Place: Salt Lake City, UT (Conference Center)
Purpose: 2009 First Presidency Christmas Devotional

This evening was the annual First Presidency Christmas Devotional, in which the three members of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke to us about the meaning of Christmas.  Beautiful music was also provided by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square.

President Eyring conducted the devotional, and introduced the meeting as a time to pause to reflect with gratitude upon the birth and life of Jesus Christ.  The choir and congregation opened by singing “The First Noel.”  After the invocation, the choir sang a beautiful rendition of “For Unto Us a Child is Born” by Handel.

President Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, was the first speaker.  He spoke about finding and seeing Christ.  He said only the heart sees clearly.  Those things that are essential are invisible to the eyes.  If all we see is the decorations at Christmastime, we are missing something in plain sight.  As at Christ’s time, those who get caught up in the affairs of commerce and business can not see Him.  Can we see the Christ?  Do we let obstructions block our view of the Savior?  If we unclutter our lives a little bit and seek Christ with our hearts, we will see Him and find Him.

The choir then sang “O Holy Night.”

President Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, spoke next.  He spoke about the story of Christmas, and told how it was a story of love.  It was a story told before the earth was created, by prophets long before His birth, and has been told since.

The choir sang “How Far Is It To Bethlehem.”

President Thomas S. Monson, at the 2009 First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

In traditional form, and as a master storyteller, President Monson shared a Christmas story.  The story was about an occasion in the Atlanta International Airport around Christmastime when there were many flight cancellations, and not many people were able to travel.  A soldier was desperately trying to get on a flight to see his family once more before going into war.  A businessman noticed this solider’s plight, and gave up his seat so that this soldier could take his flight, wishing him only a merry Christmas.

President Monson noted, the joy in Christmas doesn’t come in the gifts, it comes when we show love and compassion exemplified by Jesus Christ.  In the planning of our gifts, lets also plan our time how we are going to help others and show our love to them.  Then President Monson quoted the lyrics from the third verse from the Christmas carol and hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem”:

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

President Monson finished by testifying that Christ still lives, and continues to be the light of the world.  He who follows Him will have the light of life, and not walk in darkness.

The choir closed by singing “Silent Night.”

More information about this devotional can be found at the links below:

Video Broadcast of the 2009 First Presidency Christmas Devotional
Deseret News – “President Thomas S. Monson: Bring the true spirit of Christmas”
Church News – “President Thomas S. Monson: ‘The spirit of the season’”
KSL.com – “LDS Church First Presidency delivers Christmas message”
LDS Newsroom – “First Presidency Gives 2009 Christmas Message”

The First Presidency Gives a Christmas Devotional is a post from: Follow The Prophet - The Activities of God's Living Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson