Lighting of the LDS Temple annual Christmas ceremony, St. George, Utah, Nov. 23, 2012 | Photo by Sandie Divan, St. George News
ST. GEORGE – The traditional lighting of the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tonight welcomed a crowd of saints and members of the community in St. George.
President Thales Derrick welcomed all in attendance and opened the ceremony with prayer. President David Clove delivered a message encouraging the joy that can be found in giving to others during the holiday season. And Dr Craig Booth offered a benediction.
Dixie High School sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas and were joined by the audience in attendance in the singing of Silent Night closing the ceremony.
Please enjoy the ceremony via our photo gallery:
St. George News citizen Sandie Divan contributed to this article.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2012, all rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joyce Kuzmanic has been editor in chief of St. George News since 2012, having contributed as a reporter and assistant editor since the publication's inception in 2010. Before St. George News, Joyce has been a private business owner and enjoyed a long career as a paralegal in real estate, business and tax law transactions.
She enjoys hospitality, thinking, reading and adventuring in the great outdoors. Joyce currently resides in St. George with her husband and her dog, Scratch.
Thales Derrick is not the President of the LDS Church. You will want to correct his title in this article. Also, after you have mentioned the full name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once, it isn’t necessary to repeat the full name every time after that.
It looks like the Christmas spirit was captured in the lighting of the grounds of the St. George Temple. Merry Christmas to all!
Correction made, Steve, with our apologies for any confusion. The reason we do include the full name of the LDS Church on each photo is because photos can be separately pulled up on the web. In story, though, we agree with you – first reference is sufficient for the full name.
Anybody else noticed how the City puts less and less lights up on the trees/streetlights on the boulevard going thru downtown each year?! I just think it’s sad that today’s kids get less treatment to the spirit of the holidays. Just what happened to decorating the avenues downtown anyway? It’s so dark and unfestive more this year than ever!
I agree with Tyler, this is the most unfestive city, when one would think it’d be the opposite being a big family/religious town. Look how festive SLC’s downtown streets are in comparison. A few years back i remember when lights were strung on the trees lining the medians of the Blvd. and the fountain and trees was a big, beautiful lighted display on the corner of Bluff and SG Blvd., this year…nothing. Very disappointing how the simple magic of Christmas is disapearing for this generation of our youth :/
It’s all about the dollars, I’m sure. Holiday lighting for a city if pretty expensive from paying the crews for installation and removal, we well as the power bill to light it all. I agree it would be nice, but then they have to deal with all the people down here griping about their taxes going to frivolous displays. It’s a double edged sword, I guess.
Annettie Cannavale November 25, 2012 at 11:07 amLog in to Reply
The other guy in the photo with Jon Pike is Rep. Don Ipson of District 75 if you want to caption it.
Sandie is a wonderful member, like you, Annetie, of our “St. George News community.” She offered to go, shoot, contribute. We accepted with gratitude. St. George News is very much a “you and us” joint endeavor – and we are so blessed when people want to participate and contribute. Thank you for noticing her work, it will bring her joy – of that I am certain.
Joyce
Rita Silvestriritas November 25, 2012 at 12:50 pmLog in to Reply
My husband, Nate and I had a wonderful time at the St. George Temple of the Church of the Latter Day Saints annual Christmas lighting ceremony.on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was just beautiful. We wish to thank our dear friends, Tom and Patsy Lamb for inviting us to represent the St. George Catholic Church at the event that evening. We were most honored. We also wish the entire community of St. George a holy and blessed Christmas Season.
It is a dark season with lack of holiday lights along the streets downtown…Oh well, sign of the times as we become imune to this neverending depression…
Who needs Christmas lights when we have an awesome carousel?! Plus, the more lights we put on the streets, the easier it will be to see all the potholes, and we don’t want that, either. Just ignore it and it will go away, right?
Thales Derrick is not the President of the LDS Church. You will want to correct his title in this article. Also, after you have mentioned the full name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once, it isn’t necessary to repeat the full name every time after that.
It looks like the Christmas spirit was captured in the lighting of the grounds of the St. George Temple. Merry Christmas to all!
Correction made, Steve, with our apologies for any confusion. The reason we do include the full name of the LDS Church on each photo is because photos can be separately pulled up on the web. In story, though, we agree with you – first reference is sufficient for the full name.
Anybody else noticed how the City puts less and less lights up on the trees/streetlights on the boulevard going thru downtown each year?! I just think it’s sad that today’s kids get less treatment to the spirit of the holidays. Just what happened to decorating the avenues downtown anyway? It’s so dark and unfestive more this year than ever!
I agree with Tyler, this is the most unfestive city, when one would think it’d be the opposite being a big family/religious town. Look how festive SLC’s downtown streets are in comparison. A few years back i remember when lights were strung on the trees lining the medians of the Blvd. and the fountain and trees was a big, beautiful lighted display on the corner of Bluff and SG Blvd., this year…nothing. Very disappointing how the simple magic of Christmas is disapearing for this generation of our youth :/
It’s all about the dollars, I’m sure. Holiday lighting for a city if pretty expensive from paying the crews for installation and removal, we well as the power bill to light it all. I agree it would be nice, but then they have to deal with all the people down here griping about their taxes going to frivolous displays. It’s a double edged sword, I guess.
The other guy in the photo with Jon Pike is Rep. Don Ipson of District 75 if you want to caption it.
Omigosh – thank you Annettie, no disrespect intended to the congressman. We will.
I’m sure you didn’t.
Who is the photographer, Sandie Divan? I don’t believe I’ve seen his/her work here before. Excellent pictures.
Sandie is a wonderful member, like you, Annetie, of our “St. George News community.” She offered to go, shoot, contribute. We accepted with gratitude. St. George News is very much a “you and us” joint endeavor – and we are so blessed when people want to participate and contribute. Thank you for noticing her work, it will bring her joy – of that I am certain.
Joyce
My husband, Nate and I had a wonderful time at the St. George Temple of the Church of the Latter Day Saints annual Christmas lighting ceremony.on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was just beautiful. We wish to thank our dear friends, Tom and Patsy Lamb for inviting us to represent the St. George Catholic Church at the event that evening. We were most honored. We also wish the entire community of St. George a holy and blessed Christmas Season.
Rita and Nate Silvestri
It is a dark season with lack of holiday lights along the streets downtown…Oh well, sign of the times as we become imune to this neverending depression…
Who needs Christmas lights when we have an awesome carousel?! Plus, the more lights we put on the streets, the easier it will be to see all the potholes, and we don’t want that, either. Just ignore it and it will go away, right?
It is nice to see the local freemason temple lit up.