My personal testimony and the true story of Christmas using the words of scripture.

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

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

And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God, unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth

To a virgin, espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail, thou virgin, who art highly favored of the Lord. The Lord is with thee, for thou art chosen and blessed among women.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God.

And behold, thou shalt conceive, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David;

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

And Mary said, Behold the handmade of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit rejoiceth in God my Savior.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For he who is mighty hath done to me great things; and I will magnify his holy name,

For his mercy on those who fear him from generation to generation.

He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all his empire should be taxed.

And all went to be taxed, everyone in his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;

To be taxed, with Mary his espoused wife, she being great with child.

And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was none to give room for them in the inns.

He was born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the same word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

And lo, an angel of the Lord appeared unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

But 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, who is Christ the Lord.

And this is the way you shall find the babe, he is wrapped in swaddling clothes, and is lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest; and on earth, peace; good will to men.

And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go, even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

The magnitude of the sacrifice, and condescension!

My soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions.

He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh, and have looked upon mans wickedness, and their misery, and my heart swelled wide as eternity; and bowels yearned.

O then, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite!

O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness!

I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God.

Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.

I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.

Come see the great things the Lord has done!