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    14 November 2019 - Salt Lake City
    News Release

    2019 Christmas Initiative Encourages Service ‘One by One’

    ‘Light the World’ global effort in its fourth year

    A global effort to minister to others during the 2019 Christmas season has been unveiled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

       
    Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 / 2
         
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      The Light the World: One by One effort officially kicks off December 1. Online resources are already available at LighttheWorld.org, including sharable images and videos.

      Participants are encouraged to think of someone every day who they can help or invite, and serve as the Savior did, one by one.

      “Light the World presents marvelous opportunities to invite friends and neighbors to church and to your homes to learn with you about the Savior,” said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “In whatever ways seem natural and normal to you, share with people why Jesus Christ and His Church are important to you.”

      The initiative, now in its fourth year, runs throughout December.

                    

      Daily Service Prompts

      Those participating can sign up to receive daily service prompts via text message or email beginning December 1 (for North America only).

      “These prompts are to help you focus not on how can I help, but who can I help,” said Tom Pratt, who oversees the program for the Church’s Missionary Department. “Of course, people can always seek inspiration for the best way to reach out to an individual.”

      Suggestions for daily service include eating lunch with someone new, helping someone in need by making a small donation to a charity or planning a one-on-one activity with a friend or loved one.

      Nativity Video

      A new inspirational video called “The Christ Child” will be available to watch, download and share beginning November 24 on LighttheWorld.org.

      The 18-minute video is a “compelling, personal and engaging” version of the Nativity story that helps you experience and share the events of the Savior’s birth through the eyes of firsthand witnesses, Pratt said. “This was a real event that happened to real people.”

      The Nativity video will also be shown in the Legacy Theater in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square in Salt Lake City from November 24 through December. In addition, the video can be viewed on Gospel Media, the Gospel Library app and YouTube.

      Giving Machines

      The popular Giving Machines are back this year, making it easy to donate to global charities such as UNICEF, Church World Service, WaterAid, Water For People and International Medical Corps. The number of machines has doubled from five to 10 locations across the world this Christmas season.

      The locations for the machines include Gilbert, Arizona; San Jose, California; Denver, Colorado; Laie, Oahu, Hawaii; Las Vegas, Nevada; New York City, New York; Orem and Salt Lake City, Utah; London, England; and Manila, Philippines.

                      

      Special Sunday Service

      Congregations throughout the Church will hold a special Christmas worship service on Sunday, December 22. Members are encouraged to invite friends to come and worship with them during the one-hour, Christ-centered meeting. Locations and schedules for these services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be found in the meetinghouse locator on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

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