The Salt Lake Temple sits among dozens of carefully lighted white and red trees, including the Cedar of Lebanon (the red tree shown in this image).
While December is the darkest month of the year, the season is celebrated with light, a reminder of the light and hope Christ brought with him when he came into the world. For 48 years, the lights at Temple Square have reminded us of this reason for the season. But whether or not lights are a part of your holiday traditions, you can celebrate Christ's light with these gorgeous photos taken at this year's Temple Square lights display.
This year, the Cedar of Lebanon is wrapped in over 75,000 sparkling red lights. Because of the heat generated by these lights, the Cedar is only lighted every other year.
In the coming years, the lights on the Cedar of Lebanon will be switched to heatless LED lights, which may mean the Cedar will be wrapped yearly.
A family admiring the temple lights walks past the Cedar of Lebanon.
Temple Square light technicians take special care to wrap every branch to make each tree
a beautiful work of art.
Floating candles surround Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus on the reflecting pool
in front of the Salt Lake Temple.
The shepherds and their flocks come to worship the newborn Jesus.
If you get a little chilly while exploring the lights, warm up in the beautifully arrayed foyer of the
Joseph Smith Memorial Building.
For six months out of each year, crews are either wrapping or unwrapping trees on Temple Square in preparation for or in the wake of the December display. Why not leave the lights up year round? Some of the trees and bushes grow as much as 18 inches each year.
The stunning Salt Lake Temple is the anchor for the rest of the lights display--and the most beautiful thing you'll see on Temple Square no matter the season.
Dozens of sparkling trees surround the Salt Lake Temple in a lights display unlike any other.
