Enlightenment

On August 29, we had a fantastic evening! We went to the “Enlightenment” light and sound show at the historic Cathedral of St. Stephen, which is located at 249 Elizabeth Street in downtown Brisbane…St. Stephen was built in 1874.

Senior missionaries have a LOT of fun together either on our P-day, which is every Saturday, or often on Friday nights we get together. There are so many really fun things to go do, explore, and see around the Brisbane Mission! It is fun being together to laugh, share, enjoy, and make memories with each other!

Tonight was one of those jaw dropping WOW experiences that we got to share together. Fourteen of us Seniors (there are a lot more than fourteen Senior missionaries serving) were able to purchase tickets to go experience the 30 minute “Enlightenment,” at St. Stephen Cathedral. Elder Nelson and I were able to be with the Hills, the Whippermans, the Hulls, the Colemans, Sister Widman, Sister Burst, Elder Barlow and Sister Fiaui tonight.

Let me use the words taken from the Internet…which describe the “Enlightenment” show so much better than I can…

Enlightenment is a deeply sensory, poetic journey through nature and time. As Vivaldi’s masterpiece (re-orchestrated especially for the occasion!) fills the cathedral, you’ll be enveloped in a living artwork. Each season is brought to life through rich colour, light and movement, from the pink blossom hues of spring and the fiery oranges of autumn, to the golden glow of summer and the frozen beauty of winter. It’s not just something to watch, it’s something you’ll feel.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral, already one of Brisbane’s most beautiful landmarks, becomes even more enchanting under the spell of Enlightenment. The soaring arches and stained glass will be reimagined through cutting-edge projection mapping, creating a visual experience that shifts and shimmers all around you. The setting is perfect: serene, sacred, and steeped in history—an extraordinary backdrop for an experience that invites you to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the rhythm of life. The Enlightenment show will run from July 5th through September 27th, 2025.

We first met at the mission office at 5:00 p.m. to celebrate Sister Widman’s birthday on the 29th with a pot-luck dinner. Pizza was purchased from the Italian restaurant next door. It was a lot of fun eating together.

We then had to leave quickly at around 5:45 p.m. to catch the North Shore Hamilton 6:00 p.m. City Cat and make our way up the Brisbane River. We got off at the Riverside stop and quickly walked through downtown and up the hill to the beautiful St. Stephen’s Cathedral. We made it there with five minutes to spare and found places to sit.

The next 30 minutes we were totally immersed in bright dancing colors shown on the cathedral ceiling, walls, windows, the front alter and the back of us and on the floor plus hearing the classical sounds of “Vivaldi” that gave us the perfect electrifying experience. Each of us loved every second of this amazing light show…it is so hard to describe. I tried to capture a bits of the light show with pictures and video.

After the Enlightenment show, we walked over to the huge Brisbane ferris wheel and took one complete turn around it and taking in the thrilling night lights of downtown. So, soooo fun! We hope you had a very fun birthday Sister Widman!

Since starting our mission in Australia and Papua New Guinea, I constantly find myself wishing that my family and friends could see what I am seeing and feel what I am feeling. Serving as missionaries has been such a rich, rewarding experience!

There is just soooo much I wish I could share with family and friends! Tonight was one of those experiences! We also love being with our young missionaries and feeling their energy and love. I just can’t thank my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving us this mission experience. It might not seem like it…but…YES, we are working hard and most nights fall into bed exhausted from a long, busy, often unpredictable day…but we also are blessed to experience fun, incredible times…such as tonight!