‘Fire and Ice’ at the 2002 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies

Before 55,000 spectators — and a television viewing audience estimated at 3.5 billion — Salt Lake City welcomed the world Feb. 8 with a spectacle of light, music and dance, all designed to evoke the theme of the 2002 Winter Olympics: “Light the Fire Within.”

Widely acclaimed, the opening ceremonies clearly were designed to appeal to a wide audience. But in a city that is the headquarters of the Church, it was a given that there would be a pronounced Latter-day Saint element. As it was, the Tabernacle Choir joined by the Utah Symphony performed the anthem “Call of the Champions” under the baton of renowned director John Williams, who composed it expressly for the 2002 Games.

And a glittering ice show included a depiction of handcarts and covered wagons, clearly an allusion to the Mormon Pioneers, who founded the city and the state.