Day
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Scripture
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Hymn
or Carol
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Suggestion
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1
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Matthew 18:20
Remember the Savior’s
promise…
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“Oh,
Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns, 1985, no. 202.
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Invite your family to join you in each day’s reading and singing.
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2
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Mosiah 3:5, 8-10
At Christmas we
celebrate much more than the birth of a baby—we celebrate who that child
already was, and what he would yet become. Christmas is a time of looking—to
the past, with its glimpses of pre-mortal glory, and to the future, with its
promise of eternity.
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“I Believe in
Christ,” Hymns, no. 134.
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As you decorate for Christmas, choose or make a decoration that will
remind you of the Savior and his mission.
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3
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Luke
17:12, 14, 15, 17
All
that we have—the air we breathe, the light by which we see—are gifts from a
loving Father and his Son. In this season of giving, let us give one of the
greatest gifts we can offer—a grateful, humble heart.
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“Count
Your Blessings,” Hymns, no. 241
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In one of your prayers today, give thanks for
every blessing you can name, without asking anything.
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4
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Matthew
14:15-19
Many
people are hungry—not just for food but for love, for acceptance, for
support. Some are starving spiritually. Jesus knew how to feed every kind of
hunger. In our small way we can do the same.
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“Tell
Me the Stories of Jesus,” Children’s Songbook, 1989, p. 57.
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Feed someone spiritually. Write your testimony in
a Book of Mormon and give it away.
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5
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D&C 88:6-13
Christmas shines with lights—on trees and
houses and city streets. As we recall the bright star over Bethlehem, do we
remember the Source of all light?
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“The
Lord Is My Light,” Hymns, no. 89.
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Look up at the heavens and think about who made
the sun, moon, and stars. Record your feelings in your journal.
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6
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3
Nephi 17:5,6,9
Jesus
was a healer. He touched away blindness and filled withered limbs with new
life. He restored the mind and soul. Surrounded by much hurt and sorrow, we
can, in our own way, be healers also. Sometimes a kind word and a helping
hand are all that is needed.
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“I
Need Thee Every Hour,” Hymns, no. 98.
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Try to be as kind as possible to others today.
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7
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Isaiah 53:3-5; Matthew 11:28
The Savior knows the weight of our suffering
and the depth of our pain. He has
suffered for us, and he loves us without reservation. There is no problem so hard or despair so dark
that he can’t help us if we let him.
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“Come
unto Jesus,” Hymns, no. 117.
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Go out of your way to befriend someone who needs
a friend. Follow through in the days
and weeks to come.
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8
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3
Nephi 12:3-9
The
greatest blessings aren’t those of getting but those of becoming. Consider what Jesus taught…
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“More
Holiness Give Me,” Hymns, no. 131.
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Foster peace on earth by not quarreling with your
brothers or sisters.
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9
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Luke 10:3-34, 36
In a world divided by national, religious,
political, and racial hatreds, it’s time everyone reviewed Jesus’ answer to
the question, “Who is my neighbor?”
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“Because
I Have Been Given Much,” Hymns, no. 219.
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Do a good deed anonymously.
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10
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Moses 4:1-3
We take our free agency for granted, but it
was seriously challenged before our mortal lives even began. This Christmas let’s give thanks for the
one who defended our freedom.
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“How
Great the Wisdom and the Love,” Hymns, no. 195.
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Use your free agency to set some goals for
yourself. Seal a copy in an envelope
to be opened in a year.
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11
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Matthew 25:37-40
We could labor every day of our lives and
still not repay the kindness of our Lord.
But he has shown us that there is a way to serve him.
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“A
Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief,” Hymns, no. 29.
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Visit someone who is sick or lonely.
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12
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3
Nephi 13:19-20
The
Master taught that it isn’t what you have that counts; it’s what you
give. Giving of yourself can fill your
world with joy, not only at Christmas, but also all year long.
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“I
Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” Hymns, no. 214.
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You’ll treasure the time you spend helping
others. Do volunteer work for some
worthy cause.
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13
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John
11:35, 36, 41, 43, 44
We
don’t like to think of illness or death at Christmastime, but these shadows
can fall on any season. Jesus taught us an unforgettable lesson in empathy
when he shared the grief of his friends after the death of Lazarus.
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“Abide
with Me!” Hymns, no. 166.
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Do something to bring cheer to someone who has a
reason to feel sad.
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14
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3 Nephi 17:12, 21, 24
Christmas would hardly be Christmas without
children. They are so much of the
magic in the season. The Savior also
loved children. In both the New World
and the old, he called the little ones to him.
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“I
Think When I Read That Sweet Story,” Children’s Songbook, p. 56.
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Do something fun with a little brother or sister
or some other child.
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15
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John
14:15; Matthew 7:12; Mark 10:43-44; John 13:34-35
Turmoil
and strife, combat and competition—our world is full of the consequences of
man dealing with man. But the Savior
told us how to truly succeed, through peace on earth and good will toward
men.
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“Love
One Another,” Hymns, no. 308.
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Today tell someone that you love them. Express love for the Lord in your prayers.
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16
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Matthew
18:21-22; Matthew 6:14-15; 3 Nephi 12:44
Jesus came to lift our burdens. One of the heaviest burdens we carry is
that of hate. In teaching us to
forgive, the Lord set us free.
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“Did
You Think to Pray?” Hymns, no. 140.
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Try to forgive someone who has wronged you. If appropriate, go to him today and be
reconciled.
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17
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3
Nephi 18:1,3,5,7,9-11
Have
you ever wished you could be baptized again and start over fresh? When we repent of our sins and partake of
the sacrament worthily, we renew our covenants and are clean.
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“While
of These Emblems We Partake,” Hymns, no. 173.
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As you partake of the sacrament, make a special
effort to think about the Savior.
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18
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Matthew
8:23-26
We
all have storms in our lives—storms of fear and anger and regret—storms at
home and at school. The Master’s hand
can calm all our tempests.
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“Master,
the Tempest Is Raging,” Hymns, no. 105.
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Be a calming influence today. Try extra hard to
control your temper.
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19
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Matthew
26:39; D&C 19:16-19
The
greatest victory of all time was not won on a battlefield but in a quiet
hillside garden.
We
cannot fully understand the cost of that triumph, but as Christmas draws near
we should at least try.
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“How
Great Thou Art,” Hymns, no. 86.
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Accept the gift of forgiveness. Pray to Heavenly
Father about some weakness and ask for help in repenting of it.
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20
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Matthew
27:28-30; Luke 23:33-34; Mark 15:29-32
Some
things are almost too painful to think about.
To see our Savior mocked and murdered is one such thing. And yet, through the scriptures, we should
visit Calvary from time to time. We
must never forget Jesus died so that we might live and live more abundantly.
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“There
Is a Green Hill Far Away,” Hymns, no. 194.
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Read the accounts of the crucifixion in the four
Gospels, and then write your feelings in your journal.
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21
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Matthew
28:1-6, Isaiah 25:8
The morning of Christ’s resurrection was the
brightest morning in all history—a time of transcendent joy following the
gloom of the crucifixion. The words of
the angel still echo down the centuries undiminished. He is risen! Those words signaled more than the triumph
of a God. They proclaimed the supremacy
of life over death. As we celebrate
Christmas, we also celebrate the free gift of immortality for all
mankind.
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“He
is Risen!” Hymns, no. 199.
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Read the accounts of the Resurrection in the four
Gospels and 3 Nephi, and then record your feelings in your journal (see
Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, 3 Nephi 11).
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22
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John
6:35; John 10-14; John 11:25; John 8:12
As the holidays get busier and busier, we
become involved in so many things—running errands, attending parties, buying
presents, and choosing wrapping paper and ribbons. It’s easy to become focused on material
things. Instead, let’s remember where
our lives ought to be centered.
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“The
Lord Is My Shepherd,” Hymns, no. 108.
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Go look at Christmas lights and think about where
all light really comes from.
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23
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D&C
76:19-20; 22-24
Jesus
is no mere figure from the past, captive in the pages of scripture. He lives today! He holds the universe to
its course, and guides the work of his servants on the earth.
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“I
Know That My Redeemer Lives,” Hymns, no. 136.
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Go out with friends singing Christmas carols, but
add some hymns about other aspects of Christ’s ministry.
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24
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Matthew
24:27, 29-30, 36, 42
Jesus
came to Bethlehem a humble babe, born in poverty. But he has promised to return to earth in
majesty. Then heaven and earth will be
reconciled, and the King of Kings will reign.
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“When
He Comes Again,” Children’s Songbook, p. 82.
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Try to live this day as if it were the day of
Christ’s second coming.
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25
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1
Nephi 11:14-15, 18-21; Luke 1:30-32, 34-35, 38; Luke 2:1, 3-16
Jesus
was born in the meridian of time, thus giving an ideal vantage point from
which to look both backward and forward.
For the last 24 days you have stood, as it were, in Bethlehem, gazing
in both directions. You have heard the
Master’s voice in pre-mortal councils. You have seen him suffer, die, and
rise again. You have watched him
return triumphant in the clouds of heaven.
Now you are ready to focus with greater joy on that moment when heaven
came down to earth.
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“Joy
to the World,” Hymns, no. 201.
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Consider what gift you could give the Savior and
determine to give it all year long.
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