It is a question we ask every year—sometimes quietly, sometimes urgently—especially when the world feels noisy, rushed, or distracted. Christmas is more than a date on a calendar. It is more than lights, gifts, or traditions.

Take heart, be filled with faith, and remember the Lord has said He “would fight [our] battles, [our] children’s battles, and [the battles of our] children’s children.” And what do we do to merit such a defense?

“True happiness comes only by making others happy. The spirit of Christmas makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service. It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Joseph stands in the Christmas story as one of the most remarkable yet least celebrated figures in all of scripture. He speaks no recorded words in the Bible, yet his actions speak with enduring power. He is the man God trusted to protect Mary, nurture Jesus, and quietly fulfill divine assignments that would change the world.

Join in remembering Joseph this Christmas season.

On a quiet night in Bethlehem, the world changed in a way few expected. No palace. No throne. No velvet cradle. Just a newborn child in a manger—hay for bedding and starlight for decoration.  

“Mortal mathematics is forever mistaking who and what counts,” Elder Maxwell reminded us. The arithmetic of appreciation is not practiced nearly as much as the multiplication tables. Gratitude recalibrates our spiritual math. It helps us count what heaven counts: compassion, obedience, repentance, and love.

Paul taught that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace” (Gal. 5:22). Love turns ordinary minutes into ministry. Grace reminds us we are forgiven and growing. Gratitude refines our vision (Tracy Browning).

President Dallin H. Oaks in “Good, Better, Best” teaches that wise disciples choose the uses of time that lead to the greatest spiritual growth. “We have to forgo some good things in order to choose others that are better or best.” Choosing to be grateful for every 2% we have, brings happiness to our lives and perspective.

When were you given a new 24 hours of time by God? Even the breath we take is a gift from God. So is our free and priceless time. How is your grateful heart influencing your use of those 24 hours?

Cicero once taught that gratitude is 'not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.' Gratitude shapes people into happier, more peaceful individuals. Where gratitude abounds, joy flourishes. Where it is absent, sadness, resentment, and futility often take root.

Note: Thoughts include those of Joseph Wirthlin, Cicero, Gordon B. Hinckley, Joseph S. Smith and my own. Music by Sally DeFord