For the Righteous, Christmas Means All Will Be Well
2022 First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional
Sunday, December 4, 2022
I thank President Nelson and the First Presidency for the privilege of speaking tonight. Our family has celebrated the traditions of Christmas in our own country and in France, Germany, and Brazil. Wherever we live, for all of us who believe in and follow Jesus Christ, one beautiful truth stays the same: we rejoice that He who was called from the beginning, He who was anticipated for centuries, He who was the Only Begotten of the Father, He came—in the meridian of time, in the humblest of conditions—He came. And because He came, the billions who have lived upon this earth will live again and may, if they choose, inherit eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God.
Within the beautiful story of His birth at Christmastime, there are many lessons we can learn.
Here is the lesson I would share with you tonight: With all the worry and uncertainty, the difficulties and the trouble that follow us here in our mortal life, for those who are righteous—who have faith and trust in the Lord—in the end, all will be well.
Think of these beautiful examples.
A righteous woman named Elisabeth and her husband, Zacharias, now in their older years, were saddened that they had not been blessed with children. Yet they were faithful and trusted in the Lord.
Although the scriptures do not record what Zacharias and Elisabeth may have felt and said to each other, the musical drama Savior of the World helps us reflect upon what may have been in their hearts. Zacharias declares to Elisabeth: “We have not been chosen to have children. But we still trust in the Lord.” And then they sing: “I’ll give God forever, but not to do my will. … If it’s not to be, giving Him forever means I’ll wait and watch and see. … I’ll … let Him lead me on … until my hours, until my days, until my years are gone.”1
Then a miracle happened. The scriptures record that in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias. The angel declared: “Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. … And he shall … make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”2
Zacharias answered, “I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.”3
Gabriel responded, “Because thou believest not my words,” “thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be … fulfilled.”4
Think of the feelings that would have come to Elisabeth and Zacharias. For years they had prayed for children, but none had come. They continued to keep the commandments and trust in the Lord. Then, an angel appeared to Zacharias, but in the aftermath, he could not speak. He may have wondered about his standing before the Lord. But in due time, the baby was born. Zacharias could speak again. And the baby became John the prophet, who prepared the way for the Savior. With all the uncertainty and difficulty, for the righteous, in the end, all is well.
Next, in the Christmas story, we meet beloved Mary, chosen to be the mother of the Son of God. And yet there is concern and uncertainty in her life. Gabriel appeared to Mary, telling her of her noble calling. Mary asked, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”5 Gabriel explained that the power of the Holy Ghost would come upon her, and the power of the Highest would overshadow her, and she would conceive the Son of God, and His name would be Jesus.
Think of what joy and happiness she must have felt to be visited by an angel of God. How humbling as she contemplated being the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. And yet, in telling Joseph, all was not settled. Joseph was a just man and did not want to bring shame upon Mary, but he was uncertain of the right path to follow. In his trouble and uncertainty, an angel came to him in a dream: “Joseph, … fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”6
Certainly we can understand Mary being troubled and uncertain, wondering how this most amazing blessing would happen. Joseph, also, was worried and unsettled. Yet now it was clear that they were to take this path together. How happy Mary must have been to know that an angel had appeared to Joseph. How happy Joseph must have been to know this was the will of God. With the uncertainty and difficulty, for the righteous, in the end, all is well.
But as we know, there was difficulty still ahead; there always is. As Mary’s time for delivery was near, the Romans required Joseph to return to the city of Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph determined that they would go together. We all love the beautiful Christmas story. Arriving in Bethlehem, there was no room in the inn. What worry Joseph must have felt. How could it be? Why must Mary, chosen above all women, give birth to the Son of the Highest in the rudiments of a stable? Would the birth be without trouble or complications?
It could have seemed so surprising, so unjust. But the baby was born; He was healthy. As the beautiful Christmas carol recounts, “Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.”7
Before the night was over, an angel appeared to shepherds in the field bringing good tidings of great joy. And angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”8
The shepherds went to Bethlehem to find the baby Jesus. And as they found the Christ child, what comfort and reassurance Joseph and Mary must have felt as they realized there was purpose in the difficulty that surrounded them. The angels had declared His coming and His noble mission. After the struggle and the uncertainty, for the righteous, in the end, all is well.
In the new world, troubles, uncertainties, and concerns were also with the righteous. The prophet Samuel had prophesied that the Savior’s birth would be five years in the future and that there would be a sign of an entire night without darkness. As the day approached, the unthinkable was in the plans. “A day [had been] set apart by the unbelievers, [who declared the time had passed,] that all those who believed [that the Savior would come would] be put to death except the sign should come to pass.”9 The unbelievers ridiculed the believers, “Your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.”10 Imagine the uneasiness and concern of the righteous. The scriptures say that Nephi “bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people.”11 And as Nephi was praying, “the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world.”12
The scriptures proclaim, “The words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, … for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness. … [And] all the people … were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth. … [And] there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. … And they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born.”13
With all the difficulties and uncertainty, for the righteous—for those who trust in God—in the end, whether in this life or when we kneel at His feet, all will be well.14
Thinking about the sacred time of the Savior’s birth, why would the Lord wait until the very last night to tell Nephi that He would be born on the morrow? He could have told him weeks or months ahead. Why did He allow Elisabeth and Zacharias to grow old without children before confirming that the prophet John would be born to them? And why did Mary need to wonder about the course before her and Joseph question his place in the story of all stories? Why would the role of a manger and shepherds and angels be unknown until the events took place?
In the premortal world, the Lord declared: “We will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”15 And from Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”16
In our times of uncertainty, in our days of trouble and difficulty, in our struggles, let us be faithful. Jesus came that holy night. He is the Savior of the world, the Prince of Peace, the King of kings. He lives, and “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in [Him] tonight.”17 I witness that as we are righteous, all our tears of sorrow, difficulty, and uncertainty will be met and made right in Him, the beloved Son of God. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.”18 In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.