By Sarrah Peters
News Editor
On December 11 and 12, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 2001 Noccalula Road in Gadsden will host One Night in Bethleham. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be free to the public.
One Night in Bethleham is a guided tour where visitors can hear testimony from the 12 witnesses of Jesus Christ’s birth. These witnesses are Gabriel, Zacharias, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph the Shepherds, the Heavenly Choir, Simeon, Anna, Wiseman and Herrod. To make the event more immersive, the guides will be dressed as Centurion soldiers and will guide visitors by lantern light. The church members built structures inside the gym to replicate the city of Bethleham. About 40 people, aged 12 and up, worked to put the event together.
“We just want to share the message of Jesus Christ’s birth,” said event organizer Shannan Doan.
Groups of ten will be taken on the tour every 20 minutes. While visitors wait, they will be treated to refreshments and music performed by local groups. Visitors can also browse through a variety of nativities.
Once visitors finish the tour, they will be brought to the chapel for a short sermon on the birth of Jesus and be treated to a rendition of “Mary, Did You Know?”
Visitors will also be gifted with a nativity ornament, featuring Jesus in a manger made of vines.
Afterwards, visitors can view the live nativity scene outside. The live nativity scene will also be a float in the Gadsden Christmas Parade on December 7 at 6 p.m. The parade will be held on Broad Street in downtown Gadsden. For more information about the Gadsden Christmas Parade, call Dr. Glenda Selman at 256-549-8420.