The spirit of Christmas lasts all year when members generously serve in the temple for those who have died, said President Gordon B. Hinckley.

President Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke at a fireside in the Assembly Hall Sunday, Dec. 8, to workers of the Jordan River Temple. The fireside, and President Hinckley's remarks, "recognized the magnitude of the work of redemption that takes place within the temple," said Pres. Wm. Grant Bangerter of the Jordan River Temple and General Authority Emeritus.The Assembly Hall was filled with many of the 3,000 Jordan River Temple workers and their families. At the fireside, a video production with highlights of the temple's past 10 years was presented. Prayers were offered by Carl E. Pettersson, who served as temple committee chairman in 1981; and Donovan H. Van Dam, first president of the Jordan River Temple.

In his remarks, President Hinckley said: "This is Christmas - this work is the very essence of the work of the Son of God, whose birth we remember.

"My brothers and sisters, this is a tremendous opportunity to be part of Christmas around the year, of affording to others the powers and opportunity to go on to the eternal blessing which the God of all has designed for all."

He encouraged members to help the less-fortunate in temporal ways, and noted: "We give at Christmas through the Spirit of Christ. The Father gave His Son, and the Son gave His life that we might have eternal life.

"Somehow, unless we give and give and give, we do not worship Him in spirit and truth.

"Now, at Christmas time with packages and tinsel and ornaments. . . . We bestow toys and eat food we don't need. . . . The true Christmas gift that exceeds anything of this kind is the gift of eternal life made possible through the Son of God with the power within us as His sons and daughters to open the door and lift the gate and make way the road . . . that leads to exaltation and eternal life.

"Somehow, there is no way if we put a red box, or a green box or silver box, under the tree for them [unbaptized ancestorsT, but there is something you can do that is far better than a red box, or green box or a silver box. . . ."

Those who serve in temples "do for others what they cannot do for themselves, and in the process, exemplify in some small measure at least the great vicarious work of the Son of God, in giving His life in propitiation for the sins of all mankind, making certain the resurrection from the dead, and opening beyond the doors of opportunity based upon obedience for exaltation and eternal life in the highest of the glories of our Father and His beloved Son."

He expressed appreciation for temple workers, who are "such shining examples of devotion and the spirit of consecration in the work of the Lord."

"I know that it isn't easy. Some of you arise very early in the morning, some travel very long distances, some of you leave work in order to go to the temple, and then have to make up for it."

He concluded by asking, "May you have joy in service and not be tired. . . . When you go home so weary that you can scarcely put one foot ahead of the other, may you say to yourselves, `This is the sweetest weariness I have ever known.' "