95 12/2/24

 December is here! Lainey asked me while we were setting up Christmas the other day what my favorite holiday is. I really love Thanksgiving, but Christmas has to be my favorite. (especially once all the decorations are done being set up :)


I love the Christmas tradition where Mama hands out all the different ornaments with the many names for the Savior, and you kids take turns hanging them on the tree. The scriptures teach us so many different names for Jesus Christ, but one that has stood out to me from our Come Follow Me study this past week is the name of Hope. Jesus Christ is Hope. 


Yesterday in our Sacrament Fast and Testimony Meeting, Sadie, while visiting, took the opportunity to bear her testimony. It was so wonderful to hear her testify of things she knows to be true. One thing she shared is how optimistic the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. That is so true. We have Optimism because of our “Covenant Confidence” in our Savior and in His sacred saving ordinances. 


Elder Anderson taught us this last General Conference that our sacred and eternal hopes centered in Jesus Christ and the restored gospel and our “confident expectation[s] of … the promised blessings of righteousness” are what give us this optimism. Hope engenders an optimistic attitude because as Elder Anderson taught, “our hope of eternal life is assured through the grace of Christ and our own choices, allowing us the remarkable blessing of returning to our heavenly home and living forever in peace and happiness with our Heavenly Father…”


The Prophet Ether taught this same truth. “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.”Ether 12:4 


Elder Anderson continued, “Hope is a living gift, a gift that grows as we increase our faith in Jesus Christ. On earth we experience joy and sorrow as we are tested and proven. Our victory comes through faith in Jesus Christ as we triumph over our sins, difficulties, temptations, unfairness, and the challenges of this mortal life.

As we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, we see beyond our struggles to the blessings and promises of eternity. Like a light whose brilliance grows, hope brightens the darkened world, and we see our glorious future.”


My invitation this week as we lead up to the Christmas Holiday, is that we strive more intently to focus on the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. As we do, the promise from living day prophets, is that this living gift of hope will continue to grow within each of us, “illuminating the reality of eternal life.”


So when life gets us down, and we feel frustrated with ourselves, circumstances, or others, let us step back and with a celestial, eternal perspective consider the hope that is ours.


“What is it that ye shall hope for? … Ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal.”(Moroni 7:41)


Have a great week! I Love you all so much,


Dad

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