A little over two thousand years ago an angel appeared to shepherds watching over their flocks. His message changed the world.
READ John 2:10-11
VIEW A Silent Night Surprise in Times Square | #LightTheWorld --less than 3 min
Jesus Christ condescended to be born on earth.
-What do we know about Jesus Christ before He was born?
Read these scriptures from our four standard works:
READ John 17:5
READ Mosiah 7:27
READ D&C 76:12
READ Moses 4:2
-What more do we know about the Savior’s mission here on earth?
Elder James E Talmage, in his book Jesus The Christ, wrote:
In that august council of the angels and the Gods, the Being who later was born in flesh as Mary’s Son, Jesus, took prominent part, and there was He ordained of the Father to be the Savior of mankind. As to time, the term being used in the sense of all duration past, this is our earliest record of the Firstborn among the sons of God; to us who read, it marks the beginning of the written history of Jesus the Christ.”
John 2:10-11 Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Mosiah 7:27 And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—
D&C 76:12 By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God—
13 Even those things which were from the beginning before the world was, which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning;
14 Of whom we bear record; and the record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision.
Moses 4:2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.
52 NT SS Lesson: December 18–24. Christmas: “Good Tidings of Great Joy”
Approximately 600 years before the birth of Christ an angel visits Nephi. He is shown a vision of the tree of life and also of the mother of the Son of God. The asks Nephi a question and he responds:
READ 1 Nephi 11:16
-What is the condescension of God?
John the Baptist, whose ministry immediately preceded that of the Christ, proclaimed the coming of One mightier than himself, One who should baptize with the Holy Ghost, and specifically identified Jesus of Nazareth as that One, the Son of God, the Lamb who should assume the burden of the world’s sins. (Talmage)
VIEW John 3 | A Gift to the World | The Bible about 9 min
This gift to the world was promised from the beginning and lifted the spirits of believers who heard and believed. From the earliest of days upon the earth Adam and Eve were promised that a Savior would be sent who would hold the keys to their salvation.
READ Moses 5:58
Talmage wrote: “The gospel of Jesus Christ was revealed to Adam. Faith in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son the Savior of Adam and all his posterity, repentance of sin, water baptism by immersion, and the reception of the Holy Ghost as a divine bestowal were proclaimed in the beginning of human history as the essentials to salvation.”
Jesus Christ fulfilled His mission, in the meridian of time which made it possible for us to inherit eternal life.
READ Luke 4:16-21
1 Nephi 11:16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
Moses 5:58 “And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost”).
Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
-What have you learned about the Savior from our studies this year?
-What do we learn about His mission from some of the titles He is given in the scriptures?
REVIEW Names of Christ in the …Additional Resources
-What do we know about the future activities of the Savior?
To the Church of Jesus Christ, restored and re established in these the last days, the word of the Lord has come repeatedly, declaring the actuality of His second advent and the nearness of that glorious yet dreadful event. Shortly after the Church was organized, the voice of Jesus Christ was heard:
READ D&C 34:4-8
-Why are we blessed? 4-5
-As a result what are we called to do? 5-6
-For what purpose? 7-8
Our calling is to assist the Lord in the redemption of His people.
A Christmas Carol, a story cited by Elder Gong in this year’s First Presidency ‘Light the Word” broadcast has been said by some to be a Christian allegory of redemption.
READ A Christmas Carol…in Add’l Resources
VIEW A Dicken's Christmas with the choir at Tabernacle Sq. …about 18 min.
READ Elder Gong’s request. ….opposite
D&C 34:4 And blessed are you because you have believed;
5 And more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel—
6 To lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, and cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation, preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming.
7 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory.
8 And it shall be a great day at the time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble.
He is the Gift | #LightTheWorld less than 3 min
Elder Gong: The Savior came to liberate the captives. “He can free us from the ghosts of our pasts. He can unshackle us from the regrets of our and others’ sins. Jesus Christ can redeem us from our self-centered selves through rebirth in Him. ‘For unto you is born this day … a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:11).” (Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
We could learn about the Savior’s mission by reading:
READ “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles”...in Add’l Res
The document is a one-page declaration that was issued on January 1, 2000 and was signed by the fifteen apostles in the LDS Church: the three members of the First Presidency and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The declaration commemorates the birth of Jesus and is a reaffirmation of church doctrines and teachings about him. The text includes quotations of significant scriptural passages from the Bible and other LDS Church scriptures and identifies Jesus as the Jehovah of the Old Testament and Messiah of the New Testament
Other notable testimonies include brief quotes from::
READ M. Russell Ballard
READ Bruce R. McConkie
And my favorite, the testimony of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon found in:
READ D&C 76:22-24
While these are inspiring it is our own testimonies that we need to be forming, strengthening and perfecting. We should:
-Take time to reflect on our testimony of Jesus Christ and His mission.
-.How has studying the New Testament this year contributed to a stronger testimony and a more meaningful Christmas season?
VIEW: He is the Gift | #LightTheWorld less than 3 min
M. Russell Ballard In “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” we read: “[Jesus] will someday return to earth. … He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.” As one of the Apostles who signed “The Living Christ” document, I can say that knowing that Jesus “is the light, the life, and the hope of the world” gives me a greater desire to love Him more every day. Febr. 22, 2022
Bruce R. McConkie: "And now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. May 26, 2017
D&C 76:22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.
LAST WORD: While there is much to learn and appreciate from the testimonies of others, the testimony that will have the greatest effect on our lives is our own. Our testimony, which needs to be a dynamic, ever growing, living force in our lives, requires that we be more than hearers of the word, we need to be doers, for in doing we learn the truth of that which we follow. As our testimonies grow so will our ability to be tools in the Lord’s work, the gospel will spread, the Church will grow.
There are some who worry that the Church will suffer the same fate that some very large organization have faced. That great size will reduce the flexibility and spontaneity of the Church necessary to deal with and assist people in their specific problems. They are worried that a great bureaucracy will ensue. The Lord has considered this in His plan for us.
Elder Boyd K. Packer, in his conference talk in April 1999, speaking on how the Church can maintain a personal touch, a one-by-one ministry with continued Church growth and expansion, said this: “Actually the Church is no bigger than a ward. Each bishop has counselors. He wears a special mantle and is designated as the presiding high priest in the ward. There are other high priests, and there is a presidency of elders. There are auxiliary leaders and teachers sufficient for the need. When we serve obediently, ever willingly, our pay, like the bishop’s, comes in blessings.
“No matter if the Church grows to be a hundred million (as it surely will!), it will still be no bigger than a ward. Everything needed for our redemption, save for the temple, is centered there—and temples now come ever closer to all of us.”
The great strength of a world religion lies in the individual testimonies of its members. “Herein lies the great strength of this kingdom,” President Hinckley said. “It is the conviction, solid and real and personal, that is found in the hearts of millions of Latter-day Saints who live in many lands and who speak a variety of tongues. Each is a part of a great society of believers.”
The testimony of Jesus, that which undergirds this latter-day work, is in fact the spirit of prophecy (see Revelation 19:10). Joseph Fielding McConkie wrote: “Our faith and our doctrine is that every member of the Church has both the ability and responsibility to be a prophet. To join the Church is but to enroll in the school of the prophets. . . . Our doctrine is not simply that if we live righteously we can receive revelation; rather it is that if we live right there is no power that can prevent our receiving it.”
Over 2000 years ago we observe this same principle in action when an angel and heavenly hosts appeared to shepherds as they tended their flocks and delivered to them a message of “Good tidings of great joy.” Then the angel told the shepherds how they could observe this grand event in person, seeing this great miracle for themselves, and, giving them directions, bade them to go and find the Christ child in the manger.
We too must find Jesus Christ and center our lives on Him who will give us Eternal Life. This is the season and the time to recenter our lives and pursue a more holy path.
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. May you enjoy His blessings in the weeks and months to come. Greg
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Names of Christ in the Bible Dictionary (a partial listing)
Names, titles, and concepts of Jesus in the Gospels and Acts: The son of David, the son of Abraham; son of David; the son of Mary, Joseph’s son; the carpenter’s son, Matt.; the carpenter; Jesus of Galilee; Jesus of Nazareth; a Nazarene; the Son of man; the beloved Son of God; the Son of the living God; Son of the most high God; the Son of the Blessed; Son of the Highest; God’s holy child Jesus; only begotten of the Father; one with the Father; the Lord’s Christ; the Christ of God; the chosen of God; the Messias; God’s anointed; the Lamb of God; a teacher come from God; he that cometh in the name of the Lord; the King that cometh in the name of the Lord; meek and lowly; the prophet of Nazareth; a prophet; the prophet; King of the Jews; Governor that shall rule Israel; King of Israel; King of Sion; Emmanuel; the consolation of Israel; Savior of Israel; Savior; the Savior of the world; the Lord; the Lord Jesus; Lord of all; Lord of the sabbath; Rabbi; Rabboni; the Word; the Light; the bread of life; the living bread; the light of the world; the door of the sheep; the good shepherd; the resurrection and the life; the way, the truth, and the life; the true vine; the vine; the Holy One and the Just; the Just One; the Prince of Life; a prince; Judge of quick and dead; a righteous man (by the centurion); that deceiver (by the Jews); a sinner (by the Jews); a Samaritan (by the Jews),
Names, titles, and concepts of Christ in the Epistles: A propitiation through faith; the end of the law for righteousness; the deliverer; Lord both of dead and living; a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God; the power of God and the wisdom of God; wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption unto us; he sanctifieth the people by his blood; our passover; by whom are all things, and we by him; by whom God made the worlds; the spiritual rock; the head of every man; captain of man’s salvation; propitiation for the sins of the whole world; one body; the firstfruits of them that slept; the forerunner; the Lord from heaven; not yea and nay, but in him was yea; the image of God; the express image of God’s person; the only wise God our Savior; who knew no sin; separate from sinners; did no sin; blessed for evermore; consecrated for evermore; who gave himself for our sins; suffered for us; bare our sins in his own body; the seed of Abraham; of the seed of David; made of a woman, made under the law; our peace; the chief cornerstone; a living stone, disallowed of men, but chosen of God and precious; an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor; foundation of the Church; the head of the Church; the Savior of the body; the Savior; our Savior; Savior of the world; the hope of glory; who sitteth on the right hand of God;.....
Names, titles, and concepts of Christ in the book of Revelation: The faithful witness; the first begotten of the dead; he that liveth and was dead; the prince of the kings of the earth; Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending; which is, and which was, and which is to come; the Almighty; the first and the last; he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David; the Amen; the beginning of the creation of God; that liveth for ever and ever; the Lion of the tribe of Judah; the root of David; root and offspring of David; the Lamb; King of kings, and Lord of lords; faithful and true; the word of God; the bright and morning star.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: The book is divided into five chapters.
Chapter 1: A Christmas Carol opens on a bleak, cold Christmas Eve in London, seven years after the death of Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge, an ageing miser, dislikes Christmas and refuses a dinner invitation from his nephew Fred. He turns away two men seeking a donation to provide food and heating for the poor and only grudgingly allows his overworked, underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit, Christmas Day off with pay to conform to the social custom.
That night Scrooge is visited at home by Marley's ghost, who wanders the Earth entwined by heavy chains and money boxes forged during a lifetime of greed and selfishness. Marley tells Scrooge that he has a single chance to avoid the same fate: he will be visited by three spirits and must listen or be cursed to carry much heavier chains of his own.
Chapter 2: The first spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge to Christmas scenes of Scrooge's boyhood, reminding him of a time when he was more innocent. The scenes reveal Scrooge's lonely childhood at boarding school, his relationship with his beloved sister Fan, who died young while giving birth to Fred, and a Christmas party hosted by his first employer, Mr Fezziwig, who treated him like a son. Scrooge's neglected fiancée Belle is shown ending their relationship, as she realises that he will never love her as much as he loves money. Finally, they visit a now-married Belle with her large, happy family on the Christmas Eve that Marley died. Scrooge, upset by hearing Belle's description of the man that he has become, demands that the ghost remove him from the house.
Chapter 3: The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge to a joyous market with people buying the makings of Christmas dinner and to celebrations of Christmas in a miner's cottage and in a lighthouse. Scrooge and the ghost also visit Fred's Christmas party. A major part of this stave is taken up with Bob Cratchit's family feast and introduces his youngest son, Tiny Tim, a happy boy who is seriously ill. The spirit informs Scrooge that Tiny Tim will die unless the course of events changes. Before disappearing, the spirit shows Scrooge two hideous, emaciated children named Ignorance and Want. He tells Scrooge to beware the former above all and mocks Scrooge's concern for their welfare.
Chapter 4: The third spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, shows Scrooge a Christmas Day in the future. The silent ghost reveals scenes involving the death of a disliked man whose funeral is attended by local businessmen only on condition that lunch is provided. His charwoman, laundress and the local undertaker steal his possessions to sell to a fence. When he asks the spirit to show a single person who feels emotion over his death, he is only given the pleasure of a poor couple who rejoice that his death gives them more time to put their finances in order.
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When Scrooge asks to see tenderness connected with any death, the ghost shows him Bob Cratchit and his family mourning the death of Tiny Tim. The ghost then allows Scrooge to see a neglected grave, with a tombstone bearing Scrooge's name. Sobbing, Scrooge pledges to change his ways.
CHAPTER 5
Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning a changed man. He makes a large donation to the charity he rejected the previous day, anonymously sends a large turkey to the Cratchit home for Christmas dinner and spends the afternoon at Fred's Christmas party. The following day he gives Cratchit an increase in pay, and begins to become a father figure to Tiny Tim. From then on Scrooge treats everyone with kindness, generosity and compassion, embodying the spirit of Christmas.
(Wikipedia, A Christmas Carol)
To view the first film production (about 5 min), made in England,
VIEW 1901 Movie about 5 min
Elder Gong explained that the book was written at a time in Victorian England when people were reconsidering the meaning of Christmas. “At a time when many felt unsettled, isolated and lonely, Dickens’ ‘Christmas Carol’ addressed a deep yearning for friendship, love and anchoring Christian values, just as Ebenezer Scrooge found peace and healing to his past, present and future.”
Then as now, the true meaning of Christmas draws individuals closer to Jesus Christ, born as a babe in a manger. “Jesus Christ knows according to the flesh how to succor us with bowels filled with mercy. Then as now, Christmas celebrates covenant belonging, communion and community in Jesus Christ and each other,” Elder Gong said.
Unfortunately, many think of the grumpy old miser instead of the generous new Scrooge when they think of the character. “Are there those around us, perhaps we ourselves, who could be a different person if only we would stop typecasting or stereotyping them as their old self?” Elder Gong asked.
This Christmas, perhaps all can receive — and offer — Jesus Christ’s precious gifts of change and repentance, of forgiving and forgetting, to each other and themselves, Elder Gong said. “Let’s give the new Scrooge in each of us a chance to change.”
The Savior came to liberate the captives. “He can free us from the ghosts of our pasts. He can unshackle us from the regrets of our and others’ sins. Jesus Christ can redeem us from our self-centered selves through rebirth in Him. ‘For unto you is born this day … a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:11).” (Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (telling of his family’s reading of the story) uses a top hat and scarf during his message
as he spoke during the
First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional
THE LIVING CHRIST
THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2000
As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.
He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.
He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.
We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.
He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).
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Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:
“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3–4).
Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).
We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—“built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).
We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.
We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.