"You may well want to give a gift to the Savior. But he seems to have everything, doesn't he? Well, not quite. He doesn't have all of us with him again, forever—not yet. I hope we are touched enough by the feelings of his heart to sense how much he wants to know each of us is coming home to him. We can't give that gift to him in one day, or in one Christmas. But we could show him today that we are on the way.
"If we have already done that, there is still something left to give. All around us are people he loves, and he wants to help them—through us.
"One of the sure signs of a person who has accepted the gift of the Savior's atonement is a willingness to give. The process of cleansing our lives seems to make us more sensitive, more generous, more pleased to share what means so much to us....
"I hope that each of us this Christmas season will be touched by the feelings of others and give freely, without compulsion or expectation of gain. I hope we experience the joy of sacrifice, of giving something of ourselves. If we do so, we will learn this final lesson about giving—that those gifts are truly great which are given simply for the joy they bring to another heart."
- Henry B. Eyring, "Giving with Joy," Ensign, Dec. 1982, pp. 9-11
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President Eyring is always thoughtful and penetrating in his remarks. This is a fascinating thought; what does the Savior not possess that we can give to him? It starts with our own hearts, our commitment to His gospel plan:
But then the next step we can give is to help others around us do the same. In fact, as we draw nearer to Him and engage in "the process of cleansing our lives," we become "more sensitive, more generous, more pleased to share what means so much to us." We will want to sacrifice and share for His good and for the joy we will be spreading. What a beautiful Christmas thought!
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