Getting through the holidays can be a real pain in the gingerbread. With presents to wrap, dinner to cook, and relatives to tolerate, it can seem like the whole world is trying to get in the way of your Feliz Navidad. So as a fellow FHSS student, I want you to know I’m here for you. I write because I love you. And I want you make it to January 1st with fond memories of a holly jolly Christmas.

So, to help you navigate your Christmas appropriately, I’m going to start off by telling you how NOT to navigate Christmas, and then I will do the opposite.

Usually when I go home for Christmas, my navigation looks something like this:

If you’re like me, you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. The holidays can be exciting and cause us to forget what’s most important. This doesn’t make us bad people. But I’m worried that if we continue navigating Christmas like this, we’re going to end up with regrets, or worse yet, a lump of coal in our stockings. And I don’t want that for you or for me.

So let’s decide now to make a change. Let’s have our Christmas go a little more like this:

BYU Speeches has some great material that speaks to each step on this lovely navigation chart. So I’ve put all the steps in a link-able list:

• Ring the Bell: President Kevin J. Worthen, “Enlightened, Uplifted, Changed”
• Go Home: President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Building an Eternal Home”
• Remember: President Howard W. Hunter, “The Real Christmas”
  
• Chocolate (Sorry…not many speeches on chocolate)
• Find True Happiness: Elder Richard G. Scott, “To Have Peace and Happiness”
• Give: Henry B. Eyring, “Gifts of Love”
• Give Thanks: Amanda Kae Fronk, “Illuminated by Gratitude”
• Lend Your Heart: Jeffrey R. Holland “How Do I Love Thee?”
• Feast upon the Word of God: LeGrand Richards, “Value of the Scriptures”

I suggest that you choose one, maybe two of these speeches. Give them a read, and make it a goal to navigate through your Christmas with them in mind. I promise that if you do, you’ll keep off the naughty list, and come closer to the Savior. I love you. Happy holidays.