World's Largest Live Nativity

Photo Courtesy of Jarvie Digital Photography (http://www.jarviedigital.com/)

It’s not every day you get to cross multiple items off your bucket list with your seven-year-old daughter. Lily and I joined over 1,000 volunteers and talented Youtubers and musicians to help create an amazing music video and beat the Guinness Book record for Largest Live Nativity.

It was the perfect way to usher in the Christmas season and the experience was not at all what I expected. Upon signing up for the opportunity, I was excited to help beat the record and perhaps have the opportunity to meet the likes of David Archuleta, Mindy from Cute Girls Hairstyles, Alex Boye, Studio C cast members, and others. What came about was an entirely different experience which I am excited to share below. But first, please watch the extraordinary video!

Can you feel it? This beautiful collaboration brought together The Piano Guys, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Stuart Edge, the Shaytards, and many others in a massive effort to #SharetheGift and the true meaning of Christmas.

Singing with the Tabernacle Choir on the Rock Canyon Park hillside as we looked down on the nativity scene brought me to tears. What it would have been like to witness the Savior’s birth! I held my seven year old up for several hours as we completed camera take after camera take in the cold. Several times I asked Lily if she was too cold and wanted to leave. Her response, “Mom! This is important. We need to sing for the baby Jesus so that people will know how special this is.” Yes, she realized that it wasn’t the real baby Jesus, but she also recognized the truly precious and vital message that was being shared. Jesus Christ is the gift.

Here’s a little behind the scenes of our memorable experience.

World's Largest Live Nativity

When I first heard of the collaboration for the Largest Live Nativity, I knew it was something I wanted to be part of. My daughter and I had done extra work for Just Let Go (coming out in 2015) so I knew that Lily would be up for the challenge. We bundled up in our white clothes and were thrilled for slightly warmer temperatures that day. Lily was able to wear my baptism dress one more time. Loved this since she is already outgrowing it and won’t be able to wear it for her baptism day next June.

Largest Live Nativity in Provo, Utah

Joining the long line of angels at Rock Canyon Park in Provo, my little angel spent the time waiting and twirling to her heart’s content. Patience is definitely needed as an extra and Lily is getting pretty good at entertaining herself! My favorite part of the waiting was getting to know the people around us. We practiced words to the beautiful song you heard in the video, exchanged stories, and bonded together in the cold. Looking back, I wish I had gotten their names. The name of the kind women who loaned Lily her jacket on the hillside. The name of the mother/daughter duo who we laughed with in between camera takes (how we were wishing that we had Snuggies in white!). The name of the teenagers who were kind and laughed at all of Lily’s jokes while we waited in our formation with the LED lights. All good people!

Largest Live Nativity

The first part of the evening was the actual breaking of the Guinness Book World Record for Largest Live Nativity. Lily adores animals and was in heaven petting the lambs, camel, and donkey.

Larget Live Nativity

Next came practicing with our LED angel costumes. Since Lily was under the age of 12, we had originally only signed up to be part of the World Record. I was a little disappointed to not be part of the video, but didn’t know how much Lily would be up to doing at the park. She did amazingly and begged to stay when they asked for more volunteers. So we were in! This little gal did so well following the directions and waiting patiently even when the temperatures dropped after the sun set.

Largest Live Nativity

Lily and I loved checking out the technology used for the video shoot. She was fascinated by the giant balloons that held the cameras during our light scene. The drone on the hillside was pretty cool, too! The sheer organization and man power it took to organize this successful attempt a the World Record was incredible. Each of our spots was marked out on a grid on the ground for the aerial light scene at the end of the video.

Shine Your Light - World's Largest Nativity Scene

When I signed up for this experience, I went into it as a blogger and as a fun experience to share with my daughter. What fun to sing with the Tabernacle Choir and be in a music video!  I came away with so much more. Even if you look very close, you probably won’t catch sight of Lily and I in the video (you can catch a quick glimpse of us 3:08 and in the picture below), but I know we were there and I know what we felt. What a privilege be a part of such an undertaking to share the true meaning of Christmas.

Largest Live Nativity

As we sang on the hillside, I couldn’t help but be overcome by emotion. What joy the heavens must have felt when the Savior of the World was born! Lily asked me if we might have been angels at the Savior’s birth long, long ago. I told her that I didn’t know for sure, but that I sure hoped so! Lily sang her little heart out and quickly memorized the words to the song. Watching her sing Gloria time after time after time, filled my heart! That night we went home full of excitement at what we had just had witnessed and experienced.

This one experience captured an important lesson in life for me. We each have an essential part to play. Some are angels. Some are shepherds. Some are directors. Some are cameraman. Without each person in the cast of over a thousand, the world record and music video would not have been possible. As it is with life, we show up – ready to do whatever is asked of us. Sometimes we need to experience the same things repeatedly in order to learn the full lesson being taught. Sometimes the weather or other variables don’t cooperate with what we are trying to accomplish, but we unite in prayer and keep moving forward to the end goal. In the end, something beautiful and inspiring is created. Every cold moment,  every dark moment, every moment waited is worth it. And the reason it is worth it is because of what our Savior Jesus Christ has promised us.

May we all keep moving forward in our life’s goals and stories together and remember to #sharethegift this holiday season. If you would like to see more inspiring videos about the true meaning of Christmas please visit this web-site. You can download a free track of the beautiful song from the music video at this link. Please share!

What is your favorite Christmas memory this year?

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Categories: Holiday

22 Comments

Heidi Fowler · December 12, 2014 at 11:48 am

Amazing! This was so beautiful. I love the piano guys and Peter Hollens, so it was so fun to see them together. I caught some other favorite singers as well. Thanks so much. I’ll be sharing.

Bonnie {Hobby to HOT!} · December 12, 2014 at 3:13 pm

Oh my goodness! I love, love, love everything about this! Thank you for sharing.

Becky @ lovetobeinthekitchen · December 12, 2014 at 8:33 pm

I love reading about your experience! Sounds like it was so special for both of you. I watched this video and it’s so beautiful!

Kendra Wright · December 12, 2014 at 11:47 pm

What an awesome experience! Thanks for sharing your experience! Loved the video a lot!. My family watched it with me and at the end there was silence, with 5 boys in the house that means the spirit was strong!

Debbie L. · December 13, 2014 at 9:42 am

This would be amazing to see. I wish I was able to attend. We have live nativity in our area – we love them.

Amethyst Moon · December 13, 2014 at 11:58 am

This looks like a really cool experience for you and your daughter. It’s very cool that you had the opportunity to be a part of something so special to you.

Debbie Denny · December 13, 2014 at 4:09 pm

Oh I would have loved to see this. It is amazing and such a great experience.

becca · December 13, 2014 at 7:56 pm

Wow that is so beautiful. Plus I bet it was very inspirational to see.

Suzzie · December 13, 2014 at 9:38 pm

I saw that video a few days ago and was stunned by it. It makes me feel so peaceful inside. I can’t believe you guys got to be a part of it! Lucky!!!!!!!!

Terry · December 14, 2014 at 10:09 am

What a wonderful day with all the angels at Rock Canyon Park. I just love that hoop dress/skirt that lit up. I bet your little angel will remember this day always.

Natalia · December 14, 2014 at 10:21 am

Wouuu! This is so beautiful! I love the photos 🙂

Amanda Love · December 14, 2014 at 2:13 pm

Sounds like it was a great experience. I would have loved to see it. That’s a once in a lifetime experience.

Diane Nassy (@philZENdia) · December 14, 2014 at 7:55 pm

Wow, that looks so amazing. Looks like an awesome experience.

Joanne · December 15, 2014 at 2:47 am

Wow – that is amazing! Over 1000 people? Awesome how things come together! Merry Christmas!

Mama to 5 BLessings · December 15, 2014 at 6:07 am

Wow this is huge! I bet this would have been amazing to see up close and in person!

Susan Evans · December 15, 2014 at 1:42 pm

How totally cool to be able to experience this with your daughter! It really helps the true meaning of Christmas sink in.

XmasDolly · December 15, 2014 at 5:51 pm

Absolutely inspiring. Thanks for sharing and a very Merry Christmas. I love this song. I use to sing it as a kid in Latin every day being as I went to Catholic school. 🙂

Cathy Kennedy · December 16, 2014 at 5:03 am

What an amazing experience to have with your daughter! I can only imagine the overwhelming sense of God’s love swelling in each of your hearts while doing this shoot. I mean, how can one not be filled with the joy of a reenactment of the Savior’s birth? Reading your words moved in a sweet way and part of me wished that I could have been there with you to enjoy such a moment. I hope Lily never forgets the message and will #sharethegift with others all of her. Way to go, Mom! Thank you for sharing this marvelous event with the 4M crew! May you have the very merriest Christmas ever & a blessed new year!

Kara @ The Joys of Boys · December 17, 2014 at 11:09 pm

This is amazing! I would have loved to have been a part of it. Thanks for sharing!

Stacy Uncorked · December 18, 2014 at 8:00 pm

What an amazing experience! This will absolutely be a cherished memory for you daughter, too. 🙂

Michelle · December 28, 2014 at 9:26 pm

It’s always wonderful when you can share experiences and memories with your family. This sounds like it was a lot of fun!

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