“Christmas with the Nephites,” New Era, Dec. 2019, 8–10.
Christmas with the Nephites
If you had lived in Book of Mormon times, would you have believed that Jesus Christ would come?
Illustrations by Clayton Thompson
We’re all familiar with the Christmas story that’s told in the New Testament about Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem and staying in the stable because there was no room at the inn. It’s a story of shepherds watching over their flocks when angels came and heavenly choirs sang about wise men who came from the east, following a star. And of course, it’s the story of the birth of the Savior, fulfilling prophecy. Most of us read and reread this story every Christmas.
But there’s another scriptural account of the Savior’s birth, one told from the other side of the world in Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It’s a story of a prophet on a wall, foretelling the coming of the Messiah; of believers and nonbelievers; of threats of death; and of a day, a night, and a day without darkness, signaling the birth of the Lord and also fulfilling prophecy. (See Helaman 16; 3 Nephi 1:5–21.)
Reliving History
Youth in Idaho, USA, recently relived the experience of these believers from the Book of Mormon. The youth took part in a stake play reenacting this episode, where characters were promised a divine sign of the Savior’s birth but were threatened with death for believing. As they prepared and rehearsed, this question was continually on their minds: If I had heard Samuel the Lamanite prophesy about the coming of Christ, would I have believed?
The play A Nephite Christmas was written by a stake member years ago when she lived on Guam. It tells the story of a teenager at a time when believing could have been a choice of life or death. Several teenage cast members played the parts of those who had to wrestle with the decision to either follow the prophet or give in to pressure from those who made fun of their faith.
Closer to Christ
Some cast members like Petra C., 14, and Aidan S., 10, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be in the cast and for the time spent with family members in the cast. Others expressed thanks for personal growth in their own testimonies.
“I came to feel that the Book of Mormon isn’t just about heroes,” said Madeleine S., 12. “It’s also about people just like me, trying to live the best they can.”
“I had never actually thought about the perspective of the people in America at the time. I knew the story, but now I know the people,” said Zane P., 17. “I know how they felt, because I felt it.”
“Before I was in the play, I didn’t read the Book of Mormon very much,” said Isabelle N., 16. “After the play I realized all the scriptures I was missing out on. So I decided to read the entire book for the first time. As I read, my testimony of Christ grew. I knew that the story of His birth is true, and I wanted to share it with my friends and study it with my family.”
“My testimony of Christ and of the Book of Mormon grew because I was able to think about my own feelings while I was acting as someone who was thinking about these same things,” said Renee T., 17. “I could feel Christ’s love for all of us, and it felt amazing to be able to present the play to our community during Christmas, when everyone was sharing their love for Him.”
“It brought me closer to Christ and helped me learn more about Him,” said Patrick N., 10. “I felt myself grow and felt more love in my heart.”
By portraying what the Savior meant to people in ancient America and thinking about what He means to them, these youth from Idaho learned that one of the best gifts, at Christmas or any other season, is to learn of the Savior and share His love.