WASHINGTON -- Not many years ago, few would have dared imagine a high official of China publicly praising The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, embracing a general authority and inviting the church to work more with his Communist country.

But that impossible dream of Cold War years was a reality Wednesday as Li Zhaoxing, ambassador to the United States from the People's Republic of China, did all of that.It came as he was the guest of honor at a ceremony to switch on 400,000 Christmas lights at the church's Washington Temple as diplomats from 46 other nations watched.

Li said he accepted the invitation to illuminate the lights to show "our warmest, friendliest greetings" from the world's most populous country to the LDS Church. He especially thanked it for aid and service that its members recently gave to his nation.

"The Mormon Church has sent English teachers to China and provided financial aid to send students studying to this country," he said.

Also, he said that this year when devastating floods hit parts of China, "The Mormon Church made several donations to affected areas, a genuine spirit of true compassion and love to the people of China."

Li said that all of China saw television coverage of such donations. "All the Chinese viewers watch that program and are deeply touched," he said.

Li also praised the church for its emphasis on the importance of families, which he noted also has a supreme spot in Chinese culture.

"The church has emphasized the role of family . . . attached good importance to teaching children knowledge, culture, moral conduct and the rule of law," he said.

And Li said he looks forward to more cooperation between his country and America and "the Mormon Church in the coming years."

Just before he flipped the switch to illuminate the Christmas lights, he said, "May they be lights of peace, lights of faith, lights of good will and love, lights of good luck for all of us. And may every mountain, every valley, every hill, every continent and every heart be illuminated."

Elder John K. Carmack of the church's First Quorum of Seventy threw the switch with Li, and they embraced afterward as the crowd of world diplomats applauded. Elder Carmack also spoke fondly of the years he lived in Hong Kong, and of the Chinese people.

He added that while the lights are to church members a symbol of the light and gifts of Christ, he also sees them as an invitation to others to celebrate their own cultures and values.

"Christmas is a time we wish blessings upon each other. And my wish to all of us today is that we would prosper, that we would have peace, that we would have good will that we would celebrate each in our own way," Elder Carmack said.

The LDS Church, according to its International and Governmental Affairs Office, does not actively proselyte in China, but it does have pockets of expatriate members in the country.

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Because Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule last year, the church now has a temple in that Communist country. The Hong Kong temple was completed in 1996 when the city was under British rule to serve the 19,000 LDS members who live there.

Over the past decade, the church has invited or honored ambassadors from several countries at Washington Temple lighting ceremonies who later helped open the doors to LDS missionary work in their nations -- including numerous formerly Communist countries.

The church also went the extra mile on Wednesday to welcome Li -- and more than 20 other officials who came with him from the Chinese embassy. The opening prayer was offered in Mandarin by Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., who had been an LDS missionary in Taiwan. And the Mormon Choir of Washington sang "Silent Night" in Mandarin.

Li joked that they and most other LDS members attending who spoke Chinese "speak with a more accurate accent than I do." Also after a lavish introduction of him by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Li said he hopes all those "good words were overheard by God and by my boss."

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