"When we have the spirit of Christmas, we remember Him whose birth we commemorate at this season of the year. We contemplate that first Christmas day, foretold by the prophets of old. You, with me, recall the words from Isaiah: 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel' -- meaning 'God with us.'
"Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the 'spirit of Christmas', we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the 'Spirit of Christ.'
"If we are to have the very best Christmas ever, we must listen for the sound of sandaled feet. We must reach out for the Carpenter's hand. With every step we take in His footsteps, we abandon a doubt and gain a truth. Jesus of Nazareth 'went about doing good.' Do we have the determination to do likewise? My prayer is that at this Christmas season and all the Christmastimes to come, we may follow in His footsteps. Then each Christmas will be the best Christmas ever."
-- President Thomas S. Monson
Merry Christmas my friends!
