Thousands of Youth Perform in Ogden Temple Cultural Celebration

Sixteen thousand youth from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in a cultural celebration on Saturday (September 20) in honor of the Utah Ogden Temple rededication. Similar events prior to a temple dedication have become a traditional form of celebration for saints within that temple’s district.

The Ogden cultural celebration took on the theme, “Shine the Light,” and drew large crowds. Among those in attendance included President Thomas S. Monson, prophet of the Church, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other Church leaders. According to KSL, Elder Holland spoke to the young performers, saying:

[pull_quote_center]Really, truly, my beloved, beloved young friends, you are the hope of Israel. And we love you for that, and we honor you and are grateful for the preparations you’ve made, even at your young ages, to be part of this temple dedication weekend.[/pull_quote_center]

The youth filled the hour-long celebratory event with song and dance numbers as they paid tribute to the history of the area. Performances revolved around Native American and early pioneer histories of Ogden, as well as construction of the railroad and community service.