One of these wonderful stories takes place a little over 2000 years ago. A man named Samuel the Lamanite came to the city of Zarahemla to preach repentance unto the inhabitants of the city. While he was there, he made many prophecies and promises. One of these prophecies was that, in five years time from his prophesying, the Lord would send a sign unto the inhabitants of the Americas. This sign would be a day, a night, and then a day of continuous light. The inhabitants would know the passing of the day and night, but darkness would not claim the earth during the late hours.
Five years later, many of the inhabitants still believed in the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite. Others, however, did not. Those that didn’t stated the time for the fulfillment of the prophecy was passed, concluding those that still believed must be put to death. So they set a date for the slaughter of those filled with faith.
Nephi, the Lord’s prophet among the American people, was concerned about the decision of those who chose not to believe. So, practicing faith, he went to the Lord in prayer, praying all day long for his people. In answer to his great faith and prayers, the Lord promised Nephi that, on the date set aside for slaughtering the believers, the Lord would send the sign among the people. So it was that on the given date, the people beheld a day, a night, and a day of complete light.
This sign was truly a pivotal moment in the lives of the people of the Americas, even to the point they chose to redefine their calendar to count the days and years from this sign. In fact, the calendar still records the number of years from this point in the history of the world. So what was the significance of the sign? It marked the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Many, many miles away in a stable in the little town of Bethlehem, the little baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Now you may wonder what caused the most important person in the history of the world to be placed in a manger. For this the story must back up a little bit to capture the story of the precious Lord’s parents.
Mary, a young virgin girl in a little town called Nazareth, was visited by the angel Gabriel. She was told she was highly favored by the Lord and would be blessed among women, for she would carry the Son of God in her womb. So it was that she became pregnant, having had no physical relationship with any man. She was espoused (engaged) to a man from Bethlehem named Joseph. To prevent Joseph from deciding not to wed Mary, the angel Gabriel visited him and explained why Mary was pregnant. Joseph, being a righteous man, married Mary.
Jesus was to be born at the time Caesar Augustus collected taxes from the citizens of Judaea. Each family was to return to the birth place of the head of the house to pay their taxes. So Mary and Joseph proceeded to Bethlehem. When they arrived, they found lodging was crowded. There was no room for them inside. Mercifully, they were offered the solitude of a stable to give birth. So it was that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem and placed in a manger to rest.
The Savior’s birth wouldn’t go unnoticed, however. The angel Gabriel, along with a heavenly host, appeared unto shepherds, bringing them the joyous news of the birth of Jesus Christ. These shepherds hastened to the manger to visit the newborn King.
Three wise men beheld the sign of the birth of the Son of God as well. These men travelled a long distance to visit the Royal Child, bringing with them gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They recognized that He truly was their King, sent to provide them the way back to God.
This is the true Christmas story. Our world has reason to rejoice: the Son of God, our great Redeemer, has walked on our world. He taught the children of men the true path of happiness and the way home to Heavenly Father. He suffered, He bled, and He died to atone for our sins and bridge the gap between mortality and immortality. And it all began a little over 2000 years ago with the birth of a child.
When you celebrate Christmas, remember you celebrate the birth of the One who redeems you. Remember that you have already been given the best gift you can ever receive. You don’t need the gifts of the world. It doesn’t matter what your mom, dad, grandparents, or spouse give you. All you may get this year is trivial. You have already been given the most wonderful gift by Him whose birthday we celebrate. Jesus Christ has given you a chance. Now go and practice faith in His gift and earn it.
Scriptures used for this blog entry:
3 Nephi 1, The Book of MormonThe New Testament, The Holy Bible
Matthew 1-2
Luke 1-2
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