KENSINGTON, Maryland — With the shared push of a button, Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Mexican Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma Barragán turned on more than a half-million Christmas lights on the grounds of the Washington D.C. Temple.
The 48th annual Festival of Lights kicked off on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 2, with Elder Caussé welcoming representatives from nearly 50 different countries.
“The Church brings people together of different languages and cultures,” he said during the event.
Elder Caussé’s main message focused on light and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Light is one of the great symbols of Christmas,” he said. “Lights echo the joy we find in Jesus Christ.”
Turning to the scriptures, Elder Caussé shared with the audience — most of whom were not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — that members of the Church believe in a strong connection between light and godliness.
He read from Doctrine and Covenants 50:24, where the Lord taught, “That which is of God is light.”
Elder Caussé said that he knows the Church of Jesus Christ is not alone in this belief.
“Light is a symbol cherished across many faiths,” he said.
Reading the Savior’s words from the New Testament, Elder Caussé quoted from Matthew 5:14, when Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world.” Elder Caussé invited attendees to take that as an invitation to share the light they have been given and to recognize the good they see in others.
Elder Caussé told the story of Jacques Lusseyran, a leader of the French resistance against the Nazis. Lusseyran had lost his sight as a young boy. At age 17, his peers chose him to be the leader of their resistance group.
Lusseyran was eventually betrayed, arrested and sent as part of a group of 2,000 French captives to the Buchenwald concentration camp just before his 19th birthday.
While locked in a tiny, windowless cell, Lusseyran saw joy and tried to share it with others in captivity.
“I was aware of a radiance,” he later said.
He could not physically see light, but he could feel it in everything around him and chose to share its joy and give hope to others based on what he felt.
Elder Caussé said that identifying light and choosing to share it helps build individuals and those around them.
“Thank you for seeing the light in others,” he said.
‘Tekia’ and a commitment to community
Moctezuma’s message found roots in the Nahuatl language spoken natively by the Aztecs more than 500 years ago.
The ambassador taught about the word “tekia” or “tequio” that refers to a kind of shared obligation among members of a community.
“At its heart, ‘tekia’ is a deep commitment to generosity with no expectation of favor in return,” he said.
Noting that Mexico has the most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the United States, Moctezuma said he has observed Church members’ service both inside and outside his country.
“The Church embodies the principle to serve selflessly,” he said.
Moctezuma quoted the late Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, who said, “May the real meaning of the gospel distill into our hearts that we may realize that our lives, given us by God our Father, are to be used in the service of others.”
Quoting President Hinckley again, he said, “A small kindness can bring a great blessing to someone in distress and a sweet feeling to the one who befriends him.”
Speaking specifically of Christmas, Moctezuma shared the Mexican tradition of Las Posadas.
“Dec. 16 marks the beginning of Christmas in Mexico; … we reenact the pilgrimage of Joseph and Mary.”
Importantly, he said, the traditions of Christmas reflect the values of hope and community.
“These are moments of shared purpose,” he said. “May we have a soul of service, a soul of ‘tekia.’”
Music of the Christmas season
Christmas music for the event came from a combination of songs sung by Dallyn Vail Bayles, the Washington D.C. Temple Choir and the event’s attendees.
Bayles sang “What Child Is This?” and a medley of “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”
The choir sang “Silent Night” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Children attending the event joined the choir and congregation in singing “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells.”
Following the countdown and ceremonial push of the button to light the temple grounds, the choir and congregation sang “Joy to the World” to conclude the evening’s program.
