Preparing our hearts for Christmas

“Christmas is what we make of it. Despite all the distractions, we can see to it that Christ is at the center of our celebration. If we have not already done so, we can establish Christmas traditions for ourselves and for our families which will help us capture and keep the spirit of Christ.”
-President Monson

The lesson is not that we can have such marvelous experiences whenever we wish for them, nor that they will come even when we feel great need for them. The lesson is that God knows our every need, that He loves us, and that He watches over us.”
-President Eyring

Heavenly Father Gave Us a Gift: The Savior

“You can give a great and wonderful Christmas if you remember the gifts God has given you and, as best you can, offer them to others as He would.”
-President Eyring

“We have in our minds a picture of how everything should be—the perfect tree, the perfect lights, the perfect gifts, and the perfect family events. … [But] sooner or later, something unpleasant occurs … and the picture-perfect Christmas we had imagined, the magic we had intended to create, shatters around us.”
-President Uchtdorf

However, if we focus our hearts and minds on the true spirit of Christmas, “we will recognize wonderful things happening around us.”
-President Uchtdorf

“like the Wise Men of old, should seek the Christ and lay before Him the most precious of gifts: a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We should offer Him our love. We should give Him our willingness to take upon ourselves His name and walk in the path of discipleship. We should promise to remember Him always, to emulate His example, and to go about doing good.”
-President Uchtdorf

“The Savior’s gifts to us are breathtaking,” President Uchtdorf said. He explained that through the Atonement, the Savior offers us immortality, forgiveness, and eternal life.
Though some of Christ’s gifts to us will be given only when our time on earth ends, President Uchtdorf emphasized the many gifts that the Savior gives every day. “He promises to be with us, to come to us when we need comfort, to lift us when we stumble, to carry us if need be, to cry, laugh, mourn, and rejoice with us. Every day He offers to take us by the hand and help transform ordinary life into extraordinary spiritual experiences.”