This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide focuses on Christmas and “The Living Christ” document, which the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles published in honor of the 2,000th anniversary of the Savior’s birth.
Following are a few quotes from past and present leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about these topics.
‘The Living Christ’
“In ‘The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,’ we read: ‘[Jesus] will someday return to earth. … He will rule as King of kings and reign as Lord of lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.’
“As one of the Apostles who signed ‘The Living Christ’ document, I can say that knowing that Jesus ‘is the light, the life and the hope of the world’ (see ‘The Living Christ’) gives me a greater desire to love Him more every day. I testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live. I testify that They love us.”
— The late President M. Russell Ballard, then the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2021 general conference, “Lovest Thou Me More Than These?”
“Sometimes we think we have to do something grand and heroic to ‘count’ as serving our neighbors. Yet simple acts of service can have profound effects on others — as well as on ourselves. What did the Savior do? Through His supernal gifts of the Atonement and Resurrection — which we celebrate on this beautiful Easter Sunday — ‘none other has had so profound an influence [on] all who have lived and who will yet live upon the earth’ (see ‘The Living Christ’). But He also smiled at, talked with, walked with, listened to, made time for, encouraged, taught, fed and forgave. He served family and friends, neighbors and strangers alike, and He invited acquaintances and loved ones to enjoy the rich blessings of His gospel. Those ‘simple’ acts of service and love provide a template for our ministering today."
— Sister Jean B. Bingham, then the Relief Society general president, April 2018 general conference, “Ministering as the Savior Does”
“The importance of the Savior’s mission was emphasized by the Prophet Joseph Smith, who declared emphatically that ‘the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it’ (see ‘Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith,’ chapter 3).
“It was this very statement of the Prophet that provided the incentive for 15 prophets, seers and revelators to issue and sign their testimony to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the Lord’s birth. That historic testimony is titled ‘The Living Christ.’ Many members have memorized its truths. Others barely know of its existence. As you seek to learn more about Jesus Christ, I urge you to study ‘The Living Christ.’"
— The late President Russell M. Nelson, then the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2017 general conference, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ Into Our Lives”
“One additional help is ‘The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,’ which was presented to the Church on Jan. 1, 2000. Place a copy where you can see it, and take time to review each of the statements found in this inspired testimony of Christ by His special witnesses who signed it. ...
“Prayerfully reading ‘The Living Christ’ is like reading the testimonies of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the prophets of the Book of Mormon. It will increase your faith in the Savior and help you stay focused on Him as you follow your plans to reach your eternal goals.”
— The late President M. Russell Ballard, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2017 general conference, “Return and Receive”
“Can you find yourself in the following words of this document, ‘The Living Christ’? ‘He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see and raising the dead.’
“We, sisters of the Church, do not walk the roads of Palestine healing the sick, but we can pray for and apply the healing love of the Atonement to a sickened, strained relationship.
“Though we will not cause the blind to see in the manner of the Savior, we can testify of the plan of salvation to the spiritually blind. We can open the eyes of their understanding to the necessity of priesthood power in eternal covenants.
“We will not be raising the dead as did the Savior, but we can bless the dead by finding their names for temple work. Then we will indeed raise them from their spirit prison and offer them the path of eternal life.”
— Sister Neill F. Marriott, then the second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, October 2014 general conference, “Sharing Your Light”
“In recent decades the Church has largely been spared the terrible misunderstandings and persecutions experienced by the early Saints. It will not always be so. The world is moving away from the Lord faster and farther than ever before. The adversary has been loosed upon the earth. We watch, hear, read, study and share the words of prophets to be forewarned and protected. For example, ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’ was given long before we experienced the challenges now facing the family. ‘The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles’ was prepared in advance of when we will need it most. We may not know all the reasons why the prophets and conference speakers address us with certain topics in conference, but the Lord does.”
— The late Elder Robert D. Hales, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2013 general conference, “General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony”
Christmas
“Hundreds of millions celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season. The whole world should do so. His was and is the greatest life ever lived. ...
“Christmas is a time to eliminate arrogance and provocation, to subdue criticism, to practice patience and to de-emphasize differences among people. We have the incentive to extend sincere fellowship to all persons, those who are and those who are not of our faith, observing the command God had the prophet Moses give to the children of Israel:
“‘If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
“‘But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself’ (Leviticus 19:33–34).
“Christmas is a time to remember that we are all children of a Father in Heaven who gave His Only Begotten Son that all would be redeemed from death and who has offered the blessings of salvation and exaltation to all humankind on the same conditions.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks in the December 2025 Liahona article “Glad Tidings of Great Joy”
“The promised birth of Jesus Christ brought ‘great light’ (Isaiah 9:2) and ‘good tidings of great joy’ (Luke 2:10) to the world. Christmastime is the perfect opportunity to focus our hearts and minds on the Christ child born so long ago and the hope, peace and love that the message of His gospel brings into our hearts as we willingly follow Him. …
“I testify that the Savior’s love and central role in the plan of salvation bring peace (see John 14:27) and ‘a more excellent hope’ (Ether 12:32) — at Christmastime and always.”
— Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the December 2023 For the Strength of Youth article, “Christmas Is Hope, Peace and Love”
“I think it is appropriate this time of year to just think about that baby in the manger. Don’t be too overwhelmed or occupied with what is to come; just think about that little baby. Take a quiet, peaceful moment to ponder the beginning of His life — the culmination of heavenly prophecy but the earthly beginning for Him.
“Take time to relax, be at peace and see this little child in your mind. Do not be too concerned or overwhelmed with what is coming in His life or in yours. Instead, take a peaceful moment to contemplate perhaps the most serene moment in the history of the world — when all of heaven rejoiced with the message, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’ (Luke 2:14).”
— President D. Todd Christofferson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in the December 2015 Liahona article, “Be at Peace”
“In the well-known verses from Luke 2, we learn significant facts about those first witnesses of Christ’s birth, the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. ... When the heavenly host had concluded their joyful proclamation, the shepherds responded immediately, saying, ‘Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass’ (verse 15). They came ‘with haste’ (verse 16) and found the Christ child just as the angel had said, and then they ‘returned, glorifying and praising God’ (verse 20). Wanting to share the glorious news of the Savior’s birth, ‘they made [it] known abroad’ (verse 17).
“Like the shepherds, we must respond immediately, with haste, whenever the Spirit speaks to us. … Sometimes after heeding a prompting, we cannot clearly see why we have been guided by the Spirit to act in a certain way. But often, like the shepherds, we see miracles occur, and our faithful response to a prompting is confirmed. We can then take opportunities to share our joy and our witness with others. Doing so can strengthen others’ faith and hope, further confirming our own testimonies and bringing us closer to the Savior and His ways.”
— Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then a General Authority Seventy, in the December 2011 Ensign article “Come, Let Us Adore Him”
“As I read the account of the birth of my Savior, I long to have the experience the Wise Men had — to be led by a star, or to experience what the shepherds did — to be invited to Bethlehem, invited by a choir of angels. I want to kneel at the manger and smell the clean straw and see that tiny baby with His earthly mother, to witness for myself this miracle. I believe that in every mortal there is an instinctive desire to come unto Christ. Perhaps we have a basic human need, because each of us is a child of God, to make that commitment to the spiritual part of our being. We each try to meet this need according to what we know.
“As members of His true cChurch, perhaps we do not need to be taught new things as much as we need to be reminded of what we already know. This is what pondering the birth of our Savior does for all of us. I believe it reminds our mortal minds of things our spirits already know.”
— The late Sister Betty Jo N. Jepsen, then the first counselor in the Primary general presidency, October 1992 general conference, “‘By Way of Invitation’ (Alma 5:62)”
“I have never walked in the silent streets of Bethlehem. I have not seen the blue waters of the Sea of Galilee nor the stars over the field of the shepherds.
“Yet, sometimes I feel that I can understand the paths Mary walked, for I too am a mother. I have known the overwhelming joy of holding an infant in my arms and have felt awe as I looked upon my newborn child. …
“For most women, there is a reverence for life that grows as the child grows. There is a giving of oneself to faith as the process of birth occurs, and there is a wrenching of body and spirit. But for Mary, the experience must have been even more reverent. For Mary knew she was clothing with mortality the immortal spirit of the Son of God, who would become the Christ, the Redeemer of mankind. …
“To most persons in Bethlehem, the child born to Mary would be one more Israelite to be added to the tax rolls: born, a son, to Joseph and Mary of Nazareth, descendant of David, through the tribe of Judah. But Mary looked at the little infant, so tiny and helpless, and knew that He was no ordinary child. His great potential and his utter helplessness must have been overwhelming. The manner of His conception had been miraculous, and she must have trembled to realize that the responsibility of nurturing this divine child was hers.”
— The late Sister Barbara B. Smith, former Relief Society general president, in the December 1989 Liahona article, “No Ordinary Child”
