The Shepherd Fields

"O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in they dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight."

We have just celebrated our Christmas in July. Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit the Shepherd's Fields by Bethlehem. It is a small garden on the top of a hill overlooking a large valley of rocks and grass, with the small town of Bethlehem on the opposite hill. There were no buildings in the valley, only on the hills, so one could look out across the view and be transported back two thousand years to the time of Christ. There on that hill, we reenacted the Christmas story with all the regular characters: Mary, Joseph (which I played), shepherds, angels, the 3 Wise Men, and even sheep. As we did so, we sang many hymns, including "O Little Town of Bethlehem". It was so cool to sing that song and look across the valley at the town of Bethlehem. It was even cooler to think over the words of the song, to envision stars shining down on that night of nights, but none as bright as the everlasting Light. After the small program, we had some time to bear testimonies and so I took the opportunity. I had the most amazing realization while doing so, that though I was at that magical place, I could be anywhere in the world and still feel the same spirit testify of Christ's birth. In fact, a year and a half ago, I had that spirit testify to me as I knocked doors, sang Christmas songs, and testified to Koreans on freezing cold December nights in Seoul. It is the same for everyone else. That is why I love the Book of Mormon so much. The people in that book, for the most part, never saw Christ. Yet they believed in Him. We have so much in common with them and it is such a blessing to have that additional witness of Christ. I'm so grateful I was able to have these thoughts come to me while overlooking that beautiful place near Bethlehem.