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SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will send text message or email prompts with suggestions for daily acts of service to anyone who signs up, beginning Dec. 1 through the rest of the month.
This is the fourth year the church has launched its “Light the World” campaign, which encourages members and others to follow a calendar of service ideas in an effort to remember Christ and serve as He did during the month leading up to the celebration of His birth.
“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 — one of the church’s top governing bodies. “In whatever ways seem natural and normal to you, share with people why Jesus Christ and His church are important to you.”
This year, the campaign has four major focuses:
Daily service prompts
“What if the glow of our screens lit the hearts of the world?” asks the church’s “Light the World” campaign video. “What if the devices we use in isolation helped us connect with each other?”
While technology often gets a bad rap for isolating its users, the goal of the campaign is to utilize those distracting devices in a way that will bring people together.
Those who wish to participate can sign up to receive the church’s email or text message prompts that will suggest a way to serve someone, like “assist an elderly person” or “sit with someone new at lunch.” The prompts will begin Dec. 1 and last through the month.
“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.”
Nativity video
The church will release a new video called “The Christ Child” on Nov. 24 at LighttheWorld.org. The 18-minute nativity video will be a way for members and others to experience and share the events of Christ’s birth through the eyes of firsthand witnesses, according to Pratt.
The video will be shown in the Legacy Theater at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square from Nov. 24 through December. It will also be available on YouTube and the Gospel Library app.
Giving Machines
The church’s popular Giving Machines will return for a second year — in a few extra locations.
The machines are essentially charity vending machines that let users donate money to a charity in the same way they would choose a snack in a vending machine. The charities include organizations like UNICEF, Church World Service, WaterAid, Water For People and International Medical Corps.
Last year, the machines were in five locations around the world. They will now be in 10: 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
Latter-day Saint congregations throughout the world will hold a special, one-hour Christmas worship service on Dec. 22. Members are encouraged to invite their friends to come join them at their [local meetinghouse](<https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/' target=>).
