President Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared a video to social media Sunday, Dec. 22, of him playing the well-known hymn “Silent Night” on the piano and wishing the world a merry Christmas.
“Whether your voice is young or old, we can all join the angels who sang rejoicing on that silent night so long ago, even as we look forward to the day He will come again,” he wrote.
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, posted a reel to social media Monday, Dec. 23, of a clip from his message “Peace, good will toward men” in the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional on Sunday, Dec. 8.
“The warmth and light of Christmas is the light of Christ,” said President Oaks in the video clip. “All who celebrate the birth of Christ — all who have what we call “the spirit of Christmas” — have a portion of that light.”
President Oaks taught that Jesus of Nazareth is the most important person who ever lived, even in worldly terms.
President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, shared a message on his social media profiles Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, sending warm wishes to all for the holiday season.
“To feel the joy that the true spirit of Christmas brings, we celebrate our Heavenly Father’s perfect gift — His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, who came to this earth as a baby boy ‘lying in a manger,’” he wrote.
President Eyring testified that Jesus Christ was born, and promised that as one remembers Him, they will be encouraged to love as He loved.
Primary General President Susan H. Porter shared on social media Friday, Dec. 20, an experience she had at church.
President Porter explained that upon leaving a church meeting, she discovered that she had a flat tire on her car. Quickly after, four men in white shirts asked to help.
“Oblivious of the dirty pavement, they knelt on the ground and joined forces to take off my very flat tire and replace it with a spare,” wrote President Porter. “Their white shirts were no longer quite as white, but their countenances were bright and joyful! I’m so grateful they showed me that day what angels do!”
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared photos of a rendering of the boy Jesus and his family, and shared a small message Saturday, Dec. 21.
“In this special season of celebrating the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, may we always remember that Jesus Christ came into the world to be our Savior and Redeemer. He came to do the will of His Father (3 Nephi 27:13),” wrote Elder Bednar.
“He offers to us the priceless spiritual gifts of life, light, renewal, love, peace, perspective, joy, and hope.”
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, together with his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, and accompanied by missionaries in the Provo Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, sang the well-known hymn “Joy to the World” on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
“We wish you a very merry Christmas to all the elders and sister throughout the world, including the ones we have here in Provo, and brothers and sisters who are joining us on our social media channels, and all of you friends of the Church who might be watching also,” said Elder Rasband in the video.
The room then erupted in song as hundreds of missionaries gathered to sing “Joy to the World.”
Elder Dale G. Renlund, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught of an ancient African custom that enabled Christians to become more like the Savior, through his social media profiles Christmas Eve morning, Dec. 24.
“A man from one of these villages told me that in his small village there was a Christmas tradition wherein everyone with a dispute with another villager met on the morning of Christmas Eve with the village chief. The chief would listen and seek to resolve the dispute to the satisfaction of both parties,” explained Elder Renlund.
“This process of dispute resolution would go on all day, but at the end of the day, no villager had an unresolved dispute with another villager. The purpose of the tradition was to enable the villagers to be ready the next day to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. Each needed to let go of contention to properly bring in the Christmas Day,” he wrote.
Elder Renlund then invited readers to become peacemakers and to seek and grant forgiveness in the spirit of Christmas.
Members of the Young Women general presidency — President Emily Belle Freeman; Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor; and Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, second counselor — wished young women across the world a merry Christmas through the Young Women Worldwide social media page Tuesday, Dec. 24.
“Our Christmas wish for each of you is that you will feel Him near, that His joy will surround you, that His peace will fill you, and that His love will lift your heart. Jesus Christ is the strength of youth. He is the Father’s greatest gift, the High Priest of good things to come. On this Christmas, we bear witness of this truth,” they wrote.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles posted photos of Nativities to his social media profiles Monday, Dec. 23, explaining that a Gong family Christmas tradition is to display crèches.
“Our family’s crèches come in every imaginable size and setting, made from every imaginable material, from every imaginable place. Each crèche witnesses Jesus Christ and His blessing every nation, kindred, tongue, and people,” wrote Elder Gong.
Young Men General President Steven J. Lund shared the story of a treasured Christmas memory with his family to his social media profiles Tuesday, Dec. 24.
President Lund explained how his son Tanner was in a medically induced coma for 10 weeks and “missed” Christmas. As a family, they decided to celebrate Christmas together with Easter; they read the nativity story in Luke 2, searched for Easter eggs and wrapped presents for each other.
“For each of us, that ‘Christmas-y Easter’ caused us to see more clearly that Christmas and Easter are best understood together. Christmas because it is filled with promise, and Easter because it is bursting with promises kept,” he wrote.
Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, posted a reel on social media Tuesday, Dec. 24, sharing a well-known scripture: John 3:16-29: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son...”
Brother Wilcox said in the reel, “I hope this Christmas that you will choose to love the light and to light the world with the light of Jesus Christ.”
Brother Michael T. Nelson, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency, also posted a reel to social media on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24.
He said this time of year is a special time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ.
“Merry Christmas! I hope your day is filled with peace and joy as we celebrate the birth our of Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” wrote Brother Nelson in the caption.
