100,000 enthused youths note LDS founder's 200th

More than 100,000 LDS young people and their leaders gathered in two Utah sports stadiums Saturday to recall the life of a man who lived two centuries ago.

Yet the teens revere Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose bicentennial year they gathered for a "Day of Celebration" to remember with music, pageantry and a charge, from President Gordon B. Hinckley, to join their forebears in "carrying the gospel across the world and bringing light and understanding to people everywhere."

President Hinckley entered the darkened stadium on a golf cart late in the evening celebration, waving a scarf to a standing ovation from the crowd as he made his way to the podium. His first words to some 45,000 youth assembled in Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah:

"What a show! You do great justice to the prophet Joseph, who liked to have fun! And what a wonderful lot of fun you've had. It's been a wonderful presentation."

Thanking Elders Merrill J. Bateman and Jeffrey Swinton for their work organizing the event over the past 18 months, he noted that tens of thousands have or will participate in similar celebrations across the state.

"This has been the capstone of all of these great presentations. To all of the young men and young women who have danced, to all who have sung, to all who have performed in any way, I express my thanks and compliment you, every one."

He urged participants to never forget the experience, keeping it as "a reminder of the great and sacred obligations which you have as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Prophet Joseph Smith "has done more save Jesus only for the salvation of men in this world than any other man that ever lived in it," President Hinckley said.

"He lived great and he died great in the eyes of God and his people, and like most of all the Lord's anointed in ancient times he has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood."

Participants left the stadium energized and smiling.

Brian Stacey of Mountain View, Wyo., traveled nearly two hours and took a half day off work to attend the event "because it has to do with the gospel." He said he's not concerned about whether friends at home think his participation is "cool or not."

"Joseph Smith is a true prophet — whatever people might say. I'm not worried about that at all."

Whitney Hammond of Sandy said she was a bit hesitant about participating in the choir at first, "but my mom wanted me to do it really bad. Once I got there," and began going to several practices over the past few months, "I decided it would be really cool."