The Christmas Story from the Book of Mormon

By Sarah Anderson (excerpts taken from the Book of Mormon and the Dec 1985 Friend)

Cast: 1 Narrator Unbeliever Samuel:

2 Narrator 2 Nephi: Mary

Joseph Young Child 1: Young child 2:

Voice of the Lord:

Curtains are closed. Young child comes through the middle break in the curtain

Young Child:

The best part of December— My favorite time, by far— Is when we read the story Of the Baby and the star.

Young Child leaves back through the middle break in the curtains.

Narrators stand on the parking lot side just below the stage.

1 Narrator: At Christmas time we all love to read from the Bible the familiar story of the birth of Jesus.

2 Narrator: The Book of Mormon as another testament of Christ tells us about a group of people who believed in Christ and waited for the signs of his birth.

Curtains open part way and sister Jukes comes up to the front of the stage and sings.

Song: I believe in Christ p.134 verses 1&4

I Believe in Christ he is my King! With all my heart to him I'll sing I'll rasie my voice in praise and joy, In grand amens my tongue employ. I believe in Christ he is God's Son. On earth to dwell his soul will come. He'll heal the sick the dead he'll raise. Good works are his; his name be praised.

I believe in Christ; he stands supreme! From him i'll gain my fondest dream; and while i strive through grief and pain, His voice is heard: "Ye shall obtain." I believe in Christ; so come what may, with him i'lll stand in that great day when on the earth he soon will come to suffer for the sins of men.

Sister Jukes leaves and curtains close.

The People of the book of Mormon waited many years for the coming of Christ.

2 Narrator: Nearly 600 years after Lehi left Jerusalem Samuel the Lamanite prophesied of the birth of Christ.

Curtains open. Samuel the Lamanite is on the wall of Zarahemla. (middle streetside of the stage)

Samuel, the Lamanite: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for in five years the Son of God cometh to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.

And behold, this is a sign at the time of his coming; there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, it shall appear unto man as if it was day. for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; and it shall be the night before he is born.

And behold, there shall a new star arise, as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.

And whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life.

Samuel the Lamanite freezes while the primary children enter the stage walking up the steps on the parking lot side of the stage. Narrators will help them from the front so they don’t fall off. Primary children sing

Song: Christmas in Zarahemla

Narrators begin while just as the primary children finish getting off the stage.

1 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.

Unbeliever throws an arrow from off stage. Samuel leaves the wall and curtains close.

2 Narrator: 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.

Unbeliever comes through the middle break in the curtain and speaks to the audience. Unbeliever: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.

Unbeliever leaves back through the curtains

1 Narrator: those who believed the words of Samuel watched steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which should be as one day, that they might know that their faith had not been vain.

2 Narrator: there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come. Which had been given by Samuel the prophet.

Curtains opens and Nephi is kneeling in the center of the stage

1 Narrator: When Nephi saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.

Nephi sings: Abide with me; tis Eeventide p.165

then kneels on his knees again as the voice of the lord begins to speak from off stage.

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.

Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfill all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.

The curtains close

2 Narrator: the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; 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.

1 Narrator: The star had risen. The prophecy had been fulfilled. And faithful people in both hemispheres saw the sign and understood.

And in a little town outside Jerusalem,

Curtains open, Mary and Joseph are sitting with the baby Jesus on the middle parking lot side of the stage

Mary brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Angel comes on stage from the street side and sings facing the audience but slightly tilted toward Mary and Joseph Song: When hope was born

2 Narrator: The Son or God was born and people all over the earth had hope through Christ of returning to live with their Father in Haven.

Curtains close, and a young child comes through the middle break in the curtain.

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.