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SALT LAKE CITY — While the iconic lights at Temple Square will be shining brightly this Christmas season, residents will have to enjoy them from afar as public access will not be granted on temple grounds amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday.
Instead, the lights will be celebrated online with a virtual event hosted by sister missionaries taking viewers on a tour of this year's lights. Public access to the grounds has been limited since the pandemic began earlier this year and all events associated with the temple lights will be held virtually this season.
The broadcast will go live on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. on the church's website and on the Temple Square Facebook page. It will be published in 11 different languages and later made available for viewing on demand.
Since the grounds will be closed, patrons can view the lights in-person from nearby sidewalks behind the gates in Salt Lake City. However, those walking near the grounds are encouraged to follow public health guidelines by wearing a mask and social distancing from people outside of their household.
The seasonal lights in Salt Lake City and at temples in the District of Columbia and Los Angeles will be turned on the evenings after Thanksgiving, church officials said. The lights in the locations outside of Utah will only be viewable to those driving by in cars, church leaders said.
Adding to the holiday cheer, prerecorded Christmas performances from around the world will be shared online from Dec. 2-23, with broadcasts at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday evenings on the church website and Temple Square Facebook page.
The annual Christmas holiday special with The Tabernacle Choir will feature Kelli O'Hara and actor Richard Thomas, a concert that was filmed prior to pandemic restrictions during last year's Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square's Christmas concerts.
Christmas specials will air every Sunday on Tabernacle Choir channels starting Nov. 29 and run through Dec. 20.
A First Presidency Christmas online-only devotional featuring messages from general authorities and officers of the church will be broadcast from Temple Square on Sunday, Dec. 6, with a livestream of that event available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Editor's Note: Deseret Digital Media, Inc., the operator of KSL.com, is a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
