Luz de las Naciones, Light of the Nations, will return for its 24th year at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. MST. In-person tickets are sold out, but it will be streamed and on demand free on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website on Nov. 14.
The event will feature musical and dance performances representing cultures from Latin America and around the world, celebrating culture, unity and faith.
Elder Jason C. Jensen, a General Authority Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and chair of the event’s executive committee, said music plays an important role in bringing people together.
“Inspirational music unites us as our heavenly Father’s children. It inspires us to love one another as Jesus taught, and it also comforts us when we’re sad or feeling helpless or hopeless,” Elder Jensen said.
This year’s production will also feature personal stories from individuals across Latin America about the impact that temples have had on their lives, a part of the performance Elder Jensen said he was particularly excited about.
Yaphet Bustos, a soloist from Chile who has participated in Luz de las Naciones since 2019, said the event has helped him develop a greater appreciation for other Latin American cultures.
“One of my favorite things is that it doesn’t matter where you’re from in these countries. It’s like, we all share something in common,” Bustos said. “Even if you don’t speak the language, too, it’s about hearts and hearts connecting.”
Bustos will be performing several songs during the event, including “Shalom,” a song about peace he said is particularly meaningful to him.
“It’s hard for me to make it through the whole song without getting emotional,” Bustos said.
This year’s production will also include an African American hymn from the Church’s new hymn collection, as part of an effort to expand the cultural representation of the event beyond Latin America, according to Elder Jensen.
