I'm listening to Enya Christmas 2026 for the most relaxing Christmas Music:
We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
In that same spirit of testimony, I bear witness that in his youth, Joseph Smith saw what he said he saw and conversed with those with whom he said he spoke . . . Coming from a lifetime of reading, I bear witness that the Book of Mormon is the most rewarding book I have ever read and the keystone of my little dwelling in a kingdom of many mansions. I bear witness that priesthood and prayer are restoring my life -- Christ's priesthood and your prayers. I know all this to be true and bear witness of it in the name of the most loyal and humble of all God's son -- Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am, the crucified, the faithful witness -- even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
I came across this interesting short on Youtube today (@LakepointeChurch) that was discussing the subtle Christian elements incorporated into the popular Christmas Movie, Home Alone. It's been quite a few years since I've watched the movie, so I don't clearly remember how much I noticed the things mentioned in this short, or in the article that I believe the video references, but I do remember most of the things that were mentioned. It did make me feel good to realize that in 1990 when the movie was first released, John Hughes was able to incorporate so much of Christian symbolism into a popular film. I believe there is much faith and goodness in this world today. We just need to be watching and looking for it and sharing it with others! Now I need to find a time to rewatch Home Alone sometime this Christmas Season.
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second Repentance, third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.
Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son -- of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.
And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came . . .
And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth.
For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of the iniquity and their unbelief.
And it cam to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.
Now, let us speak of virtue. The Lord tells us to garnish our thoughts unceasinly with virtue. Imagine the boost you will receive to any positive thought when you enhance it with virtue. Virtue makes everything better and happier! On the other hand, imagine what will heppen when you add virtue to an impure thought, a cruel thought, or a depressing thought. Virtue will drive away those thoughts. Virtue will free you from anxious, troublesome thoughts.
We believe that through the Atonement of Chirst, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
I invite you to receive, either for the first time or to a greater extent than ever before, the magnificent realisation that you truly are God's beloved child. You must undo the bow, tear off the wrapping paper, open the bos, and actively receive with grateful humility a true, pure understanding of this foundational truth. The Holy Spirit can bear witness to your heart that you are indeed a child of the Most High. The Holy Spirit can bear witness to your heart that you are indeed a child of the Most High.
You are a beloved daughter of God, you are a cherished son of God, and He has gifted you His perfect, holy Son.
Most of my favorite Christmas Decorations are Nativities. This is the first nativity set that I ever purchased back when our family was small. It is small and simple and felt like a bit of a splurge at the time, but is a treasure to me. In the beginning there was much more moss on the stable. It has become even more humble over the years, and the donkey has lost a chip off of his ear.
The table runner above and the Nativity wall hanging below are two of the few projects that I have ever fully completed from a homemaking night with our church's Relief Society women's groups. I had earlier started a similar fabric nativity of my own design, but I never finished that one.
I fell in love with this little Nativity a few years ago, and purchased it for myself and one for my Mother-In-Law. After she passed a few years ago, I inherited hers. One sits on my desk at work and the other near my desk here at home. It's about nine inches long and 2 inches tall and fits perfectly in small spaces.
I cherish the ones that my daughters and others have purchased for me.
The last one was handmade from olive wood in the Holy Land.
My Mother in Law had a Fisher Price Natativity set much like this one when our children were small. Now that I am a Grandmother myself, I had to purchase one too. This one is out on the cedar chest in our living room (or our toy room as DGD2 calls the living room since when the grandkids come to visit I generally bring up an assortment of toys from the downstairs family room and storage room to keep the younger ones occupied while we are visiting upstairs.) The other nativities are kept high enough so little hands aren't tempted to play with those ones.
The wise men are still making their way to the stable through the "jungle" on the other side of the room. (Or is it a desert oaisis?
There are other nativities, mostly smaller, scattered here and there throughout the house this Christmas. The most recent is the grandest that we have, a gift from my DH, and has the place of honor on the livingroom Mantle. I know that other people may have larger and grander collections than I do, which is all perfectly fine. I am happy for them and I am happy for me. Hopefully all who believe have some sort of remembrance of our Savior during the Christmas season, even if it is only a simple card or illustration of the sacred holy night.
Every Christmas Eve we have the tradition of reading the Nativity Story from Luke and then singing carols together as a family. When our children were young we would act out the parts in costume. I loved coming across this excerpt from President Henry B Eyring's talk in the 2016 First Presidency Christmas Devotional on Youtube where he shares his family's Nativity experiences over the years.
One more wonderful message with another perspective on the Nativity by Elder Holland:
The dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God.
Reverence for the sacred fosters genuine gratitude, expands true happiness, leads our minds to revelation, and brings greater joy to our lives.
