We’ve just spent a year studying the Old Testament, leading up to the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ. In a way, it was like one long Christmas Eve!
Now Christmas is finally here. We’ll read about the Savior’s birth, and in 2023 we’ll learn more about His life, His teachings, His miracles, and His Atonement. We’ll read how the Savior’s followers continued to teach the gospel after He was gone.
Christians around the world love the New Testament for its stories of Jesus and His followers. They read it in their homes, they quote it in their sermons and lessons at church, and they try to live by its teachings—just like we do. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes us different from others in some ways, but our love for the New Testament is not one of them. We have that in common with hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
You might be the only person in your school who knows anything about the Book of Mormon, but you’re likely not the only Christian. So let’s talk about it! As you read the New Testament in 2023, be on the lookout for things you can share or discuss with your fellow followers of Christ. In missionary work, we call this “building on common beliefs.” Don’t get hung up on what separates us from other Christian faiths. Focus on what we share: our love for and commitment to Jesus Christ.