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12/2/96
"The birth of Christ our Lord was more than an
incident, it was an epoch in the history of the world to
which prophets had looked forward, of which poets had
sung, and in which angels joined their voices with
mortals in praise to God. It was the day decreed and
foreordained by our Father who is in heaven when he would
manifest himself to his children, who are here upon
earth, in the person of his Only Begotten Son."
— J. Reuben Clark, Messages of the First
Presidency, Vol.5, p.246
12/3/96
"How can anyone read this touching story of the
birth of Jesus Christ without wishing to forsake his
sins? At this season of the year it is well for one and
all — the king in his palace if there are kings in
palaces now — the peasant in his humble cottage, the
rich and the poor alike, to bow the knee and pay honor to
him who was without sin, whose life was spent in
sacrifice and sorrow for the benefits of his fellow man;
whose blood was shed as a sacrifice for sin, not any sin
of his, for he was without sin, but for the sins of all
who will repent and obey his voice that they might be
redeemed from their transgressions." — Joseph
Fielding Smith, The Restoration of All Things,
p.278
12/4/96
"Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He brought
to fulfillment the prophecies of the ages. Shepherds came
with haste to adore Him. Wise men from the East came
bearing for Him precious gifts; the meridian of time had
dawned. With the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, there
emerged a great endowment, a power stronger than weapons,
a wealth more lasting than the coins of Caesar. This
child was to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the
promised Messiah — even Jesus Christ, the Son of
God." — Thomas S. Monson, April Conference 1996
12/5/96
"The birth of the babe in Bethlehem was transcendent
in its beauty and singular in its significance. Jesus of
Nazareth brought prophecy to fulfillment. He cleansed
lepers, He restored sight, He opened ears, He renewed
life, He taught truth, He saved all. In so doing, He
honored His Father and provided you and me with an
example worthy of emulation." — Thomas S.
Monson, April Conference 1978
12/6/96
"We remember with gratitude that night of nights
which marked the fulfillment of prophecy when a lowly
manger cradled a newborn child. With the birth of the
babe in Bethlehem, there emerged a great endowment, a
power stronger than weapons, a wealth more lasting than
the coins of Caesar. This child, born in such primitive
circumstances, was to be the King of Kings and the Lord
of Lords, the promised Messiah — even Jesus Christ,
the Son of God." — Thomas S. Monson, October
Conference 1993
12/7/96
"But what of this wonderful story? Have we permitted
it to permeate and influence our lives? Have we accepted
it in its full meaning without reservations? Do we
believe that this babe was in very deed the only begotten
Son of God in the flesh? Do we have abiding faith in his
mission and are we willing to obediently follow him? If
the world had so believed and had sincerely heeded his
teachings, then it would not have been torn asunder by
strife and wickedness all down through the ages. If the
present world had sincerely believed in his mission; if
the inhabitants of the earth who have boasted that they
were Christians had sincerely followed the Prophet of
Galilee, and in the spirit of faith and humility had
truly believed in him, then this great and terrible
conflict which has brought sorrow, mourning and misery to
many thousands of homes never would have been inflicted
upon the world. There has been too much lip-service among
the professed followers of the Son of God and too little
real worship based upon the integrity of his
teachings." — Joseph Fielding Smith, The
Restoration of All Things, p.281
12/8/96
"At Christmastime, the whole Christian world stands
still to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Christmas cannot be cut out of the calendar nor out of
the heart of the world — it is the supreme festive
season of mirth and gladness. Love for God and one
another should be the Christmas theme. Such was the
divine announcement by the heavenly host that first
heralded the good tidings of great joy, 'Glory to God in
the highest and on earth peace, good will toward
men.'" — Franklin D. Richards, BYU
Speeches, December 14, 1965
12/9/96
"I was a student at BYU just finishing my first year
of graduate work when our first child, a son, was born.
We were very poor, though not so poor as Joseph and
Mary....
Nevertheless, when I realized that our own night of
nights was coming, I believe I would have done any
honorable thing in this world, and mortgaged any future I
had, to make sure my wife had the clean sheets, the
sterile utensils, the attentive nurses, and the skilled
doctors who brought forth our firstborn son. If she or
that child had needed special care at the Mayo Clinic, I
believe I would have ransomed my very life to get it.
I compare those feelings (which I have had with each succeeding child) with what Joseph must have felt as he moved through the streets of a city not his own, with not a friend or kinsman in sight, nor anyone willing to extend a helping hand. In these very last and most painful hours of her 'confinement,' Mary had ridden or walked approximately 100 miles from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Surely Joseph must have wept at her silent courage. Now, alone and unnoticed, they had to descend from human company to a stable, a grotto full of animals, there to bring forth the Son of God.
I wonder what emotions Joseph might have had as he cleared away the dung and debris. I wonder if he felt the sting of tears as he hurriedly tried to find the cleanest straw and hold the animals back. I wonder if he wondered: 'Could there be a more unhealthy, a more disease-ridden, a more despicable circumstance in which a child could be born? Is this a place fit for a king? Should the mother of the Son of God be asked to enter the valley of the shadow of death in such a foul and unfamiliar place as this? Is it wrong to wish her some comfort? Is it right He should be born here?'
But I am certain Joseph did not mutter and Mary did not wail. They knew a great deal and did the best they could.
I've thought of Mary, too, this most favored mortal woman in the history of the world, who as a mere child received an angel who uttered to her those words that would change the course not only of her own life but also that of all human history: 'Hail, thou virgin, who are highly favoured of the Lord. The Lord is with thee; for thou art chosen and blessed among women.' (Luke 1:28, Inspired Version) The nature of her spirit and depth of her preparation were revealed in a response that shows both innocence and maturity: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.' (Luke 1:38)
I have wondered if this young woman, something of a child herself, here bearing her first baby, might have wished her mother, or an aunt, or her sister, or a friend, to be near her through the labor. Surely the birth of such a son as this should command the aid and attention of every midwife in Judea! We all might wish that someone could have held her hand, cooled her brow, and when the ordeal was over, given her rest in crisp, cool linen.
But it was not to be so. With only Joseph's inexperienced assistance, she herself brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in the little clothes she had knowingly brought on her journey, and perhaps laid him on a pillow of hay." — Jeffrey R. Holland, "Maybe Christmas Doesn't Come from a Store", Ensign (December 1977), p. 64-65
12/10/96
"Who shall declare his generation? Whose son is he?
Well, now it is perfectly clear. On the one hand he is
the son of God, the God who said in messianic vein, 'Thou
art my son; this day have I begotten thee' (Psalms 2:7).
On the other hand, he is the son of David and the son of
Mary. He inherited from his Father the power of
immortality and from his mortal ancestors the power of
mortality. How do we know this? How can it be
established? We are dealing with spiritual things.
Matthew says his book is the book of the generation of
Jesus Christ, and he records the facts. He says there was
a virgin birth; but the whole world — Christians,
so-called — contends and is uncertain and has
difficult feelings about this passage. Some say, 'Yes, he
was born of a virgin,' and others say, 'It was a pious
tradition.' Then we read the Book of Mormon account, and
we discover what the perfect rendition of the doctrine
is. Whose son is he and how do you know it? Paul said a
very impressive thing: 'No man can say that Jesus is the
Lord, but by the Holy Ghost' (1 Corinthians 12:3). The
Prophet improved this by saying: 'No man can know that
Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.' — Bruce
R. McConkie, BYU Studies, Vol. 16,
No. 4, p.558
12/23/05
"The birth of the babe in Bethlehem was transcendent in its beauty and
singular in its significance. Jesus of Nazareth brought prophecy to fulfillment.
He cleansed lepers, He restored sight, He opened ears, He renewed life, He
taught truth, He saved all. In so doing, He honored His Father and provided you
and me with an example worthy of emulation." - Thomas S. Monson, "The
Prayer of Faith," Ensign (CR), May 1978, p.20
12/27/05
"I think it truly remarkable that the world still remembers that little baby
boy born in Bethlehem so long ago. He lived a life that we still try to follow.
He showed us the way. He taught truths we still try to live. He willingly
suffered for our sins because He loved us so completely. He gave us the right to
repent. And He gave His life that we might be resurrected and live again after
death." - Margaret D. Nadauld, "Stand
as a Witness," Ensign (CR), May 2000, p.93