Mormon Church Christmas-Themed Ad Campaign 'He Is the Gift' Featured in NYC's Times Square
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has put up an ad in New York City's Times Square in honor of the Christmas season.
Titled "He is the gift," the overall campaign features a video about the birth of Jesus and includes the Times Square ad that will run through New Year's Day.
"The commercialization of Christmas tends to have much of the Christian world focusing on the 'busyness' of the holiday season. This time of year can bring stress, worry, and loneliness," said Elder David F. Evans, executive director of the LDS church's missionary department, in a statement shared with The Christian Post.
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In addition to the Times Square ad, the "He is the gift" initiative includes social media outreach, such as posting on Twitter with the message #ShareTheGift.
There's also a YouTube video posted by the LDS church last week that has already garnered over 222,000 views, along with 2,334 likes and only 16 dislikes.
"The first gift of Christmas was a simple gift given by a father to all his children, to us. He gave us His son, the Christ," reads the video's description. "He is the gift. This Christmas season, how will you share the gift?"
Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which governs the LDS church, said in a statement Friday that "Christmas is a time of reflection on what we can become because of God's sacred gift."
"As we discover the gift, we learn of the immeasurable love of God and our absolute need for a Savior," continued Nelson. "As we embrace the gift, we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to become more like Him. As we share the gift, we follow in the Master's footsteps, who invited all to hear His message."
