For more than 30 years, the annual holiday lights display at the Mesa Arizona Temple Gardens has beckoned the community to come together to Celebrate the Birth of Christ in Lights and Music.
This year, the event started in a particularly “big” way, with two of the star players of the Arizona Cardinals flipping the switch at the official lighting on Friday, November 26.
Both players are graduates of high schools in Mesa, Arizona, and both are well-known and respected in the area and across the state.
Max Hall, who played at Mesa’s Mountain View High School, went on to play college football at Brigham Young University. Hall is now in his rookie year with the Cardinals and was called on to start as quarterback in several games this season.
Joining Hall at the lighting ceremony was the Cardinals offensive lineman, Taitusi “Deuce” Lutui. A Mesa High graduate, Deuce played at USC before being drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. The big, talented Tongan says being on the temple grounds has added significance for him, as his father, Inoke Lutui, instilled in him a great love for the temple.
His father—Deuce’s hero and his greatest fan—passed away last November. Both parents, Inoke and Duece’s mother, Mele, were born in Tonga, and joined the Church there.
“My father was such an example and an icon to our family, the only one in his family to join the Church,” Deuce says.
After moving to Arizona in 1982, Inoke worked three jobs to provide for his family so Mele could be a stay-at-home-mom to their five children. In 1990, the family was involved in a horrible accident outside of Phoenix. Their van overturned several times. The youngest daughter, Diana, was killed, Sister Lutui suffered severe injuries to her face. Ten-year-old Brook and Brother Lutui sustained head injuries and were in a coma for several months.
Sinia, 15 at the time; Sam, 16; and Deuce, who was six, weren’t seriously injured.
“As tragic as the accident was, there were huge blessings in it,” Deuce says.
After the accident, Inoke was no longer able to work to support his family financially, but he began doing temple work in earnest, attending the temple daily, often spending at least four hours and sometimes all day there.
“He was on the Lord’s errand as far as temple work,” Deuce says. He “completed 70,000 names in initiatory before he died.”
“I know of a surety that many of the blessings I have in my life are because of my father’s work in the temple and for the Lord,” Deuce says.
Deuce, who was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL draft, says both he and his teammate were pleased to help kick off the lighting event that commemorates the birth of Christ and view it as yet another way to share their beliefs in the Savior.
“Max and I considered it a very big honor to participate in the lighting. I have always loved this event and have enjoyed attending with my family and having this be part of our Christmas,” Deuce says.
Many others in the community express similar sentiments, saying they have made it a tradition to attend with family and friends each year.
According to the president of the Christmas Lights committee, Dee Hobbs, the event is specifically designed to convey a message of peace and goodwill and to share the true message and the wonder of the Christmas season.
Started more than 30 years ago, it is the largest known volunteer-driven Christmas lights display. Hobbs says that more than 10,000 volunteer hours go into creating the annual display.
The result is a stunning exhibit of lights in unique and interesting patterns, some in the gardens along the ground, and others high overhead in the tall palm trees. Also featured are outdoor displays, including large nativity and the life-size replicas depicting Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem and showing the Biblical prophet Isaiah, who prophesied of Christ’s birth.
Inside the adjacent Visitors’ Center is an exhibit of international nativities. Each year the display is different, featuring dozens of large nativity sets, numerous miniatures and other artistic renderings, all made of the finest materials and in the tradition of the artisans’ and their various countries.
According to the co-founder of the international nativity display, Sally Johnson, who started the display seven years ago, says that while the display presents beautiful pieces from around the world, the real beauty comes from the message the nativities convey—that people in every nation reverence the birth of the Savior.
“Jesus Christ is worshipped by people throughout the world in their own way,” Sister Johnson says, adding, “Christ Himself let us know that He is the Savior of all the world.”
Susan Fuller, the organizer of this year’s display, works with a committee to gather the nativities and arrange the exhibit.
Among the countries represented this year will be Tonga, Nicaragua, Madagascar and several of the nations of Africa.
“There will be approximately 100 nativity sets, including a collection of miniatures as well as art on the walls and other items,” Sister Fuller says.
Several that will be shown this year have been created by members of the Church who live in other parts of the world. One such piece is a copper relief made from New Mexican copper by an artisan from that state. Two wood carvings, one by a member of the Church from Ghana, another by a member from Mongolia, will be included in the exhibit.
The international nativities will be displayed in the Mesa Temple Visitors’ Center, which also features a 13-foot marble replica of the original Christus sculpture, audiovisual presentations, as well as a 10-minute film depicting the birth of Christ.
In addition, free concerts, presented in the Temple Gardens nightly at 7 p.m., showcase choirs and family groups from across the state and feature a variety of groups and musical styles. (For a complete list of concerts, go to www.mesachristmaslights.com.)
The Gardens will be lit from 5:30 until 10 p.m. each night through New Years’ Day, January 1, 2011. During the weeks of the lights display, the adjacent Visitors’ Center will open at 10 a.m. and will remain open until 10 p.m. each day.
The Mesa Arizona Temple and Visitors’ Center, located at 525 E. Main Street, in Mesa, has free parking available in adjoining parking lots or on neighboring streets. For more information about the Temple Garden Christmas Lights Display call 480.964.7164 or visit www.mesachristmaslights.com.