Priceless Gifts

Gifts from the heart are far more valuable than anything you could ever buy. They often take more energy, thought, and sacrifice, so they mean more to both the giver and the receiver. Here are some ideas for priceless gifts you can give this Christmas.

Give the gift of yourself to your family and loved ones. Spend the day doing kind things for your parents and siblings. You could make breakfast, help wrap and deliver presents, or clean up after dinner.
Gather or decorate 24 ornaments for your Christmas tree and place them in a basket under the tree. Every day you give service to someone in the 24 days before Christmas, put an ornament on the tree.
Give your parents a break. Spend some time looking after your younger brothers and sisters during the Christmas holiday.
Volunteer at a local food bank or shelter, or help with some other worthy cause.
Visit someone who is sick or elderly. Ask him or her to tell you about a past Christmas.
Express your love and gratitude for the Savior in your prayers.
Christmas is a time for peace. Try to resolve differences with someone you don’t get along with very well.
You can also encourage peace by not quarreling with your siblings. Try to treat your family as well as you possibly can.
Write a letter to your parents thanking them for the things they have done for you.
Write letters to full-time missionaries from your ward to encourage them and to let them know you remember them in your prayers.
Make your brother’s or sister’s bed. Leave a note that says an “elf” did it.
Baby-sit for free for a family in your ward so the parents can enjoy an outing to a Christmas concert, go to the temple, or spend time together.
Read the Christmas story to a younger brother or sister, and teach them about the Savior (see Luke 2).
If you’ve saved some money by giving free gifts this Christmas, you can pay a generous fast offering next month.

Photography by Steve Bunderson