If you were to take your passport, your luggage, and yourself to the airport tomorrow morning and board a plane bound for Israel , you would travel a distance of thousands of miles to Tel Aviv, then ride by bus 65 more miles to Bethlehem . Some of you in the past may have journeyed to the Holy Land and experienced Bethlehem first-hand. With new spiritual insights and feelings, you no doubt felt your trip was worth the time, money, and jet-lag. Still in this amazing age of air travel, your flight across continents and oceans was remarkably fast, about 18 to 30 hours depending on your point of departure and your connections. Your excursion was swift compared to the time expended by travelers of earlier eras.
Bethlehem , which means “House of Bread,” though small and unimportant in terms of trade and commerce, was significant to the Jews prior to Christ’s birth. Bethlehem was where David was born and was prophesied to be the birthplace of the Messiah.
Mary and Joseph resided in Nazareth, a distance of more than 100 miles from Bethlehem . Even though she was heavy with child and nearing term, they made the long and arduous trek, Mary jostled with every step of the donkey on the rocky, dusty road.
Mary and Joseph’s traveling to Bethlehem was not merely to pay Caesar his due. Their arrival at Bethlehem was in fulfillment of divine decree, prophesied through the ages:
“But thou Bethlehem , . . . though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is going to be ruler in Israel : whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2.)
In the new world, an angel speaking to Nephi, said,
“Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. . . .
“And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
“And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!” (1 Nephi 11: 18, 20-21.)
To the shepherds abiding in the fields nearby, angels heralded the birth of the Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
Obedient and curious, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem .” They did not have to travel far to Bethlehem , where they beheld this precious child, Jesus—or Emmanuel, meaning “God with us.”
At a much greater distance from Bethlehem were wise men who saw the star in the east and desired to also come and worship the King of the Jews. “The star in the east, went before them, til it came and stood over where the young child was.
“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him.” (Matt: 2:9-11).
We each must make a spiritual journey to Bethlehem , to find the Christ child, to worship the Son of Man, to come to know the Prince of Peace, the Messiah, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.
This journey is not measured by miles, but is a journey measured by the yearning of the heart and the striving of the soul. Often the way is strewn with boulders, hurdles, and sometimes detours. For some, the symbolic trip to Bethlehem is lengthy and difficult.
Golden Investigator from Cambodia
Because Cambodia and Russia were allies in the late 1980s, Pyn Vibol, a Cambodian man and a Buddhist, traveled from Phonm Phenh to St. Petersburg , Russia , to study. While walking down a street in St. Petersburg , Pyn met two of the first Latter-day Saint missionaries who served in Russia after the fall of Communism. Pyn started studying with them, learned a little about the Church, and received a copy of the Book of Mormon-in Russian. His ability to communicate with the missionaries was limited as his Russian was very elementary and they did not know Cambodian. His Russian reading skills were also too poor to understand the Book of Mormon. Yet he felt enlightened by the spirit of the missionaries.
When he returned to Cambodia , Pyn told his wife that he thought they should become Christians. Horrified, she responded, “No way. We’re Buddhists.” He didn’t pursue changing religions for a while, but could not forget the wonderful feelings he had experienced when talking with the missionaries. Later he obtained a picture of Christ, which he hung on the wall of their home. Seeing the painting of the Savior each day seemed to soften his wife’s heart. Finally, Pyn said, “I’m going to visit some Christian churches.” He hoped to find the church whose Cambodian name he did not know. He wanted to read that book, but he did not know its name. At each church, he asked, “Do you have young men who wear black name tags?” One day as he was walking on the streets of Phnonm Phenh, he saw exactly what he had been searching for: two white-shirted young men with black name tags. Much to their surprise, they were greeted by a golden investigator who asked to be taught the gospel. Pyn, his wife, and four children were all baptized. Pyn served as the first district president in Cambodia . 1
Slovenian Cyclist
From the time Leon Bergant of Ljubljana , Slovenia , was 11 years old, he has raced bicycles. As a youth he collected over 100 trophies from major European races. Following high school, Leon became a professional cyclist, a member of the Slovene national team, and earned the title of Slovene national champion. His cycling career was very promising, with the Tour de France ahead of him.
In Communist-run Slovenia , Leon ‘s family did not have any religious affiliation. Yet, as a youth, Leon had searched for the true church and knew that there was a God. In December 1995, he attended the annual holiday fair in Ljubljana and noticed a display for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He talked to two young men, who explained basic gospel principles to him. Leon recalled, “When I met the missionaries, my questions were answered. When I heard about principles of the gospel like the Word of Wisdom and charity and the law of chastity, they were familiar to me. They were the words I had been seeking my whole life.”
Two weeks after meeting the missionaries, Leon was baptized. He had been saving his cycling prize money to buy a car-something very few people in Slovenia could afford. Instead, he used this money a year later to finance serving a mission in Croatia -as the third Slovenian Church member to serve a mission. His parents were extremely unhappy about his decision to be baptized and to give up his cycling career to go on a mission.
Although Leon has ridden thousands of kilometers on his bicycle, he found Jesus Christ right in his hometown of Ljubljana —though he had been searching for Him all his life. 2
Our Own Journey
For each of us, we must make our own journey of the heart to Bethlehem -not just once, not just at Christmastime, but continually. “For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel , Seek ye me, and ye shall live.
” (Amos 5:4.)
Unlike the limited size of tour groups or the number of seats available on an airplane, this journey to Bethlehem is open to all, “for he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness, and he denieth none that come unto him.” (2 Ne: 26:33.)
The only price we must pay is our willingness to seek Him, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus Christ lovingly invites us to “draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me.” (D&C 88:63.)
Many travelers bring back remembrances of their trips-souvenirs and photographs. Visitors to Bethlehem likely bring back olivewood carvings and pictures of the city, particularly the designated birthplace of the Christ Child.
A spiritual journey to Bethlehem yields significant, timeless, and lasting treasures-not ones to be displayed on a shelf or kept in an album—but eternal treasures of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a testimony of the restored gospel.
You cannot travel to Bethlehem without a current passport. To spiritually travel to Bethlehem , you also need a passport of a different kind-a current temple recommend.
President Boyd K. Packer taught, “All roads lead to the temple, for it is there that we are prepared in all things to qualify us to enter the presence of the Lord.” 3
President Howard W. Hunter said, “No work is more spiritual than that of receiving the ordinances and entering into the covenants of the temple. This work helps place the Savior at the center of our lives.
“. . . Whatever else happens in mortality, individuals must receive the ordinances and keep the covenants of the temple.” 4
“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” said Jesus. “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6.)
How far is it to Bethlehem ? Not very far—when we earnestly seek Him, feast upon His words, strive to keep his commandments, qualify for a temple recommend, and make and keep sacred covenants within the holy walls of the temple, preparing us one day to joyfully enter into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not far to Bethlehem
Where lies the newborn King!
It is not far to Bethlehem,
Where holy angels sing.
As Wise Men saw the guiding star
That led them where He lay,
The shepherds heard the heavenly song
That first glad Christmas day.
We too may go to Bethlehem
And find the Savior Child:
We too may hear the angels sing
Their hymns of mercy mild.
Our hearts are God’s new Bethlehem
When Christ is born anew.
It is not far to Bethlehem
When He is born in you!
J. Harold Gwynne 5
1 As told to author by Bobby Colton, who served with her husband, John, former Cambodian mission president; December 2007.
2 Janet Peterson, “Still Riding A Bicycle,” Liahona, April 1999, 27-28.
3 Boyd K. Packer, Regional Representatives’ seminar, 3 April 1987, quoted in “Claiming the Blessings of the Temple ,” Relief Society Personal Study Guide, 1990, p. 84.
4 Howard W. Hunter, letter to priesthood leaders, 16 March 1987, quoted in “Claiming the Blessings of the Temple ,” Relief Society Personal Study Guide, 1990, p. 84.
5 J. Harold Gwynne, “It Is Not Far to Bethlehem ,” in One Hundred songs of the Seasons, compiled by John M. Rasley (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 1977) 62-63.
Quotations from Church sources used courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
