Baby Jesus Brings True Reason for Christmas with Two Salt Lake City Appearances

This Christmas season marks the debut of the Baby Jesus at the Utah State Capitol. For the first time, on December 17, 2022, from 1 to 4 p.m. (Mountain), a Nativity Scene will be displayed on the same Salt Lake City property that houses the Utah State Legislature and the Utah Governor’s offices. The temporary Christmas crèche display will return to the same location, the South Steps of the Capitol Building, on Christmas Eve, December 24.

WHAT: Utah State Capitol Nativity Scene

WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2022, from 1 to 4 p.m. (Mountain) and again on Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, 2022, from 1 to 4 p.m. (Mountain)

WHERE: Utah State Capitol, at the bottom of the South Steps, 350 State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84103

MAP:  https://goo.gl/maps/RebjjL2vony73MsM6

DETAILS: Program will feature Scripture reading and children caroling

The first-ever Nativity scene at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City is one of many erected at state capitol buildings across America this Christmas, proof that the holiday celebrating the birth of Christ is alive and well in 2022.

“The true joy of Christmas is a newborn baby, lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling cloths,” observed Jack Goodwin, coordinator of the Utah State Capitol Nativity.

“Christmas can be a festive time of parties and presents, but it is most importantly a sacred recognition of the Son of God that humbled Himself to be born in a stable in Bethlehem,” explained Goodwin. “The Nativity Scene, with the Christ Child and His earthly parents, reminds us that we all need hope. It highlights the miracle of birth and new life and the inherent dignity of each and every human being, regardless of their beliefs. And for Christians, it is a reminder of the arrival of the Savior, the King of Kings, the Child who came to save the world from sin. I think the Nativity Scene is a physical representation of the true meaning for our Christmas celebrations.”

Goodwin is one of many citizens across America keeping the “Christ” in Christmas this year, as the Thomas More Society and the American Nativity Scene help private groups to display Biblical manger scenes on government property.

The following state capitols featured a nativity scene in 2021: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Along with the debut of the State Capitol Nativity Scene in Utah, Nativity Scenes were featured for the first time in Alaska, New York, and Virginia.

About the American Nativity Scene

The American Nativity Scene is dedicated to the display of nativity scenes in every state capitol in America during the Christmas season. The committee ships nativity scenes, which have been donated by an anonymous benefactor, to citizens throughout the United States who wish to give witness to the true meaning of Christmas by setting up a privately funded crèche in a public forum. The Thomas More Society provides the organization with legal help in securing permits and defending challenges as needed. Visit americannativityscene.com.