‘Luz de las Naciones’: Celebrating Unity and Gratitude Through Music and Dance

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By Trent Toone, Church News

As a little girl growing up in Mexico City, Mexico, Pamela Zepeda remembers watching her mother participate in the country’s traditional folklore dances.

Shortly thereafter, Zepeda’s mother began signing her up for dance classes, and she danced throughout her school years and into college.

Adorned in a colorful dress and ribbons that represent the Mexican state of Jalisco, the 44-year-old beamed as she described dancing “La Negra,” a traditional dance, at a dress rehearsal for “Luz de las Naciones” (”Light of the Nations”) in the Conference Center on Monday, November 4.

“Dancing just makes me happy,” said Zepeda, who will perform in “Luz de las Naciones” for the 10th time. “There is a lot of hard work ... but I have had some very special spiritual experiences every year, especially with all the different themes. They are definitely inspired, and that is one of the main reasons why I keep coming back.”

Zepeda is one of 1,000 volunteer musical artists who will dress in colorful clothing and showcase their talents in the 22nd “Luz de las Naciones,” a celebration of Latin American culture hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“This is an opportunity to share our testimonies through music and dance,” said Israel González-Nieri, the director of the event.

The Church’s annual Latino musical production, which celebrates family and culture through a variety of traditional dances, songs and musical performances, is scheduled to take place in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, November 8, and Saturday, November 9, at 8 p.m.

In recent years, construction on the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square has limited the number of people permitted to attend in person. This year attendance is expected to be at full capacity, said Elder Federico M. Kähnlein, an Area Seventy.

“We are so grateful because many more will be allowed to come,” he said. “This [event] is truly a miracle. These people have spent hundreds of hours practicing and sharing their talents to help others be edified. What I have seen in every show is a spirit of unity and love, and everybody is always so happy to come and see the show.”

This year’s event features music and dancing from Argentina, Paraguay, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil and Peru. The theme is “Un corazón agradecido” (“A thankful heart”).

“Inspirational music has boundless power to unite us as children of our Heavenly Father,” said Elder Jason C. Jensen, an Area Seventy. “As you listen, you will hear that. It also has the power to inspire us to love one another, and of course, move us to good works. That is the power of ‘Luz de las Naciones.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Sister Kathy Christofferson, are expected to attend the performance on Friday, Nov. 8. As a young man, Elder Christofferson served as a full-time missionary in the Argentina North Mission in the mid-1960s.

Creating Unity

Another Church leader at the dress rehearsal with an Argentina connection was Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, who was born and raised in the South American country.

A few years ago, Sister Spannaus was part of a choir that performed in “Luz de las Naciones. She has fond memories of the experience and came away with many new friendships. One of her favorite parts of the cultural event is seeing all the colorful dresses and customs, as well as feeling of “joyful ambience as people clap and sing.”

“It’s a large, beautiful community. Your heart is pounding because here is your country, your music, the things in your culture. It’s wonderful to see your country represented,” she said. “We can have unity among us when we share our culture.”

Creating unity with others brings one closer to Jesus Christ, she said.

“There is something special about meeting other people and becoming friends because you can feel this unity that we need to have with Christ. And when we have this unity with other people, we are more united with Jesus Christ,” Sister Spannaus said.

Celebrating ‘a thankful heart’

On November 20, 2020, President Russell M. Nelson invited the world to embrace and experience the “healing power of gratitude” amid many challenges taking place at that time.

Since then, the Church has witnessed many miracles, particularly in growth and building temples worldwide, Elder Kähnlein said. This led organizers to select “A thankful heart” as this year’s theme.

“We are living in such a special time. We are witnessing so many great things happening in the world, and the Lord is continuing to bless us,” he said. “We are going to have a great show, and it is going to be a way to really feel gratitude in our hearts for the blessings we have.”

November is also a time of year when many celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and count their blessings. González-Nieri expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to hold the event in the Conference Center where they could gather, perform and honor their family heritage and life’s blessings.

“We can be grateful for the blessings that we enjoy in this life, for the opportunity that we had to perhaps grow up in other countries, to be able to gain a cultural knowledge and through dance, through music and song,” said González-Nieri, who became involved with the event 20 years ago as a dancer.

Alejandro “Alex” Melecio, a Mexico native and one of the hosts of the Spanish “Music & the Spoken Word,” has participated in “Luz de las Naciones” since 2007. Since then it has become a fun tradition in his family as three of his five children are playing instruments in the orchestra this year.

Considering the theme, Melecio said he often listens to President Nelson’s message on giving thanks because it’s an effective antidote for the different perils many face today.

“I love that,” he said. “Any part that I can play in conveying that message, helping people focus on what’s going right, on the blessings that we do have, it’s a real antidote. So that’s my hope, that through our words, through our songs, through our preparation, we are able to convey that and people can walk away feeling a little more grateful.”

Hope in Jesus Christ

Along with feeling gratitude, Melecio hopes those who attend this year’s event feel closer to the Savior.

“Perhaps if they haven’t made a connection in terms of whether there is a God, whether He knows you or who you are, what His plan for you is, that it leads us there, because there is a lot of hope in Jesus Christ,” he said. “So ultimately, that’s why we are doing this — to bring people closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Zepeda agreed.

“I hope those who watch can feel the love that our Savior has for all of us,” she said.

How to watch ‘Luz de las Naciones’

Tickets to attend the event in person became available on October 8 and were all reserved within minutes, organizers said.

For those unable to get tickets, a standby line will form outside the Conference Center on Temple Square two hours before the performance begins for potential seating in the Conference Center and overflow seating.

Watch the live broadcast in Spanish on Saturday, November 9, at 8 p.m. MST on the Luz de las Naciones website. English and Portuguese versions with subtitles will also be available.

The live event will be recorded for on-demand viewing on the Luz de las Naciones website, Broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, Stream app and YouTube (Spanish | Portuguese).

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