Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these… – Sunday, December 19, 1954
May we turn a moment or two to these words of Him whose birth Christmas commemorates. “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave, me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? For when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”2
In the midst of many things, in the midst of many wonderful and elaborate unessentials, Christmas is still a season in which essentials should be considered—such essentials as suggested by our Savior concerning the hungry, the lonely, the sick, the sorrowing, the imprisoned, the impoverished. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these . . . ye have done it unto me.”
Christmas is also a time for considering some of the essentials as concerning the Savior Himself. Many if not most men will concede that He had no peer among the prophets, no peer among the teachers, no peer among the great men and great minds of all time. All this He was, but all this is not enough. He was more than this according to the witness of the prophets and apostles.
He was much more than this according to His own account. And we also would witness this day that He whose birth this Christmastide commemorates is Jesus the Christ, the very Son of God, the only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That He lives!”1 that He was born and lived and died and rose again the third day; that He ascended to the Father at whose right hand He sits; and that He did for us what we could not do for ourselves, as concerning our salvation.
This is the testimony of the certainty of our souls. And as this Christmas comes, let it be a new witness to the world of the mission and message of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace. Let it be a time for re-examining ourselves and giving more consideration to some of the essentials. “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these . . . ye have done it unto me.”2
1Matthew 25:34-40,
2Doctrine and Covenants 76:22
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December 19, 1954
Broadcast Number 1,322