Sharing Time:

The Christmas Story from the Book of Mormon

By Pat Graham

Directions: This program can be presented with your family during the Christmas season. Some family members will be readers. They could wear costumes, or you could display the pictures on this page to identify the characters.

Assign the parts, and write each reader’s name in the blank by his part. Make copies of the parts so that everyone can practice reading slowly and with expression.

Ask someone to lead the music and someone to play the songs. Practice the songs before the program begins. As the director, it is your responsibility to help everyone do his part well.

Song: “December” (Sing with Me, F-9].

Young Child:

The best part of December—

My favorite time, by far—

Is when we read the story

Of the Baby and the star.

Narrator:

At Christmastime we all love to read from the Bible the familiar story of the birth of baby Jesus.

Narrator:

The Book of Mormon also tells about the birth of Jesus and about the star. People on both sides of the world knew of the coming of the Savior.

Song: “Beautiful Savior” (Sing with Me, B-6].

Narrator:

A few years after Lehi and his family journeyed to America, his son Nephi beheld a vision of the city of Nazareth and a beautiful virgin who was to be the mother of the Son of God …

Nephi, the son of Lehi:

And it came to pass that I looked and beheld … the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.

And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! [1 Ne. 11:13, 1 Ne. 20–21.]

Narrator:

Later the Nephites and the Lamanites were also told of the coming of Jesus by Samuel, a Lamanite prophet.

Samuel, the Lamanite:

Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.

And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.

And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you. [Hel. 14:2–3, 5.]

Song: “Christmas in Zarahemla” (Friend, December 1985, page 29), first verse only.

Narrator:

Many Nephites did not believe Samuel. They threw rocks and shot arrows at him. But Samuel was protected until he had delivered his message. Then he returned to his own people in Zarahemla.

Some of the people, however, did believe Samuel’s words, and they repented and were baptized. Nephi, the grandson of Helaman, was a leader among those who believed. When five years had almost ended, the wicked unbelievers said that they would kill the righteous people if the signs prophesied by Samuel did not appear.

Nephi prayed for the people who believed in Jesus Christ. He did not want the wicked people to kill them. He prayed all day, and then the Lord spoke to him.

Voice of the Lord:

Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. [3 Ne. 1:13.]

Narrator:

It all happened. Here is how Mormon recorded it from the Large Plates of Nephi: “And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.

“And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.” [3 Ne. 1:15, 3 Ne. 21.]

Song: “Christmas in Zarahemla,” second verse.

Young Child:

• I love the Christmas story,

• I love the songs we sing,

• But most of all I love the Savior—

• Jesus Christ, the King.

Song: “Once Within a Lowly Stable” (Sing with Me, F-12). A girl dressed like Mary could pose holding doll while family sings.

Narrator:

The star had risen. The prophecy had been fulfilled. And faithful people in both hemispheres saw the sign and understood. Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Song: “Christmas Bells” (Sing with Me, F-13), voice or bell descant, and/or “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful” (Hymns, no. 202), first verse only.

Sharing Time Ideas

1. Adapt this program to fit the number of children you wish to involve. You could combine this presentation with “A Nativity Presentation” [Friend, December 1984, page 12].

2. Tell or dramatize “A Night Without Darkness” [Friend, November 1983, page 12, and December 1983, page 10] before presenting the program.

Nephi, Son of Lehi; Samuel the Lamanite; Nephi, Grandson of Helaman; Mary and Jesus (Illustrated by Virginia Sargent.)