The Nativity: Rediscover the Most Important Birth in All History

by Alonzo L. Gaskill

This thorough and thought-provoking exploration of the Nativity story throws fresh light on this remarkable event. The book shares ideas about how the principles embedded in the scriptural accounts apply in our time—and how the story of the Nativity functions as “the gospel in miniature.” The book also points out symbols of the Savior in our modern Christmas observances, and provides a quiz that helps distinguish tradition from truth. The author demonstrates the value of frequently rereading the story of the first Christmas and applying the lessons it contains to our lives.

Genres: Christmas, Religion, Lds, Nonfiction, Church

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2006

Reviews

[Thekla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick easy reminder of the facts surrounding the birth of our savior

[Seth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankly, I'm unsure of the value of this book. It seemed to add nothing to my understanding and little that did not seem obvious from the scriptures themselves.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book with some insights into the Nativity. Most of the things he talked about as misconceptions were things I already knew, but I did appreciate the commentary he made.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is short and sweet with so many details that enlighten. The first chapter places the verses from Matthew and Luke together in chronological order which was nice to read (he later points out that historically Luke is read generally at Christmas time while Matthew is usually more popular the rest of the year... interesting). Chapter 2 is a more in depth look at Matthew and Chapter 3 a closer look at Luke. In chapter 4 Gaskill helps us relate the story of the nativity to ourselves. There are 3 appendixes and in one he talks about misconceptions that we have about the Christmas story due to popular culture which I found very interesting.

I think I'll make this a yearly read in December... hopefully next year I'll get it read in EARLY December instead of early January:)

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book opened up many the Nativity story for me in ways that have never happened before. I feel like I understand more based on historical & religious contexts, and I've gained a few insights that I find invaluable. If anyone wants to gain a greater understanding of the Nativity story & learn how to apply the principles taught in just a few short chapters to your own life, I recommend this book.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book about the Nativity the week leading up to Christmas and thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself deeper into the Christmas story as told in the Bible. The author analyses each verse from the account of the nativity and compares ancient and modern texts that shed light on common misconceptions about Christ's birth. I plan on reading this again next Christmas season.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book during the Christmas season to gain more insight on...well...Christmas. I loved that this was written by a BYU professor and I thought that although most of the insights weren't extensively in-depth, they were definitely enlightening and helped me understand and appreciate more the scriptural story of Christ's birth.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part of this little book was the chronological Christmas story pieced together from all scriptural accounts so it's easy to read as a single narrative. Short, sweet and exactly what it professes to be.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaskill takes the Nativity stories in Matthew and Luke and explains them verse by verse with thoughtful insights. One of my favorite chapters is "The Nativity Story as the Gospel in Miniature". For me, this opened up a new way of understanding Christ's birth and the symbolism associated with it.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Usual, Alonzo provides great insights into the scriptures. This one explored all aspects of the nativity story. It is a small book that I received for Christmas, so it is a quick read. I enjoyed the review of the Christmas story.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book. It's written by a BYU professor who goes through the Christmas story verse by verse and gives a little history and insight to what is going on. And it's very short.

[Allisonavandenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this preparing for a lesson - it was a nice overview of the story of the birth of Christ, but I felt like some of his metaphors were a stretch. That said, I loved reading it at the beginning of December.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sister gave me this little gem last Christmas. The author really digs into the nativity story and debunks many of the myths surrounding Christ's birth. He includes some quizzes that are fun for the family. Written from an LDS perspective.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! It is an excellent LDS commentary on the nativity story as recorded in the book of Matthew and the book of Luke. I learned so much about the Holy Family and about the other members of the nativity. I read every single footnote and appendix.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book about the Savior's birth taken from the Bible. The author explains the scriptures and the customs of the time. A lot of the footnotes were very interesting--Read the footnotes as you read the book.

[Allanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alanzo Gaskill does it again.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very in depth look at all the aspects of the nativty story that lends clarity to the scriptures.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

You may think you know all there is to know, but this little book taught me a lot. A great read during the Christmas season.

[Robb Menlove · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great little December read giving wonderful insights into the birth of the Savior.

[Kay Mendenhall · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a book all should read

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

good research

[Trisha]

Alonzo Gaskill is one of my favorite religious authors