Merry Christmas, Everyone! 

In the Wexford Carol this wonderful choir sang the invitation,

“Good people all, this Christmas time
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending His beloved son.”

It is good for us to worship through prayer, music, and the reading of scripture, all to “consider well and bear in mind” the great gift from our loving God of a baby who was given, who grew to become our Savior and the Light of the World, even Jesus Christ.  Thank you--all you good people who come seeking Jesus--for being a part of this.  I pray the Spirit will consecrate all our efforts together—those who are here or are those who are connecting afar—as I add further my testimony and invitation to those which have already been given.

Jesus, our beloved King, loves the children.  I wish to share a true short story with you children now as a Christmas gift to you.

An older man got onto a train and sat down next to a younger man who looked so sad.  The younger man shared with him that he had grown up on a little farm far from the city.  But, the younger man  that he had been living in jail far away from his house for some poor choices he had made.  He had just been released from jail and was wanting to go home.  The young man was worried that his family would not want him to come home because they were embarrassed by his poor choices.  His family had not visited him while he was in jail and they had not written him lots of letters.  The young man hoped that this was because they did not have enough money to visit him and because they did not know how to write him letters.  He hoped very much that his family had forgiven him.

The young man wasn’t sure if it would be too hard for his family if he came home.  He wanted some way to help him decide if he should try to find someplace else to live now that he was out of jail.

To make it easier for his family, the young man had sent a letter to his family with some instructions for them.

He essentially wrote, “If you have forgiven me, please put up a white ribbon in the big apple tree which stands by the railroad tracks.”

“But, if you don’t want me to return home, don’t put a white ribbon in the big apple tree.”  The young man had written that if he didn’t see the white ribbon in the tree, he would remain on the train as it traveled west and he would find a new home.

Now after the long train trip, and the two men came closer to the young man’s home town on their journey, that young man was so nervous that he couldn’t stand to look out of the window. He shared with his new older friend, “in just five minutes the train engineer will sound the whistle, which means we will almost be to the valley where my home is. Will you watch for the apple tree at the side of the track?”

The older man said he would and changed places with the younger man on the seat.  The minutes seemed like hours, but then there came the shrill sound of the train whistle. “Tooooot!” 

The young man asked, “Can you see the tree? Is there a white ribbon?”

The older man replied, “I see the tree. I see not one white ribbon, but many. There must be a white ribbon on every branch. Son, someone surely does love you.”

At that moment, the young man felt the power of the pure love of Christ in the form of forgiveness.

Later the older man shared, “I felt as if I had witnessed a miracle.” (1)

And indeed, he had! 

My friends young and old, what is the message that missionaries share regarding the gift of God at the center of the Plan of Happiness? 

Our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson said it this way:  “God so loved the world that He sent His Only Begotten Son to help us. And His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. All so that we could have access to godly power—power sufficient to deal with the burdens, obstacles, and temptations of our day.”  (2)

Many of you continue to share with others this great gift now in your lives, this godly power which comes from Christ. 

Let also not forget the great future gifts from Christ of which the scriptures repeatedly testify.  Namely, that the gift of all of our resurrections and the opportunity for eternal life is only possible through the merits, mercy, and grace of the Savior Jesus Christ.  (3)

Praise be to God for these great gifts of the Holy Son, even Jesus Christ, available to all of us!

In the spirit of gift-giving at this special season, and receiving from God the gift of Jesus, what would be one of the greatest gifts you and I could give back to Jesus?

Former President of the Church, Gordon B. Hinkley said that forgiveness “may be the greatest virtue on earth, and certainly the most needed.” (4)

Will you join with me in giving to God our gift of helping to put white ribbons on the branches of the big apple tree for the people in your lives, forgiving them in a manner as the Savior did?

For as he hung on the cross in agony, Jesus prayed facing in a sense all of us, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

And in our forgiving, may we forgive the one who is at times the most difficult to forgive?  Let’s forgive ourselves! 

“We all make mistakes.  Instead of saying to ourselves, “I knew I wasn’t good enough, and now this proves I don’t measure up.” Deborah Farmer Kris has suggested practicing self-compassion, part of an implicit and explicit self-narrative that acknowledges we all make mistakes; we all have rough days.

“When you find that your inner critical voice is louder than your compassionate voice, imagine what you might say to a close friend in a similar situation. You would sit with them in empathy. You would offer words of hope. You would point out their strengths and remind them that they are loved…

“Can you become that friend to yourself? When Christ asks us to act with compassion unto “the least of these,” that includes you and how you treat yourself.” (5)

This is not easy.  Elder Neil L. Andersen has said

“Forgiveness is not excusing accountability or failing to protect ourselves, our families, and other innocent victims. Forgiveness is not continuing in a relationship with someone who is not trustworthy. Forgiveness is not condoning injustice. Forgiveness is not dismissing the hurt . . . we feel because of the actions of others. Forgiveness is not forgetting but remembering in peace.”  (6)

The Old and New Testaments testify of the power of Jesus Christ to receive this peace and provide further light in our lives.  In The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ, we read of the fulfillment of a remarkable prophecy given by Samuel the prophet, a sign at the time of Christ’s coming to the earth as a baby for the people in the Americas  “…for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness…and they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear…and…there was no darkness in all that night, but it was a light as though it was mid-day.”  (3 Nephi 1:15, 17, 18).

Christ truly is the Light of World and chases out all darkness in our lives.

May we cause a change within our families, and then, as a result, a change in the world, by vowing to keep faith with one another, strengthen one another, look for and accentuate the virtues in one another, and speak graciously concerning one another.  May we offer Christ this Christmas the gift of forgiveness to one another in memory of the Gift that the Lord Jesus is to all of us!

I testify that He lives, that He loves you, and that He wants to bless you as abundantly as you willing let Him in!  I have received my own witness that Joseph Smith indeed saw Him standing on the right hand of God the Father, who also loves us dearly.  I know firsthand that prayerfully studying the Book of Mormon will help you feel Their love enough to forgive others!  I am a living witness from God to share with you that we are led today by Christ’s living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. 

May you feel Christ’s pure love so abundantly this glorious season, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

References:

(1)  From Thomas S. Monson, With Hand and Heart, Ensign, December 1971.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1971/12/with-hand-and-heart?lang=eng

(2)  See https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/drawing-the-power-of-jesus-christ-into-our-lives?lang=eng

(3)  See President Russell M. Nelson’s Talk https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/51nelson?lang=eng

(4)  See https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2005/10/forgiveness?lang=eng

(5)  See Steven M. Sandberg, “The Light of Forgiving,” BYU Speeches, March 10, 2020 https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/steven-m-sandberg/light-forgiving/

(6)  Deborah Farmer Kris, “‘What Was Your Oops Today?’: How to Help Kids Practice Self-Compassion, Even on Tough Days,” On Parenting, Washington Post, 25 February 2020, washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/02/25/what-was-your-oops-today-how-help-kids-practice-self-compassion-even-tough-days.

(7)  See Elder Neil L. Andersen, Divine Gift of Forgiveness, 225; see also Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Reconciliation,” Ensign, November 2018.