After noting the talents and faith of the artist, Angela Johnson, who created the figures for the sculpture gardens now at Thanksgiving Point's Ashton Gardens in Lehi, Utah, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said in a dedicatory prayer:
"I pronounce a blessing that this will remain a pristine acreage of beauty and inspiration, that neither the forces of nature nor the hand of man will mar or deface or otherwise damage or defame the art or the garden or the spirit that is created and the sanctity we feel here. Furthermore, I bless all those who may come here of whatever faith or of no faith at all, that they might be touched by thy spirit and by the messianic majesty of thy Son. I pray that such visitors — older and especially younger, local or from distant lands — that they’ll all be open to the light of the world that this artwork represents, that there will be reverence for and devotion to the divinity of thy Son, and the blessings that have come to all of us because of Him, and will yet come if we follow His light."
To read the full dedicatory prayer, visit Utah Valley 360.
After 13 years of toiling, planning and generous support, a dream to create a scenic garden of religious-themed sculptures was realized Saturday.
More than 350 people packed into a room at the Ashton Gardens to celebrate the grand opening of the Light of the World Garden, a 2.5-acre space featuring 35 bronze, monument-size statues organized into 15 scenes—14 depicting Jesus Christ in the New Testament and one of Joseph Smith's First Vision—created by Utah artist Angela Johnson.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when two very determined, visionary women talk," said master of ceremonies Ryan Larsen, referring to when Johnson shared her idea with Karen Ashton, founder of Thanksgiving Point Institute, in 2008.
Images from Deseret News.
