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Gold was discovered by Latter-day Saints
and others in the Sacramento region of California in 1848, but last
Saturday night, Sept 2, 5,000 youth from 21 stakes celebrated something
“More Precious than Gold” as they joined to sing and
dance their hearts out in the Arco Arena on the eve of the Sacramento
Temple dedication.
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Photos to Enlarge
The Arco Arena, which seats 17,000,
is usually the home of NBA basketball or big concerts, but this
gathering was like none other the arena had ever seen as youth came
to together to fulfill a prophet’s vision. This was the largest
single cast on the Arco Arena stage since its opening.
Just before the Ghana Temple dedication
in 2004, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that he wanted to see
youth cultural celebrations in association with temple dedications
for the purpose of connecting the youth to the temple, to each other,
and more fully to their Savior Jesus Christ.
The idea was for temples to be planted
in the very sinews and bloodstream of the youth, that memories of
their giving their all in time, talent and strength to celebrate
a temple would create memories that would change the course of their
lives and plant the temple at the very core of their being.
Youth were to dance and sing their
testimonies, pattern their hearts around the Lord, and with every
practice and costume fitting, personally anticipate the coming of
the temple for months in advance.
“With All His Might”
In the Old Testament, we learn that
as David delivered the Ark of the Covenant to Judah, he “danced
before the Lord with all his might” (2 Sam. 6: 14).
“With all his might.”
This suggests going beyond normal boundaries and limitations and
giving your utmost consecrated effort. You can just imagine David’s
joyous energy, his twirls, his arms and legs alive, expressing his
love of God.
All who saw the show agreed that was
just what happened at this youth cultural celebration. So many people
gave so much — well beyond any reasonable expectation and
what happened was just simply a miracle — perhaps a thousand
tender mercies that made this celebration come together with such
a powerful outpouring of love and the Spirit.
The team that headed up the celebration
— Norman C. Boehm, chairman; Scott Eckern, producer; Kieth
Merrill, writer and director; Paul Allen, music supervisor and Janine
Nelson, choreography supervisor — received this note from
President Gordon L. Treadway of the Sacramento North Stake:
(l-r) Kieth Merrill, Scott Eckern, Janine Nelson,
Paul Allen.
Click
here to go to part 2 of “More Precious Than Gold”
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