Java authentication program

All,

I'm a beginner Java programmer. I'm trying to write an authentication program that asks a user to enter credentials in the Main method, and then pass the info the a second method called openCredentials. In the openCredentials method, I first tried to open the credentials file, and then I was going to try and compare input from the Main to what's in the openCredentials method. The file in the openCredentials method is called credentials.txt. I get an error trying to open it. Also I get error with the parameters I'm trying to pass info to. Below is what I have so far. Please help me get started down the right path.

package authenticationsystem;
import java.util.Scanner;
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

public class AuthenticationSystem {

    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Scanner scnr = new Scanner (System.in);
        String UserName = "";
        String PassWord = "";
        System.out.println("Please enter your username. For example: John.Doe"); //Here I'm asking for credentials.
        UserName = scnr.next();
        System.out.println("You entered: " + UserName);
        System.out.println("Please enter your password.");
        PassWord = scnr.next();
    }
    private Scanner X;
    public openCredentials(String userName, String passWord){
        try{
        X = new Scanner (new File ("credentials.txt"));
        }
        catch(Exception e){
        System.out.println("Could not find file");
       
    return;
        }
    }
    }
       
       
       
       
       
       
}
   
}