than any gift that you tonton could ever bring you because it can transform you.

You will learn that the Savior loves to restore what you cannot restore,

heal wounds you cannot heal, fix what has been irreparably broken,

Compensate for any unfairness you’ve experienced,

and permanently mend even shattered hearts.

Just like my earthly father,

I know that I will not be able to hold. that little baby Jesus in my arms.

But I know just as well as Simeon knew that that baby was the Son of God,

my Savior and your Savior, my Redeemer and your Redeemer. He is real,

and He lives. And you can know it too. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We express appreciation to The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for the beautiful Christmas music that has filled our hearts.

We likewise give thanks to our speakers this evening and recognize the efforts of all others who have assisted in any way to make this devotional possible. As we enter this beautiful season, we pray that each of you will be blessed to experience the peace and hope we feel through the redeeming love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Choir will now favor us with “O Holy Night.”

Our concluding speaker this evening will be President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency.

Following his remarks, the choir will sing the beloved carol “Silent Night.”

The congregation is invited to join in the third verse as directed.

The benediction will then be offered by Elder Brook P. Hales of the Seventy.

MUSIC PLAYING: “O HOLY NIGHT”

My dear brothers and sisters,

I am grateful to be with you in this worldwide Christmas Devotional.

The sublime music and words have touched our hearts.

They brought the true spirit of Christmas,

the joy that comes in worshipping and loving the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are bound together in our love and devotion for Him.

That feeling of worship grows each time I read scriptures that help me know who He was and who He is.

From that reading and praying, I have come to know Jesus

as Jehovah, who under the direction of our Heavenly Father was the Creator of all things. Paul described it this way:

“God, who had sundry times in in diverse manners, speak in times past,

under the fathers, by the prophets,

half in these last days spoken to us by his son.

Whom he has appointed to air of all things. By whom also he made the worlds,

who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person

and upholding all things by the word of his power.

When he had by himself, purged our sins,

sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high being made

so much better than the angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For under which of the angels said he had any time now,

My son this day, have I begotten the and again I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me, a son.

And again, when he brings in the first begotten into the world, he sayeth,

And let all the angels of God worship him.”

At the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, angels did sing.

And as prophesied, a new star did appear to light the sky honoring the entrance of the Son of God into mortal life.

He towers above us. And yet the events surrounding His moral birth

draw from us a feeling of His being close to us.

He chose to come down from His throne at the right hand of the Father to take upon Him mortality.

He did it out of love for every son and daughter of His father,

who would be born into the world. He did it out of love for you and for me.

He could have been born in any situation.

Yet Jesus was born in humble circumstances in a tiny village.

Shepherds welcomed Him. A few wise men were later led by inspiration to worship Him. The political leader ordered that He be killed.

He had to be taken to a foreign country to preserve His life.

When an angel told His mortal parents He could return to His country,

they took Him to Nazareth. He spent nearly 30 years there,

growing up and working as a carpenter before His public ministry began.

You might wonder, as I do,

why it was necessary for the perfect Son of God to be sent on such a mission.

Remember how He described His humble acceptance of His call, open quote: “I came down from heaven not to do mine own will,

but the will of him that sent me.

And this is the father's will,

which has sent me that of all which she has given me, I should lose nothing

but should raise it up again at the last day.

And this is the will of him that sent me. That everyone will see if the Sun.

And believe it on him may have everlasting life.

And I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus showed His love and humility.

Despite His place of power and majesty with His Father,

Jesus chose for His earthly disciples common men, including fishermen,

a tax collector, and a zealot.

He preached and associated with lepers, the sick, the maimed, the despised.

He loved and accepted the lowliest among them,

despite His having come down from courts on high. He served them,

loved them, and lifted them up.

His remarkable, loving kindness and restraint increased even at the end of His earthly mission. He faced opposition

and hatred—He knew were part of the mission to which He was called and had accepted. He was to suffer for the sins and infirmities of all who come into mortal life.

You remember the words of Jacob as he taught of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Open quote. “How great the holiness of our God! For he know us all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.

And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea,

the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.

And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men,

that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.”

The baby in the manger in Bethlehem was the Son of God

sent by the father to become our Savior,

who was the Only Begotten Son of the Father in the flesh.

He is our Exemplar. To have the spirit of Christmas,

we must try to love as He loved. His words to you and to me are:

“Love one another, as I have loved you.”

You can feel the spirit of Christmas, as I have in those words.

I have felt the light and the optimism that comes from the influence of the Holy Ghost whenever I remember and ponder the example of the Savior of the world. For me, perhaps the sweetest remembrance has been that the Lord stands ready to help us whatever befalls us.

As Mormon taught open quote: “God,

knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting behold, he sent angels to minister under the children of men to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ;

and in Christ, there should come every good thing; and God also declared unto the prophets by his own mouth that Christ should come.

And behold, there were diverse ways that he did manifest things under the children of men, which were good.

And all things which are good, cometh of Christ.

Otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.

Wherefore, by the ministry of angels,

and by every word which preceded forth out of the mouth of God,

men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith

they did lay hold upon every good thing;

and thus it was until the coming of Christ. And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith,

they become the sons and daughters of God.

And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying:

Whatsoever thing you shall ask the Father in my name,

which is good, in faith, believing that ye shall receive,

behold, it shall be done unto you.”

At this season, many of you pray for the strength to endure trials that test you

to what may feel to you like your limit.

I testify that the Savior and the Father have heard your petitions asking for relief and for that which is good for you and for those you love and serve.

The answers will come as they did to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

You will recognize Joseph’s prayer for help as like your own,

and you will feel the love of the Lord for Joseph and for you.

In his comforting answer to Joseph’s cry, you remember, Joseph prayed: “O God,

where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

How long shall thy hand be stayed,

and thine eye, yea, thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and thy servants,

and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?

And the Lord replied, as He may to you and to me.

“Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high;

thou shall triumph over all thy foes.

Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts

and friendly hands.” Close quote.

I know for myself that the promises are sure for you,

for me, and for those we love. The Lord has felt our pains. He chose

out of love for us. He knows how to help us feel peace in adversity.

Even while the test continues,

He will send friends as angels to stand by you with warm hearts and friendly hands. Our own hearts would be changed for the better

as we endure personal trials through faith in Him.

And with that change, we will ourselves become

the friends the Lord can send as angels to others

as His witness. I testify that the baby born in Bethlehem is Jesus Christ, the Beloved Son of God.

I promise that as you ask Heavenly Father in faith and in the name of Jesus Christ,

the Spirit will bring feelings of peace to you and to your loved ones.

I express my love to you with my wish that you may have a joyous Christmas season

this year and always, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

MUSIC PLAYING: “SILENT NIGHT”

Our Father in Heaven, we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been here this evening,

wherever we are and to have been able to hear words of testimony about the Savior, Jesus Christ, and lovely music about His birth and His mission.

We pray, Heavenly Father, that we might know Him better and be more like Him.

We pray that we might be able to be buoyed up and lifted up in our individual trials and difficulties, that we might exercise faith in our Savior and trust Thee and Thy timing for us. We are indeed grateful for all Thou has given to us.

And pray now as we move forward into the Christmas season that we might have the Savior in our hearts and in our homes and that we might have the ability to help our fellow human beings to know Him better and to be more like Him. And we say this most gratefully in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

ORGAN PLAYING: “O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL”