One of Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes’ most memorable Christmases came as a new missionary in Brazil when a family he and his companion were teaching invited the elders to have Christmas dinner in the family’s small, dirt-floor home.
The young missionary wasn’t initially enthusiastic about the invitation. He questioned what kind of Christmas dinner the family could offer when they didn’t even have a table. He wondered if he and his companion should hold out for an invitation from a more well-to-do family in the ward.
But his senior companion accepted the invitation, and President Farnes was not prepared for what he saw on Christmas day — a table with heaping plates of food and a tall bottle of soda, but only two chairs, one for him and one for his companion.
“I was speechless and overcome with emotion. They had prepared this Christmas dinner just for us. It must have been a great sacrifice for them, and yet, as I sat at the table and looked at the children, sitting against the wall, watching us eat, I saw smiles on their faces. Making a sacrifice for us — strangers from another country — had brought them genuine joy.”
Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes speaks during a broadcast of the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In his address during the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional broadcast on Sunday, Dec. 7, President Farnes said the Brazilian family had given him a “beautiful gift” that “changed my life forever.”
“The memory of that family’s joyful sacrifice turns my thoughts to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His sacred gift of redemption and healing,” President Farnes said. “After all, His gift is the reason we celebrate Christmas.”
‘Am I accepting the gift?’
President Farnes reflected on the Savior’s willingness to come to earth and fulfill the plan of salvation, highlighting His humble birth, earthly life, His Atonement and death, and His triumphant Resurrection and victory over death.
He then asked a question he has pondered many times since that unforgettable Christmas dinner in Brazil: “Am I accepting the gift He so joyfully offers?”
President Farnes said one’s devotion to Jesus Christ should not be viewed as a school project where the goal is to achieve a perfect score.
“Jesus Christ is the only perfect person, and His is the only perfect life. As we seek to improve, we turn to Him,” he said. “I don’t think accepting the Savior’s gift can be done passively or casually. To me, the word ‘accept’ implies a conscious choice and intentional action. Just as His sacrifice for us was voluntary, He wants us to accept it voluntarily.”
He continued: “What are your desires? What do you really want to experience and accomplish in this life, today, tomorrow and eternally? Do you need comfort? Relief? Are you hoping to find peace again? Strength from the Lord? Do you want to be healed, forgiven, redeemed? Do you really want to become more and more like Jesus Christ, to live with Him and with our heavenly parents forever? If so, then accept the gift Jesus Christ is offering you.”
President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, right, shakes hands with Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes during the filming of the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional, which was broadcast on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, far right, and Primary General President Susan H Porter are also pictured. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ‘Turn toward Him’
Each Christmas, the Farneses’ grandchildren gather at their grandparents’ home to partake in a cherished tradition of enjoying the family’s collection of Christmas crèches, nativity scenes that depict the birth of Jesus Christ.
Typically, the figures are arranged in a line with the baby Jesus at the center. However, one year, President Farnes noticed that one of his grandchildren had arranged each figure in a circle, all facing the baby Jesus. This new arrangement taught President Farnes a profound lesson.
“It isn’t enough just to be in the same general area as the Savior. It’s not enough to be slightly tilted in his direction or next to someone who is close to Him,” he said. “To fully accept Christ’s gift, we each need to fully turn toward Him.”
President Farnes emphasized that to fully turn toward the Savior and embrace His gifts of redemption and healing, one should embrace the daily practice of repentance, following the counsel of the late President Russell M. Nelson.
“It really is that simple,” he said. “We accept the Savior’s gift by repenting, by turning to him. He offered his life so that we could change, improve, be healed and be redeemed.”
President Farnes continued: “We can and we should celebrate Christmas each day by turning to the Savior and gratefully accepting His gift. As we embrace the joy of daily repentance, we will discover that the blessings of Christmas and the miracle of His gift can be ours continually.”
Dining and Cooking