Too often, Latter-day Saints seem to look for reasons to skip additional worship services; this isparticularly remarkable at our most holy days, Christmas Sunday and Easter Sunday. This devo-tional program could be performed Christmas Sunday, but works best as a special ChristmasEve service, regardless of the day of the week.
All the musical selections are taken from the standard hymnal , with one number from the chil-dren’s songbook. This allows for maximum congregational participation, and speedy devotionalpreparation, as many choir members will be familiar with the majority of the pieces. You maydownload music from www.lds.org (go to Resources, Music, and launch the Interactive MusicPlayer.)
I have written a few special arrangements, variations, and descants that are inspired by histori-cal arrangements and harmonies; sheet music is provided in this packet, and is licensed to bephotocopied for choir use. Only hymns that are licensed for incidental, non-commercial usehave been selected for this devotional.
I have also included a printable program; combine it with Christ-centered art of your choice. Ifbudget allows, consider having the program printed on good gloss cover stock, with the imagein full color, and the text in black-and-white on the matte reverse. This allows the program to beframed and displayed in congregants’ homes for the Christmas season and beyond.
Parts for the Devotional Program Narrator 1 Narrator 2 Choir with soloists or small groups as desired Soprano and Tenor Duet Pianist and/or Organist (consider choosing several accompanists to lessen the burden
on any one musician.)
Notes on the selections: The Wintry Day (#37, LDS Hymnal): this peaceful melody sets a quiet tone for the
program, without being deliberately “Christmas-y”. It should be played contempla-tively and gently. If desired, a single voice might sing the lyric to the first verse afterit has been played as an instrumental for several verses, followed directly by the in-vocation. There is no need to outline the program if it is provided in hand-out form.
O Come, All Ye Faithful (#202, LDS Hymnal): what better call to worship thanthis? The choir may sing directly with the congregation, or use the optional descantand harmony provided in the packet.
Come O Thou King of Kings (#59, LDS Hymnal): verses one and two speak ofIsrael’s longing for the Savior and the promise of redemption. Their belief in antici-pation of prophecy’s fulfillment can inspire us. You may choose to perform this in abeseeching, longing tone, or more up-tempo and joyously anticipatory.
Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus (#36, LDS Children’s Hymnal): this song is brokenwith narration, as it recounts the scriptures very simply and plainly. To keep the sim-ple feel, use a small group or quartet. Harmonies have been added for the Hosannas.
When Faith Endures (#128, LDS Hymnal): Mary and Joseph sing this as a unify-ing prayer and promise that they will do as their God requires; they will choose tobelieve.
In Hymns of Praise (#75, LDS Hymnal): The repetition of the last musical phrasegives time for the chorister to turn to the choir, and back to the congregation. Thelyrics for verses two and three are sung by the choir alone, omitting the choruses, tothe full music of a single verse/chorus. While this is not a typical Christmas song,the rejoicing is reminiscent of an Angel chorus, and reminds us that all bowed beforeChrist in the manger.
With Wondering Awe (#210, LDS Hymnal): a standard Christmas piece allows forfull congregational enjoyment; use the choir to set the tone of the piece. Considerslightly retarding the last phrase before the chorus.
Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plain (#212, LDS Hymnal): Be sure to populate themen’s section… the men’s notes in this piece make such a difference! If you arelight on men, consider transposing the bass clef to treble, and having women singthese wonderful counterpoints.
Come, Rejoice (#9, LDS Hymnal): following as it does the modern prophets, thisreminds us that the truth has been restored!
I Believe in Christ (#134, LDS Hymnal): this choir and congregational piece wrapsup the theme beautifully. Keep it gentle and triumphant.
The Lord Be With Us (#161, LDS Hymnal): while it is less typical to have avoiced postlude hymn, this slight rearrangement is a beautiful, gentle lullaby to sendeveryone home. The program requests that everyone remain seated; be ready tolaunch the song immediately upon the end of the closing prayer.
Choir & CongregationFar, Far Away on Judea’s Plain
Choir & CongregationCome, Rejoice!
Choir & CongregationI Believe in Christ
Benediction
Postlude Hymn, ChoirThe Lord Be With Us
Believe
Prelude: Organ or PianoThe Wintry Day
(Instrumental or with Soloist)
Invocation
Opening Hymn by Choir and Congregation#202
O Come, All Ye Faithful(with choral descant)
Narrator 1:Christmas is the time to celebrate Christ, and to rejoice with generation upon generation whohave believed in Him. From the beginning of humanity’s years on earth, prophets have prophe-sied of our Savior, of His birth and purpose. Tonight, Christmas Eve, we take a few moments tofocus on the true Gifts that God offers us, and the real and everlasting Christmas that can beours. We are told by God Himself: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to passthe immortality and eternal life of man.”
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear ason, and shall call his name Immanuel.
His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall beblessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,who only doeth wondrous things.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoul-der: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Fa-ther, The Prince of Peace.
ChoirCome O Thou King of Kings
Special Arrangement
Narrator 2:While the children of Israel worked together to keep their faith in the coming Messiah, believ-ers in the New World also prophesied of Christ, and urged one another to believe and be faith-ful.
The Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying, “Cry unto this people, saying—Repent ye, andprepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdomof heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth.”
And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she be-ing a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by thepower of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.
But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled,which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite. And they began to rejoice over their brethren,saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joyand your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.
And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land; and the people whobelieved began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had been spokenmight not come to pass. But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that day and that night andthat day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that theirfaith had not been vain.
Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who be-lieved in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which hadbeen given by Samuel the prophet.
Nephi went out and cried mightily unto the Lord, and the voice of the Lord came unto him, say-ing, “Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this nightshall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that Iwill fulfill 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 ofmen from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—ofthe Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand,and this night shall the sign be given.”
And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they hadbeen spoken.
Quartet or Small GroupSamuel Tells of Baby Jesus
Verse 2 (special arrangement)
Narrator 1:And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Naz-areth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the vir-gin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, “Hail, thou that art highly fa-vored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner ofsalutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found fa-vor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shaltcall his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the LordGod shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house ofJacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Then said Mary unto the angel, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”
And the angel answered and said unto her, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and thepower of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be bornof thee shall be called the Son of God.”
Narrator 2:Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, wasminded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of theLord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take untothee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bringforth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Nowall this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his nameEmmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took untohim his wife.
Mary & Joseph DuetWhen Faith Endures(special arrangement)
Narrator 2:And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city ofDavid, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to betaxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be deliv-ered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laidhim in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over theirflock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shoneround about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which isChrist the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddlingclothes, lying in a manger.”And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and say-ing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds saidone to another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass,which the Lord hath made known unto us.” And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Jo-seph, and the babe lying in a manger.
In Hymns of PraiseChoir (with Congregation for verses 1 and 4)
Narrator 1:Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, therecame wise men from the east to saying, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For wehave seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Andwhen he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded ofthem where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, “In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus itis written by the prophet, “and thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among theprinces of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.””
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what timethe star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for theyoung child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worshiphim also.”
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, wentbefore them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star,they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, andfell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented untohim gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Choir and Congregation#210
With Wondering Awe
Narrator 2:And when the shepherds had seen Joseph, and Mary, and the babe Jesus “they made knownabroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it won-dered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. And the shepherds returned, glori-fying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
e shepherds rejoiced, people of the new world rejoiced… extending the gift of Christ and thegospel to all the earth! Our desire to bring the gift of Christ to all remains in effect.
Choir and Congregation#212
Far, Far Away on Judea’s PlainNarrator 1:Prophets of old testified that Christ would come; those in the Americas believed their words andheld onto their faith in Christ. Mary and Joseph had faith and believed that they were chosen byGod to care for their Messiah, and believed that God would aid them. The Wise Men recog-
nized the signs of Christ’s coming, and sought Him. The shepherds went out and testified ofChrist, sharing the joy of the greatest Gift of God. Our modern prophets testify of Christ as thegreat Gift, and teach us how we can receive that Gift now, and every day.
Thomas S Monson said:The spirit of giving gifts has been present in the mind of each Christian as he or shecommemorates the Christmas season. Our Heavenly Father gave to us His Son, JesusChrist. That precious Son gave to us His life, the Atonement, and victory over the grave.
What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lordand Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps.
Narrator 2:Howard W Hunter said:
It is possible for Christ to be born in men’s lives, and when such an experience actuallyhappens, a man is “in Christ”—Christ is “formed” in him. This presupposes that we takeChrist into our hearts and make Him the living contemporary of our lives. He is not justa general truth or a fact in history, but the Savior of men everywhere and at all times.
When we strive to be Christ- like, He is “formed” in us; if we open the door, He will en-ter; if we seek His counsel, He will counsel us. For Christ to be “formed” in us, we musthave a belief in Him and in His Atonement. Such a belief in Christ and the keeping ofHis commandments are not restraints upon us. By these, men are set free. This Prince ofPeace waits to give peace of mind, which may make each of us a channel of that peace.
The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dy-namic, vitalizing force. The real spirit of Christmas lies in the life and mission of theMaster.
Narrator 1:Gordon B Hinkley said:
He whose birth we commemorate this season is more than the symbol of a holiday. Heis the Son of God, the Creator of the earth, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the fulfill-ment of the Law of Moses, the Redeemer of mankind, the King of Kings, the Prince ofPeace. . . .
'And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is thetestimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! 'For we saw him,even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he isthe Only Begotten of the Father--that by him, and through him, and of him, theworlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons anddaughters unto God.'
This is our testimony to all mankind. It is our gift and blessing to the world. He is ourjoy and our salvation.
Narrator 2:All ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ! For God so loved theworld, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,but have everlasting life. Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, andthere is none other name given whereby man can be saved.
We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and wewrite according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look fora remission of their sins.
As we prepare to part this winter’s eve, we remember the true gift of Christmas: the gift of Godis eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Final Hymn by Choir and Congregation#134
I Believe In Christ(with choral descant)
Benediction
Postlude by the ChoirThe Lord Be With Us
(The program requests the congregation remain seated and still through the postlude piece.)
Scriptures referenced in the devotional are taken from the King James Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine andCovenants, and writings of the modern prophets found at www.lds.org
