“Matt & Mandy,” Friend, December 2019

Matt & Mandy

Illustrations by Matt Sweeney

Mandy and Jazzmine have a great idea for Christmas. They share it with their families.

… a Nativity pageant …

… both of our families together.

Everyone loves the idea. The girls start planning.

Grandma and Grandpa Johnson are here for Christmas. Could they have parts too?

Sure. Let’s ask who they’d like to be.

Could we be Simeon and Anna?

Oh, yes! Could we?

Who?

You can read about them in the Bible.

Simeon and Anna were old like us.

They weren’t in the field with the shepherds. Or in the stable.

But they both knew that Jesus had been born. They recognized Him when He was brought to the temple in Jerusalem as a baby.

They recognized Him? How?

The same way we can recognize Him in our lives.

Oh! The Holy Ghost told them.

Yes, it’s the same way everyone can know. The only way we can really know.

Christmas Eve, the night of the pageant—

This is more than just a story. It really happened!!

I wonder if we sang with the angels that night.

We wish you a joyful Christmas filled with peace and love.