One of my favorite Christmas traditions is attending the live presentation of the Nativity at my in-law’s parish.

I hope you enjoy this “live” blogging event.

Before the Nativity starts, the kids get to pet the animals in a gated area. My daughter loves the goats.

The presentation starts with the cantor singing “The First Noel” and the procession of Mary and Joseph to a makeshift manger.

And no Nativity would be complete without shephards and bleating goats. Oh, don’t let me forget the Llama! (It’s Arizona, afterall.)

The story of the Nativity is told, with a reminder that St. Francis of Asissi conducted the first re-enactment of the Nativity. Again, the cantor sings “Away in a Manger” and the priest reads from the Gospel of Luke.

The deacon then reminds the gathering of the simple nature of Jesus’ birth and a reminder how much He loved us to come down to die for us.

Just so you know, Mormons do not have a monopoly on good food at gatherings. After the Nativity, we have chili, hot dogs and hot chocolate in the parish hall.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions, or Nativity re-enactment stories?

Take a look at this story.  Apparently, an LDS-themed private school in Pleasant Grove is thriving even amid the recession.  One of the reasons?

more and more conservative families around the nation, put off by increasingly liberal textbooks and public school curriculum, are looking for established alternatives with a Mormon bent.

My question is:  what is going on with Utah public schools (where presumably Mormons are the majority) where anyone would want to spend extra money to send their kid to a private school?  Please note:  My kids are all in the public schools, and I plan on keeping them there, but I’m carefully monitoring what they’re taught.

Please read this story.  Marjorie Christoffersen has been forced to resign from the El Coyote restaurant in West Hollywood because she dared to give $100 to the Prop. 8 campaign.  All people interested in religious liberty should condemn the hate campaign of the No on Prop. 8 forces.  If you don’t think this affects you, just wait.  It may affect you sooner than you think.

Meanwhile, Marjorie, if you read this, I hope you are taking comfort from Matthew 5:11.

Why does the Book of Mormon not name the Brother of Jared (later named by Joseph Smith as Mahonri Moriancumer)?

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This post is not about real prophets. Real prophets, the kind you hear speak at General Conference twice a year, are optimists and preach about the “good news,” the Gospel. This post is about the guy who speaks out in Gospel Doctrine class saying, “these are the worst times ever.” Or the, ahem, Mormon talk radio host Glenn Beck, whose shows these days could be summarized as, “the sky is falling, we’re all going to die.” Or the apocalyptic global warming fanatic who tells you to soon expect tropical weather in Winnipeg.

My message to these “prophets” is, to paraphrase Dickens, “it is the worst of times, but it’s also the best of times.” It all depends on what you want to spend your time thinking about.

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