Youths celebrate 2 new temples with music, dance

Unlike the normal business or casual wear common to Temple Square in Salt

Lake City, this week thousands of youths will sport pioneer garb, '40s threads

and the traditional dress of American Indians as the Youth Temple Celebration

gets under way.

In one of the largest event of its kind, an estimated 14,000 Wasatch Front

youths will perform in the celebration of the Draper and Oquirrh Mountain

temples' dedications May 29 and 30.

A celebration of Utah heritage through music and dance, the event will depict

scenes ranging from pioneer times and the swing days of the 1940s to modern

years.

A cultural performance by the youth is a recent tradition for Latter-day

Saint temple dedications, and this one comes in the wake of celebrations in Twin

Falls, Idaho, Panama City, Panama and Mexico City.

The theme of the event is "Come to the Mountain of the Lord," which is found

in Isaiah 2:2-3.

Dennis Crockett, a co-chair with his wife, Teri, for the event, said the

theme reflected both the mountains where the temples reside and a call to the

youth to bind themselves to temple work in their lives.

"We want the performance to help the youth draw closer to the Savior by

drawing closer to the temple," Crockett said. "It has little to do with singing

and dancing and all to do with Jesus Christ."

For Sarah Meier, of the West Jordan Utah Westbrook Stake, the event has

already helped the youth to appreciate temples more.

"The youth in Salt Lake sometimes take the temples for granted," Meier said.

"This event gives them a different perspective and helps them celebrate the

temple like youth do all over the world."