4 L i a h o n a

One night a grandather was reading a story to his

our-year-old granddaughter when she looked up

and said, “Grandpa, look at the stars!” The older

man smiled kindly and said, “We’re indoors, honey. There

are no stars here.” But the child insisted, “You have stars in

 your room! Look!”

 The grandather looked up and, to his surprise, noticed

that the ceiling was peppered with a metallic glitter. It

 was invisible most o the time, but when the light

struck the glitter a certain way, it did indeed look

like a eld o stars. It took the eyes o a child to

see them, but there they were. And rom that

moment on, when the grandather walked into

this room and looked up, he could see what he

had not been able to see beore.

 We are entering another wonderul Christmas season

lled with music and lights, parties and presents. But

o all people, we as members o the church that bears

the Savior’s name need to look beyond the açade o the

season and see the sublime truth and beauty o this time

o year.

I wonder how many in Bethlehem knew that right

there, close to them, the Savior had been born? The Son

o God, the long-awaited and promised Messiah—He was

in their midst!

Do you remember what the angel told the shep-

herds? “Unto you is born this day in the city o David

a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” And they said to

themselves, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and

Can We See the

F i r s t P r e s i d e n c y M e s s a g e

see this thing which is come to pass” (Luke 2:11, 15).

Like the shepherds o old, we need to say in our hearts,

“Let us see this thing which is come to pass.” We need to

desire it in our hearts. Let us see the Holy One o Israel in

the manger, in the temple, on the mount, and on the cross.

Like the shepherds, let us gloriy and praise God or these

tidings o great joy!

Sometimes the most dicult things to see are those that

have been right in ront o us all along. Like the

grandather who ailed to see the stars on the

ceiling, we sometimes cannot see that which

is in plain sight.

 We who have heard the glorious message

o the coming o the Son o God, we who have

taken upon us His name and have covenanted to

 walk in His path as His disciples—we must not ail to

open our hearts and minds and truly see Him.

 The Christmas season is wonderul in many ways. It is

a season o charitable acts o kindness and brotherly love.

It is a season o being more refective about our own lives

and about the many blessings that are ours. It is a season

o orgiving and being orgiven. It is a season to enjoy the

music and lights, parties and presents. But the glitter o the

season should never dim our sight and prevent us rom

truly seeing the Prince o Peace in His majesty.

Let us all make this year’s Christmas season a time o 

rejoicing and celebration, a time when we acknowledge

the miracle that our Almighty God sent His Only Begotten

Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world! ◼

By PresidentDieter F. Uhtdorf

Second Counselor inthe First Presidency

Christ?

   P   h   o   t   o   i   l   l   u   s   t   r   a   t   i   o   n   b   y   D   a   v   i   D   s   t   o   k   e   r  ;   i   l   l   u   s   t   r   a   t   i   o   n   b   y   J   o   e   F   l   o   r   e   s

 

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 5

IDeas For TeachIngFrom ThIs message

1. “ao v

b u o

o hlp

l fou h

o o h ubj

of h lo. . . . Pu

vlubl ool fo

h h m

of lo

hlp l m

v” (Teaching, No

Greater Call [1999],160,

176). a you b h

h m, o

u o

vy uh how

pu o h

pu k h

fmly o hk bou

how ppl o h

m.

2. “O of you mo

mpo ol houl

b o hlp oh pply

opl ppl

vyy uo. . . .

Hlp l ov

h bl h

om wh w lv h

opl” (Teaching, No

Greater Call, 159). af

h h m,

o v fmly

mmb o h x

p hy hv h

hy hv fou o

h svo u h

chm o.

 

6 L i a h o n a

miiy citBy Loran cook

du my o chm fullm moy,

my ompo i w v ly bpz

mmb h fmly. af chm ,

w h wh hm chm m.

W k h fmly o w pu of h h

m hm of h o, uh , p,

v, chm . W h om p

u, lu 2 nph 19:6: “Fo uo u hl bo,

uo u o v; h ovm hll b upo

h houl; h m hll b ll, Woful,

coulo, th Mhy go, th evl Fh, th

P of P.” W “O royl dv’ cy”

(Hymns, o. 205), wh mov bou h nvy,

bo moy of Ju ch.

i w chm mpl um, wy

fom ou fml h uul chm lbo,

bu w bo moy of h svo, i fl p

lov ppo fo Hm H bh h i h

kow bfo. i lz woul b my l chm

fullm moy v o my Hvly Fh, bu i

uoo h H sp oul fy o m of H so

whv i w.

Lki t s t svi

P Uhof h chmm w

houl look fo h h m u of h svo’

lf. Look up h pu f blow. F h

pu h mh h pu, w h

f blow h pu.

c h I L D r e nY o U T h

Matthew 2:1–2 Luke 2:46

Matthew 15:32–38

Luke 8:49–55

Luke 23:33–34, 44–46

John 20:11–20

   l   e   F   t  :   i   l   l   u   s   t   r   a   t   i   o   n   b   y   P   a   u   l   M   a   n   n  ;

   i   l   l   u   s   t   r   a   t   i   o   n   o   F   o   r   n   a   M   e   n   t   s   b   y   J   o   e   F   l   o   r   e   s  ;   C   h   r   i   s   t   r   a   i   s   i   n   g   t   h   e   D   a   u   g   h   t   e   r   o   f   J   a   i   r   u   s ,   b   y   G   r   e   G   o   l   s   e   n   ©   1   9   9   0  ;

   B   o   y   J   e   s   u   s   i   n   t   h   e   t   e   m   p   l   e ,   b   y   G   r   a   n   t   r   o   M   n   e   y

   C   l   a   w   s   o   n   ©   i   r   i  ;   t   h   e   C   r   u   C   i   f   i   x   i   o   n

 ,   b   y   h   a   r   r   y   a   n   D   e   r   s   o   n   ©   i   r   i  ;   i   l   l   u   s   t   r   a   t   i   o   n   b   y   P   a   u   l   M   a   n   n  ;

   h   e   i   s   r   i   s   e   n

 ,   b   y   D   e   l   P   a   r   s   o   n  ;

   t   h   r   e   e   W   i   s   e   m   e   n

 ,   b   y   P   a   u   l   M   a   n   n