With His birth He brought us joy;
Through His words He gave us peace;
With His life, He showed us love;
Through His suffering He paid the price;
With His resurrection He gave us hope;
Through our obedience, we will earn eternal life.
'For unto us a child is born, unto us, a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace' 1. This prophecy of the prophet Isaiah and other prophets of old was fulfilled with the birth of the son of God in a little town called Bethlehem. What a great joy this is, for all of us. Finally, the hope and assurance of eternal life and exaltation is here for us. This is the most important message that needs to be shared. This is the Light, the world is waiting for…
'Our Heavenly Father did not abandon us to darkness but promised us light for our journey
through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.' 2 The world needs our Light. It needs to see clearly the message God has for them. Light dispels darkness, Light brightens, Light helps us to see clearly, Light enlightens our minds. Light gives us confidence, and Light is knowledge…..
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this season, may we take a moment to reflect on the significance of his birth and its effect on all of us. Consider with me some of the things that the Saviour did for all of us.
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His mortal mission and Atonement: He came into this world to fulfil the promise made by our Heavenly Father in which he took upon himself a body of flesh and bones to experience mortality. He submitted his will to his Father's will. He completely surrendered and said, 'Father Let Thy will be done' 3. In this act, he taught us selflessness and our dependence upon God for all our needs and comfort. He put his Father's business first before anything that was important. His culminating mission was to pay the price for the sins of all mankind. He did it perfectly even when, at the last minute, Heavenly Father withdrew his spirit to make it a perfect atonement. Because of this, we all can receive forgiveness for our sins and hope of eternal life and exaltation.
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His resurrection: As prophesied and promised, he rose on the third day. His resurrection was really significant as that event brought to pass our own resurrection. This is a glorious message for mankind, 'He is not here, but is risen.' 4 The Saviour victoriously overcame death and passed on that free gift to all of us. We can now hope to see all of our ancestors, our loved ones who passed on before us. There will be a glorious reunion of the human family. This Joy and this knowledge is hope for this world.
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His appearance to the people in the American Continent: Following his resurrection, he appeared to the people in the American continent. Many prophets foretold his appearance in the book of Mormon. He was introduced by Heavenly Father when he said, 'Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name – hear ye him.' 5. He showed himself to them and invited each one of them to feel the marks of his wounds. He blessed their sick and afflicted. He called twelve apostles and established his church. He instituted sacrament and invited all to stop contention and become one in HIM. His message to them and us is to come unto him, become like him, and forsake all evil.
As we celebrate his life during this Christmas time, may I suggest three ways to Light the world and share the knowledge.
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Be bold to share your belief: Everyone is entitled to their agency; they can believe what they want and worship how they want 6. This fundamental principle is very important in terms of religious freedom. We have a glorious message to share with the world. This message is really important for all to know, and we need to be bold in sharing our beliefs. I do not suggest that we go out on the streets, wield a microphone in every corner and shout about this message. What I am inviting you to do is to become a living example of the Saviour's life. You need to live a life that the Saviour taught you and, by doing so, create an opportunity for others to look at the Light in you and ask, 'what is that Light?' At this point, we need to be bold yet humble in declaring the goodness of the Gospel and invite others to 'Come unto HIM.'
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Believe that God is in charge of HIS work: Elder Uchtdorf said: 'Many of you know how it feels to defend an unpopular truth.' He also said, 'I don't know if it was easy for Daniel to be a believer in such an environment. Some people are blessed with a believing heart—for them, faith seems to come as a gift from heaven. But I imagine that Daniel was like many of us who have to work for our testimonies. I am confident that Daniel spent many hours on his knees praying, laying his questions and fears on the altar of faith, and waiting upon the Lord for understanding and wisdom. And the Lord did bless Daniel. Though his faith was challenged and ridiculed, he stayed true to what he knew by his own experience to be right. Daniel believed. Daniel did not doubt.' 7 If you believe that this is HIS work and move forward with faith, the Lord will bless you with opportunities to share the Light within you. You will be an instrument in his hands to bring people to Light and knowledge.
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Become his Ambassador: Taking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ upon us through baptismal covenant entitles us to be his ambassador. We carry the banner of rebirth and newness of life with a smiling face to declare that Jesus is the Christ. As the beautiful hymn teaches us, 'Because I have been given much, I too must give.' 8 The Lord has blessed us with his Gospel and the joy to know his plan for all mankind. There are people out there who are eagerly searching for the truth. They know not where to find it.9 We have the opportunity and the blessing to seek out those people and invite them to come and see, come and serve, and come and stay. Your joy will be great even if one soul comes unto Christ.
In conclusion, I want to testify to you that we are the children of our Heavenly Father, and he loves us and wants us to return back to live with him with our families. The Gospel is true; we have a living prophet; this is the Lord's church upon this earth. Jesus is the Christ. I know he lives and guides this church. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Notes
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Isaiah 9:6
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Elder Timothy J. Dyches, 'Light Cleaveth Unto Light' April 2021 General conference
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Mathew 26:42
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Luke 24:6
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3 Nephi 11:7
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Articles of faith 11
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Elder Dieter. F. Uchtdorf, 'Be Not Afraid, Only Believe' October 2015 General Conference
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The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Hymns, p.219
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Doctrine and Covenants 123:12