When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it appears that the sacred event passed generally unnoticed, but in the Americas, that’s not the case; everyone noticed!

They wouldn’t let him into the city. He was not their kind, and his message offensive. Undeterred, he got upon the high walls of the city of Zarahemla and shouted the tidings to all. The Messiah was coming, and Samuel was sent to call them to repentance and get them ready. And then as to place a seal on his words, he said this,

“…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...” (Helaman 14:3)

“Therefore there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day…and it shall be the night before He is born.” (Helaman 14:4)

And then Samuel stunned them even further by announcing, “There shall [be] a new star [arise], such as one as ye never have beheld...” (Helaman 14: 5)

Well, even though many people believed what Samuel said, the more part of the people rejected him, even attempting to kill him. But that didn’t stop his prophecy from spreading across the land. And from that point forward, people began to count down. Five years came and went, and because some thought the time had passed that the prophecy should be fulfilled, there was a great uproar made throughout the land, even death threats against the believers.

And then it happened! The sun went down, but it didn’t get dark. It remained throughout that night as light as at noonday. On schedule the next day, the sun rose again as did the new star. The people were so astonished, they fell to the earth and knew according to the prophecy that Christ, the day star, would be born that day.

Throughout the land the people were converted. Most of them believed, and a great peace settled over the land. But then – and this is astonishing – less than five years later, the people began to forget those signs and wonders insomuch that they began to be hard and their heart[s] and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they’d heard and seen.

There it is. In their minds they knew perfectly what had happened, but in their hearts they refused to feel what it meant.

Now, today my friend, we know what happened 2000 years ago, but do we believe it? Do we really feel it? You know, Christmas has to happen in the heart, or it’s just another busy holiday. It’s a good thing to know the Christmas story; it’s a much better thing to know the Christ. This season, open your heart to the Holy Spirit of Christmas.