“Chapter 24: The Spirit We Feel at Christmastime,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Thomas S. Monson (2020)
“Chapter 24,” Teachings: Thomas S. Monson
Chapter 24
The Spirit We Feel at Christmastime
“It is through giving, rather than getting, that the Spirit of Christ enters our lives.”
From the Life of Thomas S. Monson
A boyhood experience in a Christmas pageant made a cherished impression on President Monson. He later explained:
“At home in a hidden-away corner, I have a small black walking stick with an imitation silver handle. It once belonged to a distant relative. Why do I keep it for a period now spanning more than 70 years? There is a special reason.
“You see, as a very small boy I participated in a Christmas pageant in our ward. I was privileged to be one of the three Wise Men. With a bandana around my head, Mother’s piano bench cover draped over my shoulder, and the black cane in my hand, I spoke my assigned lines:
“‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him’ (Matthew 2:2).
“I don’t recall all of the words in that pageant, but I vividly remember the feelings of my heart as the three of us ‘Wise Men’ looked upward and saw the star, journeyed across the stage, found Mary with the young child Jesus, then fell down and worshipped him and opened our treasures and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
“I especially liked the fact that we did not return to the evil Herod to betray the baby Jesus, but obeyed God and departed another way.
“The years have flown by, the events of a busy life take their proper places in the hallowed halls of memory, but the Christmas cane continues to occupy its special place in my home; and in my heart is a commitment to Christ.”1
“Wise men journeyed … to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him’” (Matthew 2:2).
Teachings of Thomas S. Monson
1
Our Heavenly Father gave us the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
With the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, there emerged a great endowment, a power stronger than weapons, a wealth more lasting than the coins of Caesar. This child was to be the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Promised Messiah, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God.2
On the eve of His birth, the voice of the Lord came unto Nephi, saying, “Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets” [3 Nephi 1:13].
What did the holy prophets of old declare? Isaiah, more than 700 years before the birth of Christ, prophesied, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” [Isaiah 7:14].
On the American continent, King Benjamin said: “For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent … shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay. … He shall suffer temptations, and pain. … And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary” [Mosiah 3:5, 7–8].
Then came that night of nights when the shepherds were abiding in the fields and the angel of the Lord appeared to them, announcing: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. … For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” [Luke 2:10–11].
The shepherds with haste went to the manger to pay honor to Christ the Lord. Later, wise men journeyed from the East to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. … When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” [Matthew 2:2, 10–11].
Since that time, the spirit of giving gifts has been present in the mind of each Christian as he or she commemorates the Christmas season. Our Heavenly Father gave to us His Son, Jesus Christ. That precious Son gave to us His life, the Atonement, and victory over the grave.3
2
Jesus asks that we give of ourselves as a remembrance of all that He has given.
I wonder if each might profit today by asking himself, what gift would God have me give to Him or to others at this precious season of the year?
May I answer that question and in all solemnity declare to you that our Heavenly Father desires each one of his children to render unto him a gift of obedience so all will actually love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength. Then, I am sure, he will expect us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Were the Lord here today, I would not be surprised if he would instruct us to give generously of ourselves and not to be selfish, nor greedy, nor contentious, nor quarrelsome.4
Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, [Jesus Christ] came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He lived for us, and He died for us. What can we, in return, give to Him?
I love the words penned by the English poet Christina Rossetti:
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb.
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,
Yet what can I give Him?
Give my heart.
[In Jack M. Lyon and others, eds., Best-Loved Poems of the LDS People (1996), 166–67] …
May we give as the Savior gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift. We give as a remembrance of all the Savior has given. May we also give gifts that have eternal value, along with our gifts that eventually break or are forgotten. How much better the world would be if we all gave gifts of understanding and compassion, of service and friendship, of kindness and gentleness.5
“Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, [Jesus Christ] came forth from heaven. … He lived for us, and He died for us. What can we, in return, give to Him?”
He who gives money gives much, he who gives time gives more, but he who gives of himself gives all. Let this be a description of our Christmas gifts.6
What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps. It was said of Him that He “went about doing good” [Acts 10:38]. As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours.7
3
Giving, not getting, brings the Christmas spirit.
“What did you get for Christmas?” This is the universal question among children for days following that most celebrated holiday of the year. … If we change but one word in our Christmas question, the outcome is vastly different. “What did you give for Christmas?”8
The Christmases we remember best generally have little to do with worldly goods, but a lot to do with families, with love, and with compassion and caring.9
Our celebration of Christmas should be a reflection of the love and selflessness taught by the Savior. Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. We feel more kindly one to another. We reach out in love to help those less fortunate. Our hearts are softened. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than in things. To catch the real meaning of the spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ.10
A few years ago I received an anonymous letter from a kindhearted dentist who demonstrated brotherly love and goodwill. I’d like to share it with you:
“Dear President Monson:
“I feel remiss in that I should have sent you a thank-you note sooner. Last December I listened to your talk given during the Christmas devotional. You spoke of an older woman who could not afford to pay for the registration for an automobile she had recently purchased. Others came to her aid. All involved were touched.
“I am a dentist by profession. Not long after the devotional, my receptionist informed me that an acquaintance of hers was coming into my office. She had problems with two of her teeth. She knew this woman and told me of her circumstances. The woman carried many burdens. The family business, which she ran, was doing poorly, and the family was three months behind in paying rent. They had five children, many grown into adulthood, but all had moved back home because of difficult personal circumstances. By sheer force of will, she had kept her family together for some time. Now two teeth were broken.
“The woman arrived for her appointment and explained about her dental problem. She asked if I would allow her to pay her bill over time. She explained to me that her family had experienced several financial reversals and were just recently starting to pay some overdue bills.
“I assured her that her credit was good with me. She asked if I could repair just one of the two broken teeth at that time. I assured her that I could, and we began.
“Since I had the time, I repaired both teeth, for which she was grateful. When the work was completed, thinking of your talk, I told her that if she would not be offended, I should like to make a Christmas present of the dental work, for which there would be no bill. She was astonished. I could sense the depth of the stress and strain she had carried, as uncontrollable tears of gratitude gushed forth due to a small, simple act of kindness. It must have been years since someone showed her some little favor. Not able to speak, she made her way out.
“Both my assistant and receptionist were so moved by her reaction that they also [shed] tears and could hardly speak. I, on the other hand, was doubly glad. One part, in seeing such a simple act have such a happy effect on another. And the second part, for once in my life having a patient in my office crying for joy, and not for pain!
“To you, my very best wishes.
“Sincerely,
“A brother in the gospel.”11
Someone has appropriately said, “We make a living by what we get, but we build a life by what we give.” It is through giving, rather than getting, that the Spirit of Christ enters our lives.12
4
God-given gifts endure.
May we … direct our thoughts to God-given gifts that endure. From a long list I will cite just four:
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The gift of birth
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The gift of peace
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The gift of love
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The gift of life eternal
First, the gift of birth. It has been universally bestowed on each of us. Ours was the divine privilege to depart our heavenly home to tabernacle in the flesh and to demonstrate by our lives our worthiness and qualifications to one day return to Heavenly Father, to precious loved ones, and to a kingdom called celestial. Our mothers and our fathers bestowed this marvelous gift on us. Ours is the responsibility to show our gratitude by the actions of our lives. …
Second, the gift of peace. In the raucous world in which we live, the din of traffic, the blaring commercials of the media, and the sheer demands placed on our time—to say nothing of the problems of the world—cause headache, inflict pain, and sap our strength to cope. The burden of sickness or the grief of mourning a loved one departed brings us to our knees seeking heavenly help. With the ancients we may wonder, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” [Jeremiah 8:22]. …
He who was burdened with sorrow and acquainted with grief speaks to every troubled heart and bestows the gift of peace: “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” [John 14:27].
He sends forth His word through the missionaries serving far and wide proclaiming His gospel of good tidings and salutation of peace. … His gift is bestowed individually: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him” [Revelation 3:20].
The passport to peace is the practice of prayer. The feelings of the heart, humbly expressed rather than a mere recitation of words, provide the peace we seek. …
Third, the gift of love. “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” queried the lawyer who spoke to Jesus. Came the prompt reply:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
“This is the first and great commandment.
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” [Matthew 22:36–39].
On another occasion the Lord taught, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me” [John 14:21]. The scriptures are filled with the importance of love and its relevance in our lives. The Book of Mormon teaches that charity is the pure love of Christ [see Moroni 7:47]. The Master Himself provided an ideal pattern for us to follow. …
Fourth, the gift of life—even immortality. Our Heavenly Father’s plan contains the ultimate expressions of true love. All that we hold dear, even our families, our friends, our joy, our knowledge, our testimonies would vanish were it not for our Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Among the most cherished thoughts and writings in this world is the divine statement of truth: “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” [John 3:16]. …
May we give generously to Him, as He has so abundantly given to us, by living and loving as He and His Son have so patiently taught.13
5
We find the real joy of Christmas when we make the Savior the focus of the season.
[To] successfully undertake a personal search for Jesus, we must first prepare time for him in our lives and room for him in our hearts. 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. …
… Do we flush with embarrassment when we remember, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7.) No room. No room. No room. Ever has it been.
… The shepherds of old sought Jesus the child. But we seek Jesus the Christ, our Older Brother, our Mediator with the Father, our Redeemer, the Author of our salvation [see Hebrews 5:9]; he who was in the beginning with the Father; he who took upon himself the sins of the world and so willingly died that we might forever live. This is the Jesus whom we seek.14
“Overdoing it” is especially common at this time of the year. We may take on too much for the time and energy we have. Perhaps we don’t have enough money to spend for those things we feel we must purchase. Often our efforts at Christmastime result in feeling stressed out, wrung out, and worn out during a time when instead we should feel the simple joys of commemorating the birth of the Babe in Bethlehem.15
I am saddened to see Christmas becoming less and less about Christ and more and more about marketing and sales, parties and presents. And yet, Christmas is what we make of it. Despite all the distractions, we can see to it that Christ is at the center of our celebration. If we have not already done so, we can establish Christmas traditions for ourselves and for our families which will help us capture and keep the spirit of Christmas.16
We find [the] real joy [of Christmas] when we make the Savior the focus of the season. We can keep Him in our thoughts and in our lives as we go about the work He would have us perform here on earth. At this time, particularly, let us follow His example as we love and serve our fellowman. …
“We can establish Christmas traditions for ourselves and for our families which will help us capture and keep the spirit of Christmas.”
Let us make Christmas real. It isn’t just tinsel and ribbon, unless we have made it so in our lives. Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. … It is the time we realize most deeply that the more love is expended, the more there is of it for others. …
As the Christmas season envelops us with all its glory, may we, as did the Wise Men, seek a bright, particular star to guide us to our Christmas opportunity in service to our fellowman. May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking with us a tender, caring heart as our gift to the Savior.17
There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ. Let it be a time that lights the eyes of children and puts laughter on their lips. Let it be a time for lifting the lives of those who live in loneliness. Let it be a time for calling our families together, for feeling a closeness to those who are near to us and a closeness also to those who are absent.
Let it be a time of prayers for peace, for the preservation of free principles, and for the protection of those who are far from us. Let it be a time of forgetting self and finding time for others. Let it be a time for discarding the meaningless and for stressing the true values. Let it be a time of peace because we have found peace in His teachings.
Most of all, let it be a time to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the Wise Men.18
Suggestions for Study and Teaching
Questions
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President Monson described Heavenly Father’s gift of His Son as “a great endowment” (section 1). How can we show gratitude to Heavenly Father for the gift of His Son?
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President Monson taught that “to give of oneself is a holy gift” (section 2). Review the gifts that President Monson encouraged us to give of ourselves. When have you received the kinds of gifts he mentions? What gifts might God want you to give to Him or to others this Christmas?
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Review the letter sent to President Monson (see section 3). How might some generous act bring the spirit of Christmas to the giver and to the receiver? What “simple act[s] of kindness” have you seen in your own life? Ponder what specific gift of time, talent, or means you will give. For instance, it could be something as simple as being a good listener or showing compassion to someone in need.
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President Monson’s teachings about gifts that endure include the “gift of love” (section 4). How do you give the gift of love? How have you seen others give this gift? Why is it important to Heavenly Father that we love our neighbors?
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President Monson taught that we find the real joy of Christmas “when we make the Savior the focus of the season” (section 5). How do you ensure that you focus on the Savior during Christmas? President Monson also taught that “the more love is expended, the more there is of it for others” (section 5). How have you seen that loving others increases your capacity to love?
Related Scriptures
Matthew 1–2; Luke 2; John 1:1–14; Galatians 4:4–5; 1 Nephi 11:13–23; 2 Nephi 17:14–16; Alma 7:10–12; Doctrine and Covenants 76:40–43; Moses 6:57–62
Study Help
“When preparing to be taught, we prayerfully seek inspiration and confirmation from the Holy Ghost. We ponder, we pray, we apply gospel lessons, and we seek the Father’s will for us” (Thomas S. Monson, “Learn of Me,” Ensign or Liahona, Mar. 2016, 6).