Christmas Lights and the Life of Jesus Christ to Shine Again

Traditional Christmas lights and the Life of Jesus Christ in art and film will be presented from the 1st through to 25th December from 7:30 to 10:30 each evening. 

Tens of thousands of Sydney-siders of all faiths will be visiting the temple grounds this Christmas season to view more than 140,000 lights adorning the area. Last year 12,000 people viewed the art exhibit alone and thousands more enjoyed the Christmas lights.

This will be the 24th year that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) has sponsored the Christmas lights.  The art display and the film about the life of Christ having been added more recently.  

All parts of the evening are available to the public at no cost and all age groups are welcome. Asian translators will be available each Wednesday evening.

The event is located at 756 Pennant Hills Road on the corner of Pennant Hills and Mosely Street at the Sydney Latter-day Saint temple and features a life-size Nativity scene.

The Life of Christ Art Exhibit and film will be presented directly across the temple parking lot in Buckland House. The film brings to life the Biblical accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry and allows a cinematic look at his legacy. 

The international art exhibit includes the works of Bloch, Hoffman, Anderson and Rane and features world famous paintings of the life of Christ, from his birth to his Second Coming.

Buckland House, where the art exhibit is located, is the present Australian headquarters of the Church.  It was a former Church of England orphanage for many years prior to its acquisition by the Church in the 1980’s. 

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Christmas Season is a special time to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Every year, members gather with family and friends and recall the tender scene of the “babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger’ (Luke 2:12).

Nativity scenes and Christmas light displays are features of many Latter-day Saint temples around the world.  In particular the Salt Lake City and the Washington D.C. temples have hundreds of thousands of lights scattered around their grounds that are visited by tens of thousands of people each year.

Like other Christians, Latter-day Saints recognise that without the Saviour’s atoning sacrifice and His victorious Resurrection, His birth in Bethlehem would not mean all it does today.

Under the heading Christmas, in the Church's LDS.org website Gospel Topics section, the Church indicates that, "when we keep the spirit of Christmas, we keep the Spirit of Christ, for the Christmas spirit is the Christ Spirit. 

“There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ.

“Because He came to earth, we have a perfect example to follow.  As we strive to become more like Him, we will have joy and happiness in our lives and peace each day of the year.  It is His example which, if followed, stirs within us more kindness and love, more respect and concern for others."

Watch short films about Christmas and the Saviour’s birth.