followHIM Podcast Summary

Episode: Christmas Part 1 • President Bonnie Cordon • December 22 - 28 • Come Follow Me
Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Guest: President Bonnie H. Cordon, President of Southern Virginia University and former General Young Women President
Date: December 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This special Christmas episode focuses on centering Christ at Christmas, the significance of traditions, and reflections on "The Living Christ" document. President Bonnie Cordon joins the hosts to discuss meaningful holiday memories, the influence of traditions, the gift and symbolism of Christ’s life, and ways to more fully "receive" the Savior in daily life, drawing from personal experiences, scriptural insights, and the foundational document, "The Living Christ."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spirit of Christmas and Christ at the Center

• John Bytheway describes the Christmas spirit as “almost a palpable feeling in the air. There’s this joy of Christ in the air and you can almost feel it" (00:58).
• President Cordon emphasizes: “How do you have Christmas without Christ?...What does Christmas and what does Christ look like in your world?” (02:08).
• The panel reflects on their own and family traditions, emphasizing bringing Christ to the forefront—such as making the nativity scene the focal point in the room (10:40).

2. The Role of Traditions

• President Cordon shares her family’s tradition of acting out the Nativity, from her role as Baby Jesus to years as Mary, creating what she calls her "own sacred grove"—a place of deepening understanding of Christ through loving, lived tradition (12:46–16:45).

  “Christmas Eve became my own sacred grove...it was in the living room filled with people that I loved reenacting a night that changed eternity.” (16:00)

• She highlights how traditions can either “anchor us to Christ or...pull us quietly away from Him” (17:45). This is illustrated with scriptural examples from Helaman and 3 Nephi, where traditions lead to either dwindling or strengthening faith.
• Example: Her family’s “Pancakes and Pajamas” tradition was adapted to be more intentional towards Christ by tying activities to nativity sets and sharing personal testimonies: “We’ll allow them to say, what did Jesus do for you this year?” (19:35–20:27).
• Point: "You don’t have to throw [a tradition] out...Let’s tweak this a little bit." (20:27)

3. The Miracle and Astonishment of the Incarnation

• Hank reflects on Nephi’s vision and the “condescension of God”—the awe of Christ’s divine status as Jehovah choosing to enter mortality:

  “The person that he was, the being, the God that he was, choosing to become this little baby is almost...even the angel is a little bit in awe.” (21:00–22:25)

• President Cordon quotes Tad Callister on the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice (22:25):

  "He, the King of Heaven...left a throne to inherit a manger...He exchanged the dominion of a God for the dependence of a babe. He gave up the wealth, power, dominion, and the fullness of his glory for what? For taunting, mocking, humiliation and subjection."

• She concludes that both the Savior and His mother, Mary, exemplified perfect submission to God's will, paralleling Christ and Mary’s responses (“Be it unto me according to Thy word” - Luke 1:38; 24:28).

4. Ministering "One by One" and Recognizing God’s Hand

• Both hosts and President Cordon share experiences of feeling God’s awareness and personalized love during Christmas:
  • John recalls a mission Christmas in the Philippines, watching "Mr. Krueger’s Christmas," homesick, only to witness a tree shimmering with fireflies: “Is this a Christmas card from Heavenly Father?” (28:17–31:07)
  • Hank shares a story of a friend who, after a hard day, feels her late mother’s care through a serendipitous call from a friend (33:41).
  • President Cordon observes, “When you read in the Living Christ, he went about doing good, he’s still going about doing good...” (34:04).

5. The Power of Receiving Christ

• President Cordon tells a vulnerable story about receiving running shoes from her husband Derek while eight months pregnant. Feeling misunderstood, she later realized, “The problem wasn’t the gift. The problem was how I received it. . . . Receiving is a whole body experience” (36:56–42:08).

  “The joy he had hoped to give me was all tangled up in my insecurities.” (40:30)

• She ties this to the gospel: “Bethlehem is God’s offering…discipleship is us receiving all of that.” (42:19)
  • John notes: “Let earth receive her king.” (42:28)
  • The discussion explores active and intentional receiving of Christ and His atoning gift.

6. Recognizing and Honoring the Symbolism of Christ’s Body

• Focus on the “Living Christ” phrase: "He taught the truths of eternity...the purpose of our life on earth."
  • President Cordon discusses the deep significance of receiving a physical body—something even the righteous dead in D&C 138 describe as "a bondage" when absent (46:28–47:25).
  • Hank notes, “We commemorate his body...we focus in on the Savior’s body and it seems he cares about it.” (50:12–50:18)
  • John draws parallels to Christ as “the bread of life,” with the sacrament representing body and blood, and with “Bethlehem” meaning “house of bread” (51:46–52:33).

7. Christ's Unchanging Gospel and Universal Invitation

• President Cordon underscores that Christ always teaches "the same first principles...in the preexistence, mortal life, and resurrection—faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost," and that these are consistent patterns for returning to God (54:38–56:31).

  “He doesn’t ever change...the pattern of how to get there.” (54:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Christmas Spirit:

  “You remember how Samuel the Lamanite prophesied and there was the death of Christ on the other side of the planet, they could feel the vapor of darkness. I feel like on the opposite end with Christmas, it’s almost a palpable feeling in the air.” – John Bytheway (00:58)

• On Traditions:

  “Christmas Eve became my own sacred grove... reenacting a night that changed eternity.” – President Bonnie Cordon (16:00)

• On Receiving Christ’s Gifts:

  “Bethlehem is God’s offering...the atonement is God's giving, but discipleship is us receiving all of that.” – President Bonnie Cordon (42:19) “Receiving is a whole body experience.” – President Bonnie Cordon (41:00) “Let earth receive her king.” – John Bytheway (42:28)

• On Christ’s Condescension:

  “He exchanged the dominion of a God for the dependence of a babe. . . . It was a trade of unparalleled dimension, a condescension of incredible proportions, a descent of incalculable depth.” – Tad Callister, quoted by President Bonnie Cordon (22:25)

• On Miracles at Christmas:

  “Miracles are the natural result of the Messiah’s presence. . . . We have his name up... and just his name indicates his presence.” – Hank Smith (11:32)

• On the Gift of the Body:

  “The adversary will never have a body. He attacks most abundantly the body, something that he can’t have. . . . One of the greatest plans of our Heavenly Father is that we get to progress and actually have a physical body.” – President Bonnie Cordon (47:25)

• On the Immutable Nature of Christ’s Invitation:

  “He did it while he was on this earth. He did it when he returned as the resurrected Savior in Third Nephi...He even did it during the time between the death and the resurrection. He taught faith, repentance, vicarious baptism.” – President Bonnie Cordon (55:52)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction and Purpose of the Episode / SVU Overview: (00:00–07:41)
• Come, Follow Me Manual & The Living Christ: (07:58–10:40)
• Nativity Traditions & Scriptural Application: (12:46–19:35)
• Traditions: Good, Better, Best: (17:45–21:00)
• On Christ’s Condescension & Sacrificial Love: (21:00–25:07)
• Personal Experiences of Receiving God’s Kindness: (26:05–34:06)
• Receiving Christ and the Story of the Running Shoes: (36:56–42:08)
• Discussion on the Gift of Physical Bodies and Resurrection: (46:28–50:37)
• Symbolism of the Sacrament & Role of Bodies: (51:46–54:06)
• Christ's Consistent Gospel through All Eternity: (54:38–56:31)
• End of Part One / Preview of Part Two: (57:07)

Conclusion

This episode blends personal narrative, doctrinal discussion, and practical application, revolving around Christ as the literal and figurative center of Christmas. Through clear and candid stories, President Bonnie Cordon illustrates principles of intentional tradition, the lifelong process of learning to "receive" Christ and His gifts, and the unchanging core of His gospel through the ages. Listeners are left with concrete ideas to deepen their Christmas experience and to honor the living Christ in their lives—even through simple, modest traditions.

[End of Part 1. Part 2 preview: President Cordon begins a story about a young woman’s journey in foster care—continuing the theme of hope, redemption, and Christ’s reach.]