Now in his 93rd year, President Ezra Taft Benson has found much joy and meaning in Christmas seasons throughout his life.

As in past years, the prophet and his wife, Flora, plan to celebrate Christmas this year with family members.The mission of the Savior has always been central in President Benson's observance of Christmas. His fervent belief in and feelings about the Savior are clear from his speeches and writings.

"Every prophet from the days of Adam knew of that first Christmas and testified of the divine ministry of the mortal Messiah," President Benson said at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional Dec. 1, 1985.

"The Lord testified: `I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross,' (3 Ne. 27:13-14.) And so He was.

"In Gethsemane and on Calvary, He worked out the infinite and eternal atonement. It was the greatest single act of love in recorded history. Then followed His death and resurrection.

"Thus He became our Redeemer - redeeming all of us from physical death, and redeeming those of us from spiritual death who will obey the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

"Today in Christ's restored Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, He is revealing Himself and His will - from the first prophet of the Restoration, even Joseph Smith, to the present.

"And now, my beloved brothers and sisters, what must we do this Christmas season - and always? Why, we must do the same as the wise men of old. They sought out the Christ and found him. And so must we. Those who are wise still seek Him today.

" `I would commend you,' urged Moroni, `to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and the apostles have written.' (Ether 12:41.) And God has provided the means - the holy scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon - that all who seek may know that Jesus is the Christ.

"What a gift it would be to receive at Christmas time a greater knowledge of the Lord. What a gift it would be to share that knowledge with others."

At the Dec. 4, 1988, First Presidency Christmas Devotional, President Benson said:

"Nephi must have seen the events in Bethlehem when he `looked and beheld the virgin . . . bearing a child in her arms.' (1 Ne. 11:20.)

"King Benjamin learned from an angel of God that this newborn infant `would be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother would be called Mary.' (Mosiah 3:8.)

"The prophet Alma testified that the Spirit had told him that Christ would `be born of Mary, . . . a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel.' (Alma 7:10.)

"As these inspired prophets rejoiced in the birth and mission of the Savior, so should we. At this sacred season, I wish to add my witness to that of other prophets: The Son of God, Even Jesus Christ, lives. He was born and lived in humble circumstances. He ministered among the children of men. He died in holy innocence. He arose from the grave in majesty with His resurrected body. And He will return again to the earth in great triumph and glory. He is indeed our Savior and our Redeemer, the Only Begotten of the Father. And because He lives, so shall we live eternally.

"May the Babe of Bethlehem be the object of our worship and the focus of our lives during this blessed Christmas season - and always."

Other comments that President Benson has made about the Savior include the following:

"Thank God for the life and ministry of the Master, Jesus the Christ, who broke the bonds of death, who is the light and life of the world, who set the pattern, who established the guidelines for all of us, and who proclaimed:

" `I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

" `And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. . . .' (John 11:25-26.)

" . . . No other single influence has had so great an impact on this earth as the life of Jesus Christ. We cannot conceive of our lives without His teachings. Without Him we would be lost in a mirage of beliefs and worships, born in fear and darkness where the sensual and materialistic hold sway. We are far short of the goal He set for us, but we must never lose sight of it; nor must we forget that our great climb toward the light, toward perfection, would not be possible except for His teachings, His life, His death, and His resurrection." (General conference, April 1971.)

"The Babe of Bethlehem became the Nazarene, the Man of Galilee, the Life and Light of the world, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind, the miracle of all time. More books have been written about Him, more buildings have been erected to His honor, more men have died with His name on their lips than any other person who ever lived." (God, Family, Country, p. 12.)

Recollections rich with the warmth of family association also pervade the prophet's memories of Christmas, as reflected in the booklet President Ezra Taft Benson Remembers the Joys of Christmas, published by Deseret Book Co. Here are some excerpts:

"One of my favorite winter - and especially holiday - activities was taking out the big two-horse bobsleigh with bells on the horses. In those days, `Jingle Bells' was not only a song, it was a thrilling experience. There's nothing quite like riding through country lanes with the sleighbox filled with straw and a group of friends singing Christmas carols. In more recent decades my wife, Flora, and I have made many happy Christmas trips to visit family in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The highlight of each visit is a ride in a horse-drawn cutter or bobsleigh. It's exhilarating to get hold of the lines of a good team drawing a bobsleigh or two-seat cutter and ride out into the Canadian open." (p. 2.)

"Our home was always decorated with holly and mistletoe and a beautiful tree. Flora and the girls baked delicious cakes and cookies - enough, it seemed at times, to feed a small army. One of our cherished Christmas possessions was a sturdy set of sleigh bells that had jingled each winter from Flora's father's cutter. When our children were young, we rang the bells outside their bedroom windows to signal that Santa Claus was coming. In later years we hung the bells on the front door, and the jingle of the bells when the door opened brought back a parade of memories." (p. 3.)