“Nine Gifts You Can Give Yourself This Christmas,” New Era, Dec. 2019, 28–31.

Nine Gifts You Can Give Yourself This Christmas

By David Dickson

Church Magazines

Are you ready for the best Christmas ever?

This Christmas, it’s OK to include yourself on your Christmas gift list. Best of all, these gifts are loads better than anything you’ll find wrapped and topped with a bow.

1. The gift of a lighter heart

No, we’re not talking about a better sense of humor, although a “merry heart” is also worth pursuing (see Proverbs 17:22). Specifically, what we’re after here is letting go of some of the pain, frustration, and anger you might be carrying around.

For example, think of a time when somebody said or did something unkind to you. A few rare people have the ability to let such moments bounce off practically unnoticed. For the rest of us, that unkindness can sting, at least in the moment. But what many of us do next just magnifies the damage—we hold on to things. We replay those moments over and over, hurting ourselves a bit more each time we relive the offense.

The good news is that there’s an antidote. There’s a gift ready for you to receive, offered by the Savior: the gift to forgive others. President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “The Savior will grant you the ability to forgive anyone who has mistreated you in any way. Then their hurtful acts can no longer canker your soul.”¹

Give yourself a lighter heart by accepting His priceless gift this Christmas.

2. The gift of more time

Ever wish you could stop time just to squeeze an extra couple of hours out of a day? Hey, it worked for Joshua when he asked the sun and moon to stand still, right (see Joshua 10)? Why not you, too?

Well, Joshua’s miracle notwithstanding, the stopping-time thing doesn’t seem to be readily available to the masses quite yet. Until then, we all have the same 24 hours to work with. But you can likely still carve out some extra time.

It’s all about simplification.

President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has taught: “Don’t overschedule yourselves. … We live in a world that is filled with options. If we are not careful, we will find every minute jammed with social events, classes, exercise time, book clubs, scrapbooking, Church callings, music, sports, the Internet, and our favorite TV shows.”²

This Christmas, see what extras you can trim from your life (not merely in the month of December, either). This will free up more time to enjoy the things that matter most with the people who matter most.

3. The gift of uplifting music

Uplifting music has the power to change our mood from awful to awesome almost instantaneously. This is perhaps especially true of Christmas music. If you need a little help creating a solid Christmas playlist, here are a couple ideas to get you started:

Visit youth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and click on “Music” for free downloads. You’ll find Christmas songs and other songs to bring a smile to your face.
Go to broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and click on Christmas Devotionals. You know all those amazing devotional songs sung each year by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square? In addition to the talks, you can download every song from the past several years for free, including the congregational songs.
Head to music.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and search for “Christmas” to find over 200 Christmas songs (complete with sheet music). Or go to the Sacred Music mobile app and look up the topic “Christmas.” Because you can provide that uplifting music for others, too!

4. The gift of spiritual protection

Nephi explained some of the benefits of scripture study: “Whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they [will] never perish; neither [can] the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction” (1 Nephi 15:24).

Those fiery darts come in many forms, from temptations and discouragement to sudden rushes of anger. Studying your scriptures can help protect you from all of them.

5. The gift of good food

On this point, many people actually do a fair job of enjoying their favorite foods at this time of year. But here are a few suggestions to gain a little more mileage out of holiday treat traditions:

Learn favorite recipes from living relatives and ancestors; then make them as a way to connect with your family history.
Give away treats or snacks, along with the recipe, so that your friends and family can make them again someday if they’d like.
Ask if you can help out by cooking some of the family meals for the month.
Invite a different friend or family member into your home for a meal. They’ll enjoy the time spent together as much as the food.
Collect or make nonperishable goodies and send them to missionaries from your ward, branch, or stake.

6. The gift of service

When we serve others, we end up feeling happier along with whomever we’re helping. It’s a serious win-win. King Benjamin put it this way: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. … He doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you” (Mosiah 2:17, 24).

Whenever we follow one of God’s commandments—such as the commandment to love and serve one another—He blesses us.

7. The gift of being a better friend to yourself

If you’re like many people, you are your own worst critic. But guess what? That’s not how God wants you to treat yourself.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, once provided great insight on how to improve this key relationship: “Some people can’t get along with themselves. They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential.”³

This Christmas season, go ahead and start treating yourself with more kindness and compassion—the way you’d treat a good friend.

8. The gift of calm and connection

Here’s a gift that pulls double duty: (1) more peace for you, and (2) lower financial cost to your family.

Try turning off all devices after dinner, even killing the lights if you’re feeling adventurous. We’re talking no television, phone, stereo, computer, gaming, or anything else electronic. Spend some unstructured, distraction-free time with your family or friends several days a week. Doing so will almost certainly strengthen those valuable relationships.

Plus, if you’ve never played a board game or read a book out loud by candlelight, you’re in for a real treat.

9. The gift of more meaningful prayers

You already know the many benefits that can come with developing a closer relationship with your Heavenly Father. Here are a few ideas on how to make those prayers a little deeper.

Try saying a few prayers consisting of nothing but gratitude.
Pray for each member of your family by name. Think of specific problems in their lives that you can ask God to help them with.
Practice inserting stretches of quiet waiting during and after your prayers. Remember, prayer should be two-way communication.
Take notes during the day about people and situations you want to pray for as you encounter them.
Decide that you will act on impressions that come when you pray.

Giving yourself gifts like these is simply choosing to live more fully the way that God has asked you to live—and enjoying the blessings that come from doing so.

So go ahead. Give yourself the best Christmas gifts ever!