Good Tidings of Great Joy!

Well, it's December 1st and therefore the official beginning of Christmas. Christmas is such a great time of the year...in fact, it's my favorite! I love the sights and sounds, the feelings, and the meaning. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born. Heavenly angels bore witness that He would truly be the one to save us; to redeem us from the world. This little baby that was born over 2000 years ago in the most humble of conditions means that we can live with our Father in Heaven again. In Luke 2:10, the Angel said to the shepherds, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." The Doctrine & Covenants gives us a little more insight into that historic phrase. In Section 76 verses 40-42, we read:

"And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice of the heavens bore record unto us—That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved..."

Isn't that amazing? The little baby that was born grew up to be the Savior of all the world. He felt every pain, every disappointment, every sin that each and every one of us has felt, feels now, and will feel in the future. He has made it possible for us to have eternal life with our loved ones in the presence of God. Concerning those that will become exalted, verse 69 of Section 76 says, "These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood." We don't have to do it alone; we can be made perfect through Jesus Christ, who has borne our sins through that perfect atonement. These inspired words from Prophets of God give me such great comfort, and especially in this Christmas season, I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. He suffered that we might not suffer. He died that we may have eternal life. I urge you all to remember this throughout the Christmas season. Act a little more Christlike toward your fellow men. Be generous. Help those that are less fortunate than you...there are a lot of them out there. Most of all, have a Merry Christmas!