97 thousand people, 1 purpose, and a never ending holiday

I survived Festival of Lights! I'm going to go ahead and add that to my list of major life accomplishments. We had over 97-thousand people come into the Visitors' Center during festival... people from all over the world! Brazil, India, Nicaragua, China, El Salvador, Utah (hey, hometown!), Alaska, California, Texas, and even the Saudi Arabian prince! Different cultures, different religions, 97-thousand different people all coming together for one purpose... to celebrate Christmas. As my companion and I talked with people from all over the world, we were able to help them remember what Christmas is all about. We boldly and sweetly testified of Jesus Christ, and shared with others how much He means to us. Whether they realized it or not, everyone left the Visitors' Center with much more more than they expected to find. An increased knowledge of The Church of Jesus Christ, a deeper love for the Savior, a greater understanding of what makes a temple so special, and even increased feelings of love for their families. I think I gained just as much as they did, if not more. My love for The Savior has grown so much these past couple of months, as I have had the opportunity to daily bear testimony of Him. I know that He lives and that He knows me personally. I know that all the difficulties I'm going through as a new missionary are difficulties He has experienced already. I know He wants to help me if I but humbly ask.

The trees are coming down and the lights are turning off, but Christmas never really ends. The true meaning of Christmas is one that should be celebrated all year long. I invite you to do just that, to live with the spirit of Christmas daily. Why would anyone want to live a day without remembering Jesus Christ?