Just weeks ago The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filled the iconic billboards on Times Square in New York City with images of Jesus Christ and His birth.
Amid the noise and busyness of the crossroads of commercialism, the billboards flashed a powerful message: “This Christmas, share His light by letting your light shine.”
The Savior Himself commanded His disciples to “Go ye into all the world,” (Mark 16:15) and preach His gospel.
Still, I was surprised that His message of hope felt peaceful in the most famous intersection in the world. Music stopped. Crowds hushed. And for a brief moment Times Square felt sacred.
It started with a pause.

Just as the evening holiday crowds began to gather on Times Square on Monday, Nov. 27, the iconic digital billboards went dark.
The crowds stopped to see what had happened. After the brief moment of darkness, the billboards turned on again, filled with the story of the Nativity.
It was awe inspiring. After the darkness, everyone noticed the light.
My colleague Aaron Sherinian, the senior vice president of global reach at Deseret Management Corp., articulated in a Church News podcast interview what had happened.
Amid glossy, glitzy ads vying for attention, everything went black. “And then, all of a sudden, everything was light. And for me as a communicator, it was a good lesson.”
Often, when talking about our faith, we jump right into all that we love about being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he said. “We forget that pause to say to people, ‘Something different, something special, something sacred is coming.’”
The lesson in the moment in Times Square for him — and me — is that when talking about faith, “we need to pause for a second and signal to people, ‘I’m about to tell you something that’s important to me,’ or ‘I want to share with you something that’s sacred to me,’ or ‘I like you,’ or ‘I care about you,’ or ‘I value you’ or ‘I see you, and in so doing, I want you to see a little bit more about me.’ …. Otherwise, I just become another ad.”
In the Lord’s Church pauses often come before our most sacred experiences. For example, we sing a sacred hymn before partaking of the sacrament, and we change our clothes before participating in sacred temple ordinances.
President Russell M. Nelson told new mission leaders in June 2022 that all will be greatly blessed by pausing each day, reflecting on temple covenants, and learning about the Lord and communing with Him. “As you reserve this precious time of preparation each day, the Holy Ghost can reach you and teach you,” he said.
There is great power in a pause.

Times Square is a fitting analogy for the world right now — a place filled with crowds and busyness; conflicting messages; glitz, glamour and neon signs; distraction; and, of course, commercialism. As we face the challenges of daily living, President Nelson invited us during October 2023 general conference to pause — to “think celestial.”
“When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial,” he said. “When tested by temptation, think celestial. When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial. When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial. As you recover from an accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial. ... As you think celestial, your faith will increase.”
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, says this type of thinking takes time — it is not enough to be convinced, we must be converted.
“The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and commandments were given that we may all attain ‘the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,’” he said during October 2023 general conference. “That process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough to be convinced of the gospel; we must act so that we are converted by it. In contrast to other preaching, which teaches us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”
This is not an easy task for me and my busy family — who this Christmas season are juggling jobs and school and lives that often feel chaotic. I worry about creating moments when we can — just as did the crowds in Times Square — look up and reflect on the Savior, His birth, His life, His sacrifice and His invitation to share His light.
Still, I know where to start.
I learned in Times Square there is power in a pause.