2021
Sharing the Christmas Gift
December 2021

“Sharing the Christmas Gift,” For the Strength of Youth, Dec. 2021.

Sharing the Christmas Gift

Love—Share—Invite

By Elder Dale G. Renlund

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

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Dale G. Renlund

Sharing the gift of the gospel of Jesus Christ in normal and natural ways is one of the ways you can participate in the greatest work on the earth.

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Nativity

Painting by Michael Malm

The birth, life, teachings, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are the greatest of all Christmas gifts. His gospel brings joy to the world. Your love of God and others1 provides the motivation to ask yourself, “How can I joyfully share this gift with the world?”

Choosing from a Menu

Have you ever been to a restaurant where some of the food items on the menu are unfamiliar? In 2018, my wife and I went to a restaurant in Osaka, Japan. The menu had many options, most of which were unfamiliar and strange to us. One person in our group chose calamari (squid). But I did not like calamari, so I chose something else. Everyone selected something different from the menu. We all enjoyed our meals because we each chose a dish that appealed to us.

Sharing the gift of the gospel can be like eating in a restaurant. A large menu of ways is available to share the gospel or invite others to do something that ultimately builds faith in Jesus Christ.

No one needs to do everything.

Everyone who is willing can do something.

No one needs to do anything they do not choose.

You do not need to eat calamari unless you like it. (By the way, after sampling excellent Japanese calamari, I have come to like it.) You can choose to invite others to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that are comfortable and natural for you, using your own talents and abilities. Over time you may find that the range of things that are comfortable expands.

Your Menu for Sharing

So, how can you start? Make a “menu” of ways that you can share the gospel or invitations you can extend. These should range from easy (like me eating French fries with ketchup, which I have always liked) to challenging (like me eating calamari, which I did not like at first).

Create your list with your family, ward youth council, quorum, or class. Be creative! Try to think of 101 ways you can share or invite. Show your menu in your Young Women class or Aaronic Priesthood quorum. Everyone can choose one or two things that are natural for them to do. Discussing what happened after each person does their chosen activity will be exciting. Acting on your choice is acting in faith, and God will help you with His work.

I made my own menu of ways to share the gift of the gospel. After looking at my menu, number the items from the easiest to hardest for you to do.

  • Tell an acquaintance you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  • Refer to the Church as “my Church.”

  • Speak with a missionary who is not a native speaker of your language for three minutes and help with pronunciation or grammar.

  • Accurately report your Church activities with acquaintances. When asked “How was your weekend?” do not just say, “Fine.” Instead say, “I led a discussion with a group of young women on Sunday in my Church. We talked about Jesus Christ, and it made me so happy the rest of the weekend.” Or, “I went to my church and the choir sang the most beautiful number. I have been humming it all day.”

  • Tell the missionaries, “I’m happy to come to the next baptismal service.”

  • Invite a friend to watch a Church video on your phone.

  • Participate in Helping Hands.

  • Learn the names of the members in your ward.

  • Greet one person that you do not know at Church; say, “Hi, my name is ______. Welcome.”

  • Invite someone to meet the missionaries.

  • Smile at one person at church.

  • Invite a friend to find an ancestor on FamilySearch.

  • When asked, “Do you believe in God?” instead of saying, “Yes,” say, “I trust Him because of what I have learned in my Church.”

Now It Is Your Turn

Create your own menu that could include some of the same things—but yours should be much longer! Your menu might include posting on your social media account, inviting a friend to a Christmas event, or directing someone to the site for the Light the World Christmas campaign.2

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young woman writing

Even doing the easier things on your menu can have momentous effects in your life and in the lives of others. After all, “out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”3 The Lord does not need you to be experienced or skilled in sharing and inviting. All the Lord requires is your “heart and a willing mind.”4

Share the Gift

Sharing the gospel and inviting others to act in faith should be normal and natural. President Russell M. Nelson invited you to be part of the Lord’s youth battalion.5 Sharing the gift of the gospel in this way is one of the ways you can participate in the greatest work on the earth. And remember, President Nelson declared: “Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.”6

You can be part of loving others, sharing a message about Jesus Christ and His Church, and inviting others to learn more about the gospel. God will do His work; He will hasten the work in His own time, and He will use all who are willing to accomplish it, even—and especially—you.7