Mexico envoy flicks on LDS lights

KENSINGTON, Md.— With the push of a large red button, Mexican Ambassador Carlos de Icaza turned on 450,000 lights in Maryland Wednesday night, kicking off the Christmas season for area members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

De Icaza and other ambassadors from around the world, members of Congress — including Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah — local church leaders and members participated in the 29th annual Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors Center. The temple is just a few miles over the Maryland border from the District of Columbia.

The Chamber Choir from Southern Virginia University — an LDS school — sang Christmas carols for those attending, including Elder J.W. Marriott Jr., the evening host, and M. Kenneth Bowler, the director of the Washington, D.C., Office of Public Affairs for the church.

"It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas," said Ann Santini, director of international affairs for the church.

She joined the choir and all the children in the audience in singing "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night" just before the countdown started and the glow of almost half a million bulbs made the 9 p.m. night sky twinkle with blue, red and white lights.

About 700 church volunteers put the lights up over the past four months, Santini said.

"It's a great deal of electronic magic," Santini said. "Christmas 2006 is on its way."

Bennett introduced the ambassador calling him a "man of considerable experience." He joked how he was standing next to him in the receiving line and de Icaza would know every other ambassador and likely speak their language.

De Icaza told the audience that Mexico has been a "proud home" for LDS members for more than 100 years. The country has 1 million LDS members, the second-largest Mormon population behind Utah.

"I hope they will inspire us to be ambassadors of peace and understanding," he said of the lights.

"May peace be your gift at Christmas and throughout the year."

More than 200,000 people are expected to visit the light display, which runs through the end of the year. In addition to the lights, there are evening concerts, 17 decorated trees inside the center and a room full of Nativity scenes from all over the world.

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E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com