Ruby Valley Live Nativity Scene
Local Residents Impart a Joyful and Meaningful Mindset for the Christmas Season
By Dianna Troyer
A serene ensemble of Christmas celebrants walks quietly into a barn in Ruby Valley, softly singing “When Joseph Went to Bethlehem.”
“I think there at the busy inn that he was meek and mild, And awed to be the guardian of Mary’s sacred child.” Inside the barn across the road from the church, they gather around a handmade wooden manger and sing “Away in the Manger.”
“The stars in the sky look down where He lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.”
This annual live Nativity scene has been a tradition in the scenic valley for more than a quarter century.
To the ranching community, the Nativity is a timeless story reenacted by about a dozen local youths, while a narrator reads biblical passages from Luke and Matthew. They bring to life the birth of Jesus Christ for onlookers who join in, singing a musical narrative.
“It’s a highlight of the holiday season for many of us,” founder Selena Sorensen says. “For me, it’s a time of reflection and peacefulness—to take a moment and relax and acknowledge this is what Christmas is all about.”
About 50 people come to the annual event in the unincorporated area with a population of about 150. This year, the live Nativity scene is at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23, at Sampsons’ sale barn, 614 Ruby Valley Road.
The Nativity reenactment is a gift for the community, says Adam Neff, who helps organize the event as the branch president of the local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“It’s a beautiful experience—celebrating Jesus Christ and bringing us together,” he says. “We’re close-knit, but due to our ranching lifestyle and winter work schedules, we sometimes go for months without interacting much. It’s good for us to all get together.”
The date varies year to year, depending on which day of the week Christmas lands.
“Sometimes we’ve done it on a Sunday or Christmas Eve or the day before Christmas Eve,” Selena says.
Voices swell in volume with the next song as singers proclaim, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”
“Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies With angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Selena and her husband, Jared, started the tradition in 1997, a year after they were married and moved to the valley.
“Growing up in McGill, I always looked forward to a live Nativity that my parents organized,” Selena says. “I loved seeing a star on top of the barn with a spotlight shining on it in the evening. It was magical to watch the program. We wanted to share that experience with our community here.”
When the Sorensens became leaders of their church’s youth program, they suggested the idea of a live Nativity. Families embraced it. To add to authenticity, people volunteer to bring livestock.
“We have a horse, sheep, a milk cow, and sometimes goats,” Selena says.
The Nativity attracts not only local residents but also participants from as far as Elko and Wells. Modern travelers are drawn in, mimicking a journey the wise men undertook centuries ago.
Acknowledging worshippers’ original voyage and modern travel, believers sing “With Wondering Awe.”
“By light of the star, they traveled far, to seek the lowly manger, A humble bed wherein was laid, the wondrous little Stranger.”
The program concludes with a reading of Luke 2:10-11. “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
The song “Silent Night” sums up the occasion. “Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.” Afterward, celebrants gather for a potluck at the church, warmed by smiles and the warmth of the community that wards off the chill of winter.
“The Nativity is always a comforting way to put us in the right mindset for the Christmas season,” Selena says.
