Within five years A night will be as day, And Baby Jesus will be born In

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• 1. Said Samuel, “Within five years A night will be as day, And Baby Jesus will be born In a land far, far away.” • Hosanna! Hosanna! Oh, let us gladly sing. How blessed that our Lord was born; Let earth receive her King! • 2. Across the sea, in Bethlehem, Lord Jesus came to earth As Samuel had prophesied, And angels sang His birth. • •

Words: Mabel Jones Gabbott, b. 1910 Music: Grietje Terburg Rowley, b. 1927 Original title: “Christmas in Zarahemla,” © 1985 by Mabel Jones Gabbott and Grietje Terburg Rowley. This song may be copied for incidental, noncommercial church or home use.

Enrichment Activity #7

Prophets Foretold the Birth of Jesus Christ

“Lesson 46: Primary 6: Old Testament, (1996),207

Purpose

To strengthen your testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ’s birth.

OUR OPENING PRAYER WILL BE GIVEN BY

(Enter name here)

• What do you remember about Jesus Christ’s birth? • I have some costume pieces and props to make a Christmas nativity scene.

• How do you know about this important event? • Even though it happened over 2,000 years ago, we have the account of Jesus’ birth recorded in the scriptures.

• Joseph and Mary knew about this event before it happened. • From the time of Adam, Heavenly Father promised through prophets to send his Son to be the Savior of the world.

• Many prophets prophesied of the coming of Jesus Christ. • They knew Heavenly Father would keep his promise, and they looked forward anxiously for the Savior to be born.

Go to Ericka’s Original Presentation Go to the Video Go to the Narrated Slides Continue

You will be learning more about the New Testament next year!

• Who did Isaiah prophesy would be the mother of Jesus Christ? • Let’s read Isaiah 7:14 • “Virgin” means a pure, unmarried woman. • Note that Isaiah lived about 740 years before the birth of Christ.

• To whom was the angel Gabriel sent to announce the news that Jesus was about to be born and to testify of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy? • Let’s read Luke 1:26–31 & Matthew 1:18–23

• How did Isaiah say Jesus would come? • Let’s read Isaiah 9:6 • What other names did Isaiah use to describe Christ? • What do these names tell us about Jesus Christ?

• Where was Jesus to be born? • Let’s read Micah 5:2 • When King Herod asked the priests and scribes where Jesus would be born, how did they know it would be in Bethlehem? • Let’s read Matthew 2:4–6 • These men had read the prophecies in the scriptures.

• The Nephites had the brass plates, which contained many of the ancient prophecies. • But they also had their own prophets who foretold the birth of Jesus Christ.

• Whom did Nephi see in a vision? • Let’s read 1 Nephi 11:18– 21 • Nephi lived about 600 B.C.

• Whom did Alma prophesy would be the mother of the Son of God? • Let’s read Alma 7:9–10 • Alma lived about 80 B.C.

• What signs did Samuel the Lamanite prophesy would come at the birth of Jesus? • Let’s read Helaman 14:2–5

These prophecies occurred five or six years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

• What did the people who did not believe Samuel’s prophecies do? • Let’s read 3 Nephi 1:6, 9 • When Nephi prayed in behalf of the righteous people, what comfort was he given? • Let’s read 3 Nephi 1:11–13

• How were Samuel’s prophecies fulfilled? • Let’s read 3 Nephi 1:15, 19, 21 • How do we know a new star appeared in Israel also? • Let’s read Matthew 2:1–2

Take turns reading the prophecies that foretold the birth of Jesus Christ. Enrichment Activity #1

• In preparation for Christmas read the following scriptures, which prophesy of Jesus Christ’s birth, with your families: Micah 5:2 Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 9:6–7 Alma 7:9–10 Helaman 14:1–6 1 Nephi 11:18–21 • Take this card home to your families and read these scriptures with them. Enrichment Activity #2

Bethlehem star Mary • Listen for these words as we read the Christmas story from Luke 1:26–38 and Luke 2:1–19. • What feelings do you think Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds might have had as they participated in the fulfillment of the prophecies of Christ’s birth? Enrichment Activity #3

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Enrichment Activity #4

• We are living in a time when prophecies and revelations are being fulfilled. • Name some of these prophecies. • I am grateful to be part of a church with continuing revelation and being a witness to the fulfillment of prophecies in our own lifetime. Enrichment Activity #4

• The Savior’s birth, life, and Atonement are the greatest gifts we will ever receive. • What gift can we give Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ at this special season of the year? • I challenge each of you to give the gift of love to others. Enrichment Activity #5

The following story is an example of how one young boy gave his father a gift of love.

• A few days before Christmas, when Rob was fifteen years old, he overheard his father say to his mother, “Mary, I hate to call Rob to milk the cows in the mornings. He’s growing so fast and he needs his sleep. … I wish I could manage alone.”

• These simple words made Rob fully realize something for the first time: his father loved him! • The family was poor. Rob had bought his father an inexpensive tie, but as he lay thinking on the night before Christmas, it didn’t seem enough. With growing excitement he decided on a better gift.

• He would get up early and milk the cows before his father got up. He laughed to himself in anticipation of his father’s surprise. • The task went more easily than he had ever known it to go before. Milking for once was not a chore. It was something else—a gift to his father, who loved him.

• His task finished, Rob returned to his bed just moments before his father called him. He knew his father would go to the barn ahead of him to get started and in only a few minutes would discover the two big cans standing in the milkhouse, filled. Breathlessly, Rob waited for his return.

• After what seemed an eternity, Rob heard his bedroom door open, heard his father laughing, a “sobbing sort of laugh,” and heard his father say, “Thought you’d fool me, did you?” • “It’s for Christmas, Dad!” In the morning darkness, he found his father and clutched him in a great hug. Rob’s heart was “bursting with love.”

• “Son, I thank you,” his father said. “Nobody ever did a nicer thing. … The best Christmas gift I ever had, and I’ll remember it, son, every year on Christmas morning, so long as I live.” (Adapted from Pearl S. Buck, “Christmas Day in the Morning,” in Colliers, 23 Dec. 1955, pp. 10–11.)

• I know beyond any doubt that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of Heavenly Father and our brother. • I am grateful for this wonderful gift that Heavenly Father has given to each of us.

OUR CLOSING PRAYER WILL BE GIVEN BY

(Enter Name Here)

THE END

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This presentation is intended to supplement, not replace, the lesson manual and scriptures. Teachers should refer to the manual, scriptures and other resources when preparing and conducting the lesson.

• Many of the people were not faithful. • They were wicked and did not obey God’s commandments. • They did not listen to his prophets. • Many prophets told the people to repent.

• Many prophets prophesied of the coming of Jesus Christ. • They knew Heavenly Father would keep his promise, and they looked forward anxiously for the Savior to be born.

• They told the people that Jesus Christ would come to earth. • He would be the Savior.

• He would die to save all the people on the earth.

• Some of the prophets who told about Jesus Christ were Moses, Jeremiah, Micah, Zechariah, Lehi, and Isaiah. • The prophets said Christ would be born in Bethlehem.

• Jesus would grow up as other children do. People would not know he was the Son of God.

• God would send a prophet to help Jesus. His name would be John.

• John would teach the people about Jesus. • John would baptize Jesus and would be called John the Baptist.

• Jesus would love everyone. He would do many miracles. • He would teach men about God. • He would show men how to be like Heavenly Father.

• Jesus would suffer for their sins.

• Some people would not believe in Jesus. They would hate him.

• They would crucify him on a cross.

• He would die and then be resurrected.

• The things the prophets said about Jesus did happen. • The New Testament tells about the life of Jesus Christ.

The prophets tell about Jesus

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