The Savior Is Born
God’s promise is fulfilled
Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth. Mary was going to have a baby soon. Everyone had to go to their hometown to be taxed. This meant that Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown. They had to travel a long way to get there.
The journey was not easy for Mary. Because so many people had come to Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph could not find a place for Mary to have her baby.
They found a place where animals were usually kept. In this humble place, Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph loved and cared for the baby Jesus. They wrapped Him with cloth to help Him be warm and comfortable. They laid him to sleep in a manger, which was usually used to feed animals.
Nearby, shepherds were watching over their sheep during the night. Suddenly, a bright light shone all around them, and an angel appeared. The shepherds were afraid.
The angel told them not to be afraid, because he had wonderful news! The Savior had been born in Bethlehem, and they could find him lying in a manger. Then more angels came, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby Jesus, just like the angel had said. They told people about the wonderful things they had seen and heard. They knew Jesus was a special child.
Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the temple to present Him to God. There they met a man named Simeon. The Holy Ghost had told Simeon that he would get to meet the Savior before he died. He held the baby and said Jesus would save all of God’s children. Joseph and Mary were amazed by what he said.
At the temple there was another person named Anna. Her husband had died many years ago. Now Anna spent all of her time worshipping God in the temple. She thanked God for the chance to meet the Savior. Whenever she met someone who was waiting for the Savior, she told them about Jesus.
When Jesus was born, wise men in another land saw a new star. They knew it meant that a special child was born who would be the Son of God and Savior of the world. They began a long journey to visit this child and worship Him. They wanted to bring Him gifts to show their love for Him.
Matthew 2:1–7; see Joseph Smith Translation in notes, 2a
After traveling for a long time, the wise men came to Jerusalem. They said that a new king of the Jews, the Savior, had been born, and they had come to worship Him. They asked where they could find the new king.
A king named Herod heard that the wise men were looking for a new king. He was worried. His priests and scribes told him that the scriptures said the new king would be born in Bethlehem. Herod told the wise men to look in Bethlehem and then come back and tell him when they found the new king.
The wise men came to Bethlehem. They followed the star, which led them to Jesus. When they found Him and Mary and Joseph, they gave Jesus three special gifts and worshipped Him. God warned them not to return to Herod, so they went home another way.
After the wise men left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream, an angel told Joseph that Herod was angry. Joseph needed to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to keep them safe.
Joseph got up right away. He left for Egypt with Mary and Jesus while it was still night.
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus stayed in Egypt until the angel told them Herod had died and it was safe to return. Then they went back to live in Nazareth.