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Show Christmas Message From Pres. Kimball SALT LAKE CITY Byobeying the commandments of the Snvior, all mankind may find the true recipe for joy in this life, the leader of the world's 3.3 million Mormons said today. In his annual Christmas message to the world, President Spencer W. Kimball said: "The Lord has said that we shall find joy through keeping his commandments. It is as simple as that." The prophet-leader of America's Amer-ica's fastest growing major religion said the joy of keeping the commandments is not merely a far-off reward in the life after death. "Jesus also came to bring joy into our lives here and now right here on earth today," he emphasized. , "How can this be? you may ask, when there are so many heartaches heavy hearts through the illness of a loved one, through the wayward ways of a son or daughter, the burdens bur-dens of debt, or through the tensions of these teeming, often troublous times. "Our Savior, who was the Babe in Bethlehem, has given us the recipe for inner peace, for a soul that glows with joy, for a heart that loves life even though it may be strewn with trials," President Kimball said. The Church leader said theSavior commanded mankind to "love the Lord, to serve our fellow men unselfishly, un-selfishly, to be honest, to be pure, avoiding unchastity before marriage and infidelity once we take a companion. "Jesus taught us to pray faithfully to our Heavenly Father, to pray to Him as families. These are some of his commandments. ,'my humble message to each of you (in the world) at this Christmastime," he said, "is to keep the Savior's commandments. com-mandments. In them is the true recipe for joy." In this Christmas message, President Kimball also spoke of the "miracle of forgiveness" for those who have erred. "Perhaps you have not been as careful as you shold in keeping the Lord's commandments. com-mandments. Regret, trouble, sin, misery, often follow violating God's commandments.. com-mandments.. ., "For you who have erred there is hope. Yours can be the miracle of forgiveness if you will truly repent, turn away from your violations of the Lord's law. "You can find joy through keeping the commandments of the Prince of Peace." President Kimball concluded his message with his assurance that "joy can come if we keep the commandments of him whom we honor in this season of Christmas." |