The two greatest commemorations in all the Christian world are Christmas and Easter. Without Easter and its commemoration of the Savior's atonement, mortal death on the cross and His resurrection, the celebrations of Christmas would be of little significance.

At this season, we speak and sing of the Firstborn of the Almighty who left His royal courts on high to come to earth to be born as the baby in Bethlehem, who grew in stature and became "King of kings, and Lord of lords, [who] shall reign for ever and ever." (See 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 17:14, and Rev. 19:16.)At the First Presidency Devo-tional in the Tabernacle in 1995, President Gordon B. Hinckley, delivering his first Christmas devotional address as president of the Church, said: "The story of Christmas is so much larger than the story of His birth in Bethlehem. It is the very core of the entire plan drawn and adopted for the salvation of the sons and daughters of God of all generations. His birth cannot be separated from His earthly ministry. Neither can it be detached from His divine sacrifice, the atonement made in behalf of each of us. At Christmas, we sing of His birth. I feel so profoundly grateful for that birth.

"But that birth would not be remembered but for the gift He made to all of us through His mortal ministry, followed by the terrible pain and suffering of His death, to rise glorious and triumphant as the Redeemer of the world.

"Christmas becomes a solemn reminder of all this, and it has a wondrous effect upon our lives. Somehow in the magic of this season, there is less of hate and more of love, there is less of greed and more of giving, there is less of indifference and more of gratitude. If only for a brief season, we are inclined to lay aside our selfishness and reach out to help others. We see this all around us in the generous outpouring of kindness in behalf of those in need and pain and distress. We are more inclined to step beyond the narrow confines of our self-centered routines and reach out to help others less fortunate." (Church News, Dec. 9, 1995.)

During this season, we turn our thoughts to Bethlehem, even the name of which has significance. It means "house of bread." Located five miles south of Jerusalem, wheat grown there sustained physical life. Ruth, an ancestor of the Savior, gleaned in the fields of Boaz at Bethlehem. How fitting it is that He who brought spiritual nourishment should begin His mortal life in a place known as "house of bread."

The wise men "from the east" followed a heaven-sent star to find "the young child . . . and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (See Matt. 2:1-11.)

We, too, are admonished "to follow." But it is not a star that we pursue. "Come follow me," He beckoned to Peter. (See Luke 18:22.) We can suppose that the invitation included others of His disciples and is open to us today.

The shepherds, to whom an angel of the Lord brought "good tidings of great joy" that a Savior was born, went "unto Bethlehem to see this thing which is come to pass." Afterward, "they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child." (See Luke 2:8-17.)

We might never go to Bethlehem, "the house of bread." Nevertheless, nearly 2,000 years later, we have a duty much the same as that of the shepherds of Judea's hills. We, too, must stand as witnesses of Jesus Christ. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we bear testimony of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, "called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." (Isa. 9:6.) We, too, have a responsibility to make known the good news of the Savior of us all.