Christmas Message to Children of the Church throughout the World

We send to you boys and girls everywhere our Christmas greetings and our heartfelt blessing, with the hope that each one of you will realize how important you are to our Heavenly Father and to His work. One of the grandest gifts we have to share with others is our knowledge that His Son lives and that His church has been restored again to the earth.

We know that many of you are already preparing to go on missions when you are older. We hope you realize that even now you can be missionaries within your families, or to your friends who aren’t members of the Church. By living the commandments of our Heavenly Father and by being obedient to the counsel of your parents, others will be attracted to your way of life by the good example you set. You can also begin now to learn the principles of the gospel, by study and attendance at Church meetings and by sharing these principles with others.

Many people think of Christmas as the time of the birth of Jesus and remember that He lived and was crucified and then was resurrected so that we might live again with our Father in heaven. But it is still unknown to most of the people living in the world today that His church, as it was organized when He walked and talked on earth, has been reestablished.

People close to you and in distant lands, too, have a need to know that the boy Joseph Smith saw and talked with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It usually requires unselfishness and sometimes a certain kind of courage to be a missionary, but what joy and excitement there is in helping others to discover a happier way of life as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Understand that every member of the Church is a missionary. Understand, too, the importance of King Benjamin’s words in the Book of Mormon: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” We pray that this holiday season will be filled with gladness as you remember the Savior and share with others your assurance of His blessings.