New Era

December 2001

Volume 31, Number 12

Contents

• The Message: A Gift Remembered
  President Thomas S. Monson
  With the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, we have a gift worth more than all the gold in the world.

• Christmas with Joseph Smith
  Caroline H. Benzley
  Christmas in Nauvoo didn’t sparkle with lights or gifts. It glowed with the knowledge of the restored gospel.

• Doorstep Nativity
  Brent Simkins
  Our family put a new twist on the 12 days of Christmas tradition.

• Jesus Is Our Savior
  Elder David B. Haight
  It is God’s design that Jesus Christ was chosen and ordained as the one and only Savior and Redeemer of the world.

• Idea List: Building a Testimony of Christ

• Q&A: Questions and Answers
  My younger brother tags along with me everywhere I go. I know we should get along, but he often says and does things that embarrass me when we’re together. How can we resolve this problem?

• New Era Poster: You Are Unique

• The Truth about Christmas
  Elder Rex D. Pinegar
  Where had the bicycle come from? The answer to that question made the gift more precious.

• 531 Pages til Christmas
  Vicki H. Budge
  Each year, I set a goal to read the Book of Mormon before Christmas.

• Windows on Eternity
  Jane H. Forsgren
  Tom Holdman, an artist from Alpine, Utah, creates windows of beauty for the houses of the Lord.

• Mary’s Part
  Shannon Edwards
  By playing her part, I understood for myself that Mary had been chosen to bring the Son of God into the world.

• Wrapped Up in Myself
  Todd F. Cope
  Self-pity seemed to be the only thing I was getting for Christmas until my companion taught me about thinking of others.

• The Extra Smile

• Of All Things

• New Era Classic: The Child, the Boy, the Man Few People Know
  Elder Bruce R. McConkie
  The scriptures do not tell us everything of Christ’s life, especially about the years He grew up, but we can come to understand that He experienced things like we do.

• Reader’s Guide

• New Era Index 2001

• Poem: Snow Fame
  Lisa Neal

• Photo of the Month
  Niel Hayes

Cover: Julie Paxman from the American Fork Utah Hillcrest Stake works on temple windows. See “Windows on Eternity,” on p. 26. Cover photography: Willie Holdman (front), Kelly A. Larsen (back).