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Act. Index 2021
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Act. Index 2021
December 20–26
"The Matchless Gift of God’s Divine Son"
From Come, Follow Me:
The Living Christ
From Come, Follow Me:
One way to focus your thoughts on the Savior this Christmas is to study “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.
Click to enlarge. Print here.
You may want to audio or video record your own family reading The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles. You could create a video of your family when you are together, or record a Zoom or other online meeting. Check out this link, or the FamilySearch Memories Audio App, or the "Record My Story" feature on FamilySearch Discovery for recording and preserving audio.
Consider creating a booklet, slide show, or an audio reading of the testimonies of some of your ancestors who left a record of their love of and gratitude for Jesus Christ and their witness of the truthfulness of his gospel. Add photos and additional stories as you find them. This project would make a wonderful Christmas gift for your family.
Find stories in FamilySearch Memories or on your fan chart, and share them. Check out the All The Stories site to see a searchable list of all the stories anyone has placed on your branch of the FamilySearch tree. Also see 10 Ways to Find Ancestor's Stories.
“We offer our testimony.”
From Come, Follow Me
What do we learn from “The Living Christ” about what it means to bear testimony? You may want to record your testimonies of Christ to commemorate the Savior’s birth…
What thoughts come to you as you read Luke 2:10–11 along with the first paragraph of “The Living Christ”? …Look for truths in “The Living Christ” that describe the Savior’s profound influence. How has He influenced you and brought you “great joy”? (Luke 2:10).
Share your witness of the living Christ and the plain and precious truths of His gospel with your family and others. This will leave no question in their minds about what you know to be true. You could share how that knowledge has shaped your life, given you hope and purpose, kept you on the covenant path, and guided you along. Read about sharing your testimony with others in this article: How To Share Testimony More Naturally.
You may want to audio or video record your testimony to inspire and witness to living loved ones and generations to come. Check out this link, FamilySearch Memories Audio App, or the "Record My Story" feature on FamilySearch Discovery for recording. What a blessing for your family to hear your voice sharing the message you want them to remember!
See the above instructions. See also Use Family Tree for Someone Else and Help Others: FamilySearch Project 6, Goal 4 in The Family History Guide.
“None other has had so profound an influence.”
From Come, Follow Me:
What do we learn from "The Living Christ" about what it means to bear testimony? You may want to record your testimonies of Christ to commemorate the Savior's birth ...
What thoughts come to you as you read Luke 2:10–11 along with the first paragraph of "The Living Christ"? ... Look for truths in "The Living Christ" that describe the Savior’s profound influence. How has He influenced you and brought you "great joy"? (Luke 2:10).After watching the above video clip from Mr. Krueger's Christmas, try to feel what it would be like to be in the manger with the newborn Christ-child. Talk about how you and your loved ones could create a similar video and share your feelings about the Savior. Consider using a creche, or having family members reenact the manger scene, while you take turns expressing gratitude to the Savior as Mr. Krueger did.
You can gather your costumes and props and make a beautiful memory to treasure and pass on to generations to come. You might want to do this activity with other friends and family members, which would be a memorable experience for all.
Your family might benefit from thinking about a special "gift" each member would like to give the Savior. Some examples are: making an effort to be kinder to others, reaching out in service, or working to overcome a bad habit. Perhaps your gift could include making a sacrifice of time to do temple and family history work. Go to the Ensign article Gifts for the Savior, to see how one family shares the experience of spending time on Christmas Eve thinking about and then writing the gifts on small pieces of paper. These are placed in a white box, tied with a ribbon and placed under the Christmas tree. On Christmas morning, the white box is opened first, and each family member shares what gift he or she is giving (unless the gift is too personal). This event could also be shared remotely if some members are not in physical attendance. This becomes even more of a “family history” moment when you all share experiences you have had during the last year as a result of giving a special gift to the Savior.
President Nelson: “I invite you prayerfully to consider what kind of sacrifice, and preferably a sacrifice of time, you can make to do more family history and temple work ..." Read or watch the full talk "A Sacrifice of Time" here.
In October 2018 General Conference, President Nelson spoke during the women's session about their role in gathering Israel. In 2016 he addressed millennials: "Spend more time—much more time—in places where the Spirit is present. That means more time with friends who are seeking to have the Spirit with them. Spend more time on your knees in prayer, more time in the scriptures, more time in family history work, more time in the temple. I promise you that as you consistently give the Lord a generous portion of your time, He will multiply the remainder." Becoming True Millennials (see also this article).
You are invited to check out the Youth: For Latter-day Saints page in The Family History Guide for fun, engaging, helpful activities, and instruction and inspiration to do temple and family history work, no matter whether you are a youth or not! Select and schedule in the activities that will help you to serve those you love and care about on both sides of the veil.
Learn more about Temple Baptism and Confirmation for the Dead, Temple Endowment, and Temple Sealings. Check out Ordinances Ready and Ordinances Ready on the FamilySearch App.
In The Family History Guide, see Temple Opportunities for help with every aspect of finding and taking names to the temple. Learn how to use the FamilySearch fan chart to find those in need of ordinances.
“He went about doing good.”
From Come, Follow Me
How might your family follow the Savior’s example of service this Christmas? How will you spread “peace and goodwill” in your family and community? How can you help bring “healing [to] the sick”?
From ComeUntoChrist.org:
"Although the Savior was born over 2,000 years ago, the story of the Nativity still applies to us today. This year, #LightTheWorld with love by serving others as He did and become part of the greatest story ever told."
What is #LightTheWorld?
Since 2016, #LightTheWorld has grown into a global initiative with millions of participants each Christmas. Throughout the holiday season, individuals perform acts of service to show love like Jesus did—with love. Want to join in? Go to http://www.LightTheWorld.org to find ways to give, resources, and more.
How can I help #LightTheWorld this year?
Follow us on social media:
Check out this Facebook Live session about Light the World: https://www.facebook.com/HiFiveLive/videos/2229099464056321
Here are some ways to “Light The World” at Christmastime and all the time!
“He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world.”
From Come, Follow Me
In the final paragraph of “The Living Christ,” note the attributes and titles given for the Savior. The following scriptures can help you ponder how Jesus Christ is “the light, the life, and the hope of the world”: Luke 2:25–32; 1 Corinthians 15:19–23; Moroni 7:41; Doctrine and Covenants 50:24; 84:44–46; 93:7–10. How is He your light, life, and hope? What other attributes or titles of the Savior mean the most to you?
How has studying “The Living Christ” affected your faith in and love for the Savior?
Write or audio-record about what you have learned this year, and help those you love to do the same.