Before the coronavirus, when we were able to shop in stores you may have seen signs that read “the gift the never stops giving”.
Joy D. Jones illustrated this point. “One day while shopping, a 9-year-old girl noticed a large banner hanging over a display case and showed it to her mother. The banner proclaimed, The gift that never stops giving. Mom, I know what the gift is that never stops giving, she said, it’s Jesus! Her mother erroneously responded, No, sweetheart. It’s diamonds.” Joy Jones continued, “Using one internet search engine, I found thousands and thousands of items advertised with the phrase ‘The gift that never stops giving.’ Yet try as we may, no material gift that we give will last forever.”
Criteria for a gift that never stops giving
1. The Gift Comes at Great Sacrifice by the Giver
2. The Receiver has a Great Need for The Gift
3. It Continues to Give Forever
The only gift I know that never stops giving is from the Savior Jesus Christ. Let us consider His magnificent gift to all of us using the above criteria.
The gift comes at a great sacrifice of the giver Jesus Christ
Under the direction of our heavenly father the savior Jesus Christ created the earth: “The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1: 2-3 in the Bible) “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1: 1-2 in the Bible) The Savior’s great gift and mission was to atone for our sins and break the bands of death, which came at great sacrifice on His part. “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22: 43-44 in the Bible) The Savior said, “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit…Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” (Doctrine and Covenants 19: 16-19 p. 32)
The sons and daughters of God have great need for the savior’s gift
Though many of the sons and daughters of God in this life do not understand or accept the gift of the Savior, a time will come when His gift to all will mean more to everyone than any other gift ever received.
The savior’s gift will continue to give forever
Eternal life is being made worthy through the atonement of Jesus Christ to dwell forever in the celestial kingdom in the presence of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and all the other sons and daughters of God cleansed by the blood of the Savior. It is important to realize that eternal life is within the reach of us all.
“And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal,” (Moroni 7: 41 in the Book of Mormon)
“For thus saith the Lord–I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them …For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will–yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.
(Doctrine & Covenants 76: 5-10)
Dallas Jones, local leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of the article came from the talk of Joy D. Jones in the 2019 Devotional. Any questions call (231) 383-8359 or send an email [email protected].