Intro

Good morning!

I could not for the life of me figure out how to start my talk. I rewrote this opening paragraph at least a few times and never could get anything that felt quite right. I kept trying to come up with a catchy hook because I wanted to do a good job and be impressive. Also, this message of God’s love that I want to share with you is so important.

I couldn’t figure it out, so instead, I’m going to use someone else’s words to help me paint a picture of what it means to “rejoice.” The word “rejoice” is a word we hear often, especially at this time of year, but maybe don’t fully know what it means or looks like since we don’t use it in everyday speech. This is from a song called “My Everything” by Adam Young:

When my hope is lost And my strength is gone I run to you and you alone When I can’t get up and I can’t go on I run to you and you alone

‘Cause you’re my light in the dark And I sing with all of my heart

Hallelujah My almighty God divine Hallelujah I am yours and you are mine This is all I know how to say Hallelujah Hallelujah You’re my everything

So we don’t rejoice because life is easy, or because answers come quickly. We rejoice because Jesus Christ came, and we rejoice because He will come again.

Why we rejoice

Jesus Christ did not come because humanity had proven itself worthy of rescue. He came because heaven does not abandon its children.

This is where I want to slow down because I feel that it is critically important to understand.

Christ did not come for humanity in the abstract. He came for people. For individuals with histories, contradictions, hopes, and fears. He came for you. Personally. With full awareness of who you are, with full awareness of what you carry, and full awareness of what you fear might disqualify you from His love. Because you matter.

A personal experience

I want to share something from my own life that I am still trying to figure out.

There are days when I feel spiritually stretched thin. I’m trying to be present as a husband and father, faithful in my discipleship and ministering responsibilities, and yet I often feel as though I am carrying more than I am managing well. I find myself wondering if I am truly magnifying my calling. I make myself feel guilty for my minuscule ministering efforts.

I believe in Christ. I trust His gospel. But sometimes I still wonder whether I am living it well. I suspect I’m not alone.

And in moments like that, I personally don’t feel motivated by reminders that I should just try harder. What I need is the assurance that Christ did not come because I was sufficient. He came because I wasn’t.

The angel’s declaration to the shepherds we remembered this week for Christmas was not conditional:

“I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

“All people” includes those who are striving but tired. Faithful but unsure. Devoted but, like me, still learning how to trust grace as much as effort.

That is why we rejoice in His coming.

How we rejoice

So then, how do we rejoice in His coming?

The answer, mercifully, is simple.

We rejoice by living close to Him.

Not perfectly, or performatively, but intentionally.

• We rejoice in His coming when we pray—not only because we are disciplined, but also because we are dependent.
• We rejoice when we open the scriptures—to hear His voice and feel close to Him.
• We rejoice when we partake of the sacrament—not only as a grounding regular routine, but as a warm, welcoming reunion with the Divine.

A Jewish example

Recently, my sweetheart Christine has been teaching our family about different faith traditions, on what we have been calling our “holy envy tour.” Last week during Hanukkah we spent time learning about Judaism. Her insight that struck me most was the incredible depth of faith required by the Jewish people to continue waiting for the Messiah—century after century—without losing hope.

A Latter-day Saint perspective

As Latter-day Saints, we stand in a sacred place, where we no longer wait in uncertainty, because we know who the Messiah is. We know what He has done. We have the great blessing of scriptural evidence of His power, and of His mercy. And we we have some idea about what to look forward to when He comes again.

My favorite part of all of the scriptures is when the people of the Book of Mormon rejoice in His visitation of the Americas. He asks them to come forward—one by one—to see Him and feel Him individually. This is from 3 Nephi chapter 11:

13 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:

14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

16 And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:

17 Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.

For some, rejoicing might be outwardly loud and exuberant. After all, we believe that we cheered and jumped for joy at the presentation of the Plan of Salvation before coming to Earth. For me personally, it’s usually in the quiet moments that I feel like my heart is rejoicing the loudest.

A personal experience

Some months ago, on a particularly difficult day during a particularly difficult trial, I was driving in the car by myself. I remember praying to Heavenly Father, wondering when He was going to lift this trial from my family. I asked, “where are You?” I think I even said it out loud. I had some music on, not spiritual music, just a regular song. Right then the song had this beautiful melody that captured my full attention. It felt like a bolt of lightning went through my heart when I felt the Spirit say, “I’m right here, in this melody. I’m in the trees and the air, I’m all around you. I’m here with you.” My heart rejoiced at the absolute miracle that a loving Creator of the Universe was aware of little me and took the time to speak to my heart.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, I testify that Jesus Christ came because the Father knows us each individually. I testify that His love is not theoretical and His grace is not distant. He came because you matter—and He continues to come now, quietly and faithfully into our hearts, until the day He comes again in person.

Hallelujah.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.