The live Nativity performances at Temple Hill in Rancho Cordova have finished for this season, but the 18 half-hour performances over a period of four nights drew close to 7,400 visitors. Titled “O Come Let Us Adore Him,” the program ran Thursday, Dec. 10th, through Sunday, Dec. 13th with performances starting at 6:30 p.m. and the last showing at 8:00 p.m. An extra performance was added on both Saturday and Sunday nights to accommodate the crowds attending.

“This live Nativity presentation is our gift to the community, an expression of our love for Jesus Christ and a chance to honor Him by celebrating His birth,” said Dan Harrison, president of the Folsom Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, comprised of members in Folsom and El Dorado Hills. “It is my hope that families and friends (could) come together and feel the love that God has for them.”

The Nativity performances involved two complete sets of cast, totaling more than 100 volunteers, and drew nearly twice as many visitors as expected. Over the course of the 18 performances, six different newborn babies made their acting debut as the baby Jesus, the central figure of the event and the season. “Children watch and wait to see if it’s a real baby,” said Heather McCauley, who organized the double cast for the event. “We call it a ‘live Nativity’ because we want to take people to that moment, to feel like they are a part of that scene in Bethlehem.”

The event took place at the Mormon Center patio, 2110 California Circle in Rancho Cordova, next to the LDS Temple. This is the first of what is intended to be annual free performances.

“In 2016 we will need to think more about how to accommodate the large crowds,” said Eric King, spokesman for the Folsom/El Dorado Hills area of the LDS Church. “We were hoping for about 4,000 during our first year, but it has become obvious that many people are looking for ways to bring Christ to the forefront of Christmas and a live Nativity is a great way to do that.”