{"id":25242,"date":"2021-12-07T12:21:40","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T19:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/?post_type=speech&p=25242"},"modified":"2023-12-17T15:46:52","modified_gmt":"2023-12-17T22:46:52","slug":"time-for-the-savior-at-christmas","status":"publish","type":"speech","link":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Time for the Savior at Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What a marvelous choir! What a beautiful orchestra! What an amazing congregation! \u201cJoy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King!\u201d1<\/sup> \u201cGlories stream from heaven afar; Heav\u2019nly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!\u201d2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merry Christmas, my fellow disciples! Thank you for who you are and for the goodness of your lives. Thank you for choosing to believe in Jesus Christ and to follow Him. Thank you for trusting in the divine gift of our Savior and Redeemer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to thank President Worthen for his introduction and President and Sister Worthen for their many years of devoted service. I also thank Elder and Sister Gilbert for joining us. You may not be familiar with the Church commissioner of education. Under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Clark G. Gilbert directs the work of Church education, from the universities to the institutes and seminaries. Elder Gilbert is a General Authority Seventy who has served as president of BYU\u2013Pathway Worldwide and BYU\u2013Idaho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am so grateful to have my wife, Kathy, here with us. She has blessed my life more than any other person on earth since our days at BYU, and I love her with all my heart. I treasure the day I met her here at BYU. I have asked her to help me with a small part of my message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating the Birth of the Savior<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s turn our attention to the Savior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In him was life; and . . . the light of men.<\/em>3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[And] we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created.<\/em>4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Sister Andersen:]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. . . .<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.<\/em>5<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Elder Andersen:]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How wonderful to be together today to celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. With you, I witness that He is the Son of God. He declared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.<\/em>6<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing could be more true!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us always be valiant in the simple faith that He is who we claim Him to be: the Creator, the long-awaited Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, our Savior, and our Redeemer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Hypothetical Conversation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, in your mind\u2019s eye, I want you to \u00adimagine a hypothetical conversation you might have beyond the veil after you have graduated from your mortality. While we know few details about the next life, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that, in the eternities, the \u201csame sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there.\u201d7<\/sup> I would hope that this would include our interactions with others in the spirit world. We know that there are \u201cthose who [have] died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth,\u201d8<\/sup> who have lived at different times during the earth\u2019s history and who have not had the light of the gospel. Many of them will receive the gospel when it is taught to them and will join those who here on the earth were valiant in their testimony of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, picture in your mind\u2019s eye an imaginary future conversation between you and a small group of the faithful. You lived in the twenty-first century, but all others in this conversation lived on the earth in other centuries in various conditions and circumstances. They lived with no knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their mortality, but since being in the spirit world, they have been taught, they have repented as needed, and they have received the gospel.9<\/sup> You are talking to each other about your experiences in mortality. Their attention turns to you. They are intrigued by your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They begin by saying, \u201cHow remarkable that you lived in the twenty-first century when the restored gospel was upon the earth.\u201d<\/em> Then they ask, \u201cWhere were you during the worldwide pandemic in 2021?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was at BYU,\u201d you respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou were at the Lord\u2019s university? How amazing!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They marvel at how blessed you were, perhaps asking what it was like to live with thousands of disciples of Jesus Christ and with hundreds of teachers grounded in the love of the Savior and brilliant in the learning of the world. They talk of your good fortune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distractions and Seductive Voices Attempting to \u201cChoke the Word\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While you accept that it was a beautiful time to be on earth, you try to put it into perspective. \u201cNo matter what you think,\u201d you begin, \u201cit was not an easy time to follow Jesus Christ. There were distractions and confusion. There was commotion and seductive voices constantly trying to pull us from the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To emphasize your situation, you describe some of what you were facing. \u201cFor example,\u201d you say, \u201con the Amazon Marketplace there were 354 million products available and 81,000 Alexa skills.10<\/sup> There were 60 million songs to choose from on iTunes and 25,000 TV shows and 65,000 films.11<\/sup> We were barraged by so many distractions and enticing invitations that it was difficult to keep our bearings. Just on the Apple App Store there were more than 4.3 million apps and games.\u201d12<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You point out that the entertainment often did not point toward unselfishness but rather pushed toward indulging in one\u2019s own pleasures. You continue, \u201cEven though BYU was a very special place, we felt at times like Lehi\u2019s \u2018great and spacious building\u201913<\/sup> was sitting right on top of us. And do you remember the Savior\u2019s beautiful parable of the sower? We felt He was speaking about our world when He said, \u2018The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word.\u201914<\/sup> Do you remember when John referred to the word as Jesus Christ?15<\/sup> There were so many distractions, so many temptations, so much confusion and commotion, and so many seductive voices all around us that we had to be vigilant to not let them choke the word or choke our faith in Jesus Christ and our determination to be valiant to Him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did you do? How did you survive?\u201d<\/em> they ask. \u201cThe more we hear about your mortality, the more concerned we become.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Prophet\u2019s Pleading<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You respond: \u201cOne thing I remember was October general conference of 2021. The prophet of God, President Russell M. Nelson, pleaded with us. He even used the word plead.<\/em> In his closing comments at general conference, he said, \u2018I plead with you today to counter the lure of the world by making time for the Lord in your life\u2014each and every day.\u2019 He warned us, \u2018If most of the information you get comes from social or other media, your ability to hear the whisperings of the Spirit will be diminished.\u2019 He then added, \u2018Even Saints who are otherwise faithful can be derailed by the steady beat of Babylon\u2019s band.\u2019 He reminded us that \u2018nothing invites the Spirit more than fixing your focus on Jesus Christ.\u2019 And he admonished us, \u2018Talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ, feast upon the words of Christ, and press forward with steadfastness in Christ.\u2019 He then repeated, \u2018My brothers and sisters, I plead with you to make time for the Lord! Make your own spiritual foundation firm and able to stand the test of time by doing those things that allow the Holy Ghost to be with you always.<\/em>\u2019 And he gave us this beautiful promise: \u2018[The Savior] will lead and guide you<\/em> in your personal life if you will make time for Him<\/em> in your life\u2014each and every day.\u201916<\/sup> It was a very important teaching from the Lord\u2019s prophet, and we at BYU did not ignore it. We intently followed his counsel and pushed aside so many of our distractions and the seductive voices. We did as the prophet recommended: we made time for the Lord each and every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did you do? Can you give us some examples?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will have examples, but first let\u2019s pause our conversation and stand and sing with much enthusiasm \u201cOh, Come, All Ye Faithful\u201d17<\/sup>\u2014because you are the faithful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[The congregation sang the hymn along with the choir and the orchestra.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making Time for the Lord<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That was wonderful! Thank you! Now, back to the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You respond, \u201cHow did we make time for the Lord? Listen as we were interviewed by Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, one of our favorite professors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[A video was shown of students\u2019 responses to the question \u201cHow do you make time for the Lord?\u201d18<\/sup>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Brad Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you doing every day to take time for the Lord?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #1:<\/strong> \u201cGo, pray, and offer, saying, \u2018Lord, this is everything that I did today. Help me to be better tomorrow.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cDo you know why I\u2019m talking to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #2:<\/strong> \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cReally? Have you seen the video?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #2:<\/strong> \u201cI did see the video.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cAwesome!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #2:<\/strong> \u201cAnd I was thinking, \u2018Is this gonna . . . ? There\u2019s no way this happens to me.\u2019 But here we are, Brother Wilcox.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cHere we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #3:<\/strong> \u201cI go exercising every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cAnd how does that draw you closer to the Lord?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #3:<\/strong> \u201cSometimes while I\u2019m just running, I literally feel His voice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #4:<\/strong> \u201cI think it is because when we put in time for the Lord, it is when we can actually feel more of His presence and those blessings in our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #5:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m making sure that I study the Book of Mormon every day, especially because nothing has brought me closer to the Savior than the Book of Mormon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cWell, Bailey, your efforts are making me feel joy just listening to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #6:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m glad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #7:<\/strong> \u201cI recently started setting aside time every day to study and memorize \u2018The Living Christ\u2019 document.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cWow!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #8:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019ve been working on putting down my phone, because I find I am always on my phone, like in line or in class. So I just put down my phone, I say hi to people, and I try to have meaningful conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cHow often have you heard a prophet say, \u2018I plead with you?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #9:<\/strong> \u201cNot very often, and I think that adds a lot of emphasis on what he wants us to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #10:<\/strong> \u201cSo, we actually talked about this yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cWhere did you talk about it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #10:<\/strong> \u201cIn my English 212 class.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cThat is so cool!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #10:<\/strong> \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cThat\u2019s what Elder Andersen wanted. He wanted classes to talk about it. So, what did you talk about? What are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #10:<\/strong> \u201cA goal that I have is to have a \u00adsignificant spiritual experience, at least one every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #11:<\/strong> \u201cI take time for the Lord through listening to music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cLove that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #12:<\/strong> \u201cGoal setting. Do you want more?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cOh, . . . no. I\u2019ll come back. That\u2019s a good answer though!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #13:<\/strong> \u201cGoing to the temple each week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cNice!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #4:<\/strong> \u201cShe stole mine!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #14:<\/strong> \u201cI listen to hymns on the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #15:<\/strong> \u201cI just talk with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cWhere\u2019s your family?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #15:<\/strong> \u201cIn Taiwan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cSo guess where we are? President Worthen\u2019s office. We\u2019re right here. We\u2019re going to ask him how he\u2019s taking time for the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Kevin J Worthen:<\/strong> \u201cWell, it\u2019s fairly simple. I make sure the first thing I do every morning is scripture study and prayer. I don\u2019t even look at my phone before I start scripture study and prayer. Literally it is the first thing. I don\u2019t want to know about texts, I don\u2019t want to know about email, and I don\u2019t want to know about social media. I want to get grounded in my relationship with Christ, and then, after that, I\u2019ll look at those messages, and sometimes I\u2019ll get back on my knees and pray again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cOnce you know what the day holds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Worthen:<\/strong> \u201cOnce I know what the day holds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cThen it\u2019s like, \u2018Okay, now I need another prayer.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Worthen:<\/strong> \u201cExactly. But I want to anchor myself in the Savior first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #16:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s really helped with personal revelation. At the start of the semester, I didn\u2019t know if I wanted to go on a mission. And now I\u2019m planning on going, which is such a huge thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cHey, you look great. This tells me that you\u2019re in Men\u2019s Chorus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox and Student #17 together:<\/strong> \u201cIf I were a rich man, daidle deedle daidle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #17:<\/strong> \u201cHow am I doing? Am I doing good?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cYou\u2019re doing great!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #18:<\/strong> \u201cHonestly, since I\u2019ve been back from my mission\u2014I got home in March\u2014it has been super hard. I haven\u2019t been putting in the time to do daily scripture study and prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you doing about it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #18:<\/strong> \u201cSince general conference, the thing I\u2019m trying to do is just try to get back on the horse of regular scripture study and prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #19:<\/strong> \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve been a lot more open to revelation. Just taking that extra time in the morning before the rest of my day starts, then it\u2019s in my head and everything, and then I feel energized both spiritually and physically.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cSo where have you been called?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #19:<\/strong> \u201cTemple Square, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cOh, you are going to love that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #19:<\/strong> \u201cYeah!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox: <\/strong>Pointing at Cosmo,<\/em> \u201cWhoa! Look who I found here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #20:<\/strong> \u201cI take time for the Lord, even through my busy schedule. I always make sure to get on my knees and pray.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #21:<\/strong> \u201cI take time for the Lord every day by making time for others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cNow, Cosmo! How are you<\/em> taking time for the Lord?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cosmo:<\/strong> Holds up a sign that says,<\/em> \u201cI\u2019m making time<\/em> for the Lord.\u201d And then Cosmo holds up a Book of Mormon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cYeah! Oh, awesome! Great book! Hey, let\u2019s see a cheer!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cosmo and Students #20 and #21 (Cheer Squad \u00admembers) all do a backflip together.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cThat was awesome!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cPresident Nelson said, \u2018I plead with you.\u2019 \u2018I plead with you.\u2019 What does that mean when a prophet says those words?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #22:<\/strong> \u201cI mean personally, for me it\u2019s more like he can see perhaps what\u2019s coming, so he wants to make sure we understand how serious this is at this time in our life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #2:<\/strong> \u201cThe idea is not just making time to make time. It\u2019s making time so that we can have an effect and have a change in our life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #17:<\/strong> \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been an easy year, and I don\u2019t think that life\u2019s going to get any easier with the current trends of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #23:<\/strong> \u201cWhen you turn your life to Christ, right? It\u2019s the plan of happiness, and you tend to be more happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cWonderful!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #24:<\/strong> \u201cIn the morning, before I reply to anyone in texts or before I respond to any messages, I try to talk to God first. So I pray first thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cGood. Some people call that \u2018knee-mail\u2019 instead of \u2018email.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #24:<\/strong> \u201cYeah, that\u2019s good!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #25:<\/strong> \u201cFrom what I\u2019ve seen lately in the world, kindness is becoming kind of a commodity that is hard to find, and as we\u2019re turning to the Savior, we can have that be more of an instinct.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #14:<\/strong> \u201cI think it\u2019s because Christmas is all about the birth of Christ. We celebrate Him and all of the things He\u2019s done for us, and as we take time to remember more of the Savior, we kind of start to emulate Him more. We want to be more like Him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #26:<\/strong> \u201cOne thing I\u2019m trying to do is that even if I can\u2019t get an appointment for the temple that week, I try to study it on my own so that I can build my foundation more on the temple and more on Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #27:<\/strong> \u201cI take time to go to the temple weekly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cHow do you even get appointments to go to the temple weekly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #27:<\/strong> \u201cI set an alarm for 11:58 p.m. the day before the new month so that I can set up appointments, and I use the Provo City Center and the Provo Temples.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #28:<\/strong> \u201cChristmas is all about Christ and Christ\u2019s relationship with Heavenly Father and Heavenly Father sending Him down to earth to be our Savior, so the more that we connect with Them, the more powerfully we connect with the whole purpose of Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student #29:<\/strong> \u201cSo during Christmastime you have a lot of opportunities for service, I feel. And that\u2019s what really connects me with Christ and helps me to feel more joy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brother Wilcox:<\/strong> \u201cBeautiful!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to thank all of you who have consciously responded to President Nelson\u2019s appeal to \u201c[make] time for the Lord in your life\u2014each and every day.\u201d This is a pattern that will strengthen your spiritual foundation not only at Christmastime but during all of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do we learn from these disciples of Christ in the video? We learn that in our world of distractions, complexities, and temptations in which we have influences pulling us in every direction, we must take responsibility for the person we want to become. Desiring to be a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ is very important to each of us, and to chart our course, we make time for the Lord each and every day. We make prayer a part of each day. We nurture our spirits with the word of the Lord in the scriptures. We find more time for the holy temple, the house of the Lord. We curb some of our social media. Did you note in the video President Worthen\u2019s pattern in the morning before he looks at his phone or emails? Let us prepare ourselves each day so the Lord can direct us in helping those who need our attention and our love. Christmastime is a wonderful time to solidify the habits we seek for all of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those willing to do their very best to make time for the Lord each and every day, the promises of President Nelson will be fulfilled. Furthermore, I bless you as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ that as you shape your daily habits to include the Lord, you will feel the Savior\u2019s love and approval. I bless you that as you increase your efforts from now through Christmas, the desire to continue these habits beyond Christmas will stay with you, and your progress as one of the Savior\u2019s disciples will grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will conclude with my testimony of the Savior. Then I would ask that we all stand and sing with this magnificent choir \u201cAngels We Have Heard on High.\u201d19<\/sup> Please remain standing after the singing as the closing prayer is offered by our grandson Christian Hadlock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Witness of the Savior<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I love to speak about the Savior. It was He, under the direction of the Father, who created this world for us. He separated the light from the darkness, the water from the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was He who brought order and beauty, the plants and the animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was this Creator who answered the call of our Father with words full of love and humility: \u201cHere am I, send me.\u201d20<\/sup> \u201cFather, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.\u201d21<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What gratitude we must have felt in realizing that He, who was the Only Begotten of the Father, who was the beloved and chosen from the beginning, was willing to fulfill our Heavenly Father\u2019s eternal plan of salvation for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of the heavenly hosts who in the meridian of time anticipated the beginning of our Savior\u2019s life on earth. \u201cLift up your head and be of good cheer,\u201d the Lord said to Nephi the day before His birth, \u201cfor behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world.\u201d22<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And thus, He who was the greatest came to earth without honor or applause. He showed us how to live. He taught us to become as a child, to reach beyond this world to our Father for help. He taught us to discipline ourselves, to be concerned not only with our acts but with our thoughts. He taught us how to love. He taught us to strive to become \u201ceven as [He is].\u201d23<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

His example was but a part of His gift to us. As He anticipated the approaching Atonement, Jesus acknowledged, \u201cFor this cause came I into the world.\u201d24<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Gethsemane and on Golgotha He suffered in \u201cboth body and spirit,\u201d and it \u201ccaused [Him], even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain.\u201d25<\/sup> Yet He did not shrink but offered Himself as \u201ca sacrifice for [our] sin[s]\u201d26<\/sup> and took upon Himself our \u201cpains and . . . sicknesses.\u201d27<\/sup> He bore our sins that His mercy might save us, and He bore our sicknesses that He might reach out to us in our difficulties. The Lamb without blemish \u201cdescended below all things.\u201d28<\/sup> Then, on the third day following His Crucifixion, He rose from the tomb. As has been said many times before, without Easter there would be no Christmas.29<\/sup> But because He rose from the tomb, we joyfully celebrate His miraculous birth. Merry Christmas to you, my fellow disciples!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I testify that He lives. He is resurrected. He is our Savior and Redeemer. He guides the work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He bids us to come unto Him that He might heal us and prepare us for the eternity that awaits us. As we celebrate this season of Christmas, I pray that we will make time for Him each and every day, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a9 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTime for the Savior at Christmas Neil L. Andersen | BYU Speeches<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By following the prophet's invitation to make time for the Savior daily, we can experience the special spirit of Christmastime year-round.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Time for the Savior at Christmas\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By following the prophet's invitation to make time for the Savior daily, we can experience the special spirit of Christmastime year-round.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BYU Speeches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/byuspeeches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-12-17T22:46:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Speeches_ShareCard2024.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BYUSpeeches\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"18 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"Neil L. Andersen\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/\",\"name\":\"Time for the Savior at Christmas Neil L. Andersen | BYU Speeches\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-07T19:21:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-17T22:46:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"By following the prophet's invitation to make time for the Savior daily, we can experience the special spirit of Christmastime year-round.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Speeches\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Neil L. Andersen\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/speakers\/neil-l-andersen\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Time for the Savior at Christmas\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/\",\"name\":\"BYU Speeches\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BYU Speeches\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BYUspeechesLogo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BYUspeechesLogo.png\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"BYU Speeches\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/byuspeeches\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/BYUSpeeches\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/byuspeeches\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/byuspeeches\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/BYUSpeeches\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Time for the Savior at Christmas Neil L. Andersen | BYU Speeches","description":"By following the prophet's invitation to make time for the Savior daily, we can experience the special spirit of Christmastime year-round.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Time for the Savior at Christmas","og_description":"By following the prophet's invitation to make time for the Savior daily, we can experience the special spirit of Christmastime year-round.","og_url":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/","og_site_name":"BYU Speeches","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/byuspeeches","article_modified_time":"2023-12-17T22:46:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Speeches_ShareCard2024.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@BYUSpeeches","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"18 minutes","Written by":"Neil L. Andersen"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/","url":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/","name":"Time for the Savior at Christmas Neil L. Andersen | BYU Speeches","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-12-07T19:21:40+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-17T22:46:52+00:00","description":"By following the prophet's invitation to make time for the Savior daily, we can experience the special spirit of Christmastime year-round.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/neil-l-andersen\/time-for-the-savior-at-christmas\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Speeches","item":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/talks\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Neil L. Andersen","item":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/speakers\/neil-l-andersen\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Time for the Savior at Christmas"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/","name":"BYU Speeches","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#organization","name":"BYU Speeches","url":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BYUspeechesLogo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BYUspeechesLogo.png","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"BYU Speeches"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/byuspeeches","https:\/\/x.com\/BYUSpeeches","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/byuspeeches\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/byuspeeches\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/BYUSpeeches"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/speech\/25242"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/speech"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/speech"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speeches.byu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}