Mormon Life - Temple Square tag

Cleanup under way at LDS Conference Center; pulpit spared

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:29:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

An electrical room was singed. Carpet and chairs in the main auditorium were soaked. But the wooden pulpit crafted from an LDS prophet’s backyard tree was spared.

Such was the damage as crews began cleaning up Tuesday after a two-alarm fire at the LDS Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City this week.

Conference Center Fire: Church Statement

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:51:00 -0600

source: Newsroom.lds.org

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement today regarding a fire Monday evening in the Church Conference Center in Salt Lake City:

Fire in LDS Conference Center leaves thousands of gallons of water in main auditorium

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:53:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Wow. Well, the sprinkler system sure works. We're glad everything is okay. A small fire in a mechanical room in the LDS Conference Center led to water damage and flooding in the main auditorium Monday night.

At 8:15 p.m., a fire triggered the sprinkler system in the mechanical room, which sits almost directly above the pulpit. Two sprinklers in the room put out the fire before firefighters arrived.

"Along with extinguishing the fire, (the sprinklers) also left a lot of water in the mechanical room area," said Salt Lake fire spokesman Jasen Asay.

{LDSL Blog} What City Creek Will Do for the Church

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:32:00 -0600

by Ashley Evanson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The new City Creek Center in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City is more than just a mall - it's the newest missionary tool of the LDS Church. The LDS Church’s for-profit firm City Creek Reserve is behind the construction of the $2 billion mixed-use shopping space that spans two city blocks just across the street from Temple Square. And what’s amazing is that the Church paid for City Creek with cash, not using a dime of member tithing money.

A lot of members, including LDS Living readers, are in support of the shopping center, but I’ve also read comments questioning the Church’s use of money. Some think the Church should be using the money to build temples, and others have even called City Creek “great and spacious.” But I don’t see it that way at all.

Think of it this way: There is a huge, metropolitan center literally steps away from the Salt Lake Temple, Visitor Center, Tabernacle, Church History Museums, among other places. People who might never have stepped foot onto Temple Square can casually stroll over after a day of shopping, or while waiting for a dinner reservation. A new TRAX line is going to run from the airport to City Creek, so people from all over the globe can visit both word-class shopping and the LDS hub quite conveniently. I see so many missionary opportunities coming from the incredible location and overall atmosphere it has brought back to Salt Lake. This was no coincidence, and the Church knows exactly what it’s doing.

The First Presidency attended the opening ceremony last week where President Henry B. Erying said, "Everything that we see around us is evidence of the long-standing commitment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Salt Lake City. Downtown, thanks to so many, is indeed rising."

This commitment to revitalizing downtown is to preserve the heritage, legacy, and culture of Salt Lake City, Bishop H. David Burton, the Church's presiding bishop, told the Deseret News. And it will no doubt also be a vital tool in missionary work. So before you judge, give City Creek a chance. After all, if President Monson thinks it’s a good thing, so do I.

Temple Square photo gallery

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:19:00 -0600

source: ldschurchnews.com

Mormon Life says: Beautiful. The photo illustration depicts images of Temple Square in preparation for the 182nd Annual General Conference to be held March 31 and April 1.

Interfaith Friends Bring Music and Energy to Historic Mormon Tabernacle

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:44:00 -0700

source: Newsroom.lds.org

“Many Faiths, One Family” was the theme of the Interfaith Musical Tribute, which was held in the historic Mormon Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City Sunday, 26 February 2012. The free concert was under the direction of the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable and hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Hindu dance At Mormon Temple Square In Salt Lake City

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:36:00 -0700

source: eurasiareview.com

Hindu dance will reportedly be held at Mormon Tabernacle on historic Temple Square in Salt Lake City (Utah, USA), which houses the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

This Interfaith Musical Tribute, titled “Many Faiths One Family”, on February 26 will also include Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Presbyterian, LDS, Unitarian, Gospel, Celtic, earth-based, etc., music/dance/blessings/readings. Free tickets are available at www.lds.org.

Unique Temple Square Mission featured on Mormon Times TV

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:17:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

As a newlywed, I volunteered as a hostess on Temple Square doing the “nail drop” demonstration, highlighting the amazing acoustics of the Tabernacle. It was a fun thing to do once a week, and I enjoyed meeting hundreds of tourists who came to see what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had to offer.

Now — some 30-years later — I’m back on Temple Square meeting myriad amazing young sister missionaries who serve there every day, all day. But their schedule is much more intense and varied — and their mission is unlike any other in the church.

Three Questions with the Gingerbread Cookie Factory creator

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:14:00 -0700

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: This beautiful display is in Deseret Book across the street from Temple Square. In this week’s installment of "Three Questions," Scott Sherman talks with Adam Nelson, a lead creative force behind the Gingerbread Cookie Factory holiday display at the downtown Deseret Book store.

Lights on Temple Square

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:39:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Mormon Life says: This article has a beautiful photo gallery. The melodies of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the voice of President Thomas S. Monson rang through the clear night sky as children and adults watched enchanted as the Nativity story unfolded on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Small, gloved hands reached to the sky and pointed to the spotlight that reached heavenward. When the star appeared over the manger an audible gasp was heard and a silent reverence followed.

Gallery: Christmas lights on Temple Square

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:17:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Love the lights on Temple Square! The Deseret News has some beautiful photos of this year's display. Hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights turned on at Temple Square and throughout downtown on Friday, a seasonal tradition that brings visitors from every corner of the world.

Volunteers and official groundskeepers began stringing the colorful lights in August and those lights are expected to beam brightly every evening, from dusk to 10 p.m., until New Year's Day, and then the dismantling will begin. It usually takes until March to put it all away.

How Christmas lights came to Temple Square

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:10:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Sure glad they decided to start this tradition 46 years ago despite their concerns. In the fall of 1965, the idea of Christmas lights on the trees at Temple Square was new and worrisome.

In a meeting with LDS Church President David O. McKay, Irvin T. Nelson, the head gardener at Temple Square, expressed concern that heat from lights might cause trees to come out of dormancy early with premature buds. Another man, arborist J. Leland Behunin, believed it could be done without harming the trees.

After some discussion, President McKay finally decided to allow the Christmas lights and said Behunin would oversee the project.

"My dad had never lit a tree in his life, but said yes, he could do that," said Benjamin Behunin, his son.

More than six weeks later, nearly 15,000 people gathered on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 7:45 p.m., to see 40,000 Christmas lights turned on for the first "Lighting of Temple Square." The Deseret News reported how "a mighty aah" of appreciation went up from the crowd as the lights went on, followed by a burst of applause. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang Christmas hymns and the crowd walked around in awe of so many tiny twinkling bulbs.

The secret of the gardens at Church headquarters

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:46:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Mormon Life says: The photo gallery for this article is stunning. The gardens at Temple Square, the Conference Center and Church headquarters in Salt Lake City are undeniably something special. A visit to the gardens is more than a stimulating visual experience of floral colors, shapes and sizes. It's a feeling. The message of the Church is that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and the gardens invite His Spirit to be present. People come to the gardens to feel that Spirit. The caretakers of the gardens feel a responsibility to care for and beautify the grounds of the Church that bears His name. President Spencer W. Kimball said, "Now we ask you to clean up your homes. … We urge each of you to dress and keep in a beautiful state the property that is in your hands" (Conference Report, Oct. 1974).

The old and new near Temple Square

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:44:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

The log cabin, all of one story high, sits across from Temple Square between the Family History Library and the Church History Museum on West Temple. Built in 1847, it is the oldest man-made residence in the Salt Lake Valley.

Half a block away, the 30-story Promontory Condominium building sits on the corner of West Temple and South Temple, also across from Temple Square. Built as part of the soon-to-be-completed City Creek project, it is the valley's newest man-made residence.

The 164 years between the one development and the other tells the story of progress since the Mormon pioneers became the first white settlers to put down permanent roots in the valley.

Then: pine held together by mud. Now: bricks held together by concrete and rebar.

Virtual choir to allow singers to sing in the tabernacle—without leaving home

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:07:00 -0600

by Kim Egginton
source: ldsliving.com

Mormon Life says: This Christmas, people can sing in the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square without even having to come to Utah. Robin Solman lived in Salt Lake City for most of her life but never had the opportunity to perform in the Tabernacle; few singers do. Now Robin lives in a tiny little town in Australia. The 2006 census lists its population at 186—a far cry from Salt Lake City in every way.

And yet, this Christmas, along with many others around the world, Robin will be singing with composer Lex de Azevedo and performing his Christmas oratorio Gloria! in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on November 26th, the weekend of the lighting of the Christmas lights on Temple Square, without actually going to Utah.

While Robin, and any other good singer with the means to travel, is more than welcome to travel from Australia to Utah to sing in the Tabernacle with the live choir, sometimes such a trip is all but impossible. But with the miracle of technology, singers can sing “in” the tabernacle this Christmas anyway—virtually.

The novel idea is creating a buzz of excitement among choral singers worldwide. Wherever they live and whatever their faith, those wishing to participate can also join the Facebook Group “Virtual Millennium Choir” to communicate with Lex and each other about Gloria! (See Lex de Azevedo's personal invitation here.)

Hope for Gloria

The history of Gloria! includes disaster and triumph.

Gloria! debuted in 1999 in Israel with the Jerusalem Symphony, Millennium Choir and two choirs from Israel in the Citadel—with Gabriel (George Dyer) standing on the actual ruins of the ancient city wall of Jerusalem. The video recording of that event was hosted by James Earl Jones. Carole Mikita of KSL-TV Eyewitness News (Salt Lake City) hosted The Making of Gloria, a video documentary, back in 1999 and will be reporting again on our historic combination of live and virtual choirs in the Tabernacle this Christmas.

Then, just last Christmas, it was scheduled to be performed in the Provo Tabernacle, but that historic building was tragically destroyed by fire the very day of the concert, along with several priceless musical instruments and a staggering amount of sophisticated video, sound and lighting equipment, beautiful Christmas sets and costumes. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Almost immediately, the choir moved to the Alpine Tabernacle and feverishly procured replacement equipment and costumes—a monumental task. They were even able to add a third performance at Utah Valley University as a very reverent and sobering tribute to the Provo Tabernacle, thanks to the generosity and tireless efforts of many caring volunteers.

This Christmas, Lex de Azevedo hopes the virtual choir will be a new page for Gloria! while many around the globe unite to sing the oratorio on the weekend of the lighting of the Temple Square Christmas lights.

What is a “virtual choir”?

A virtual choir is created when the voices from all the singers’ videos are mixed together and the videos are arranged in a beautiful visual montage. Darrell Polka, from Wisconsin, submitted video #355 in a virtual choir that included over 2052 singers from 58 countries. (Watch one of several astonishing videos for that virtual choir here.)

Being part of a virtual choir was extraordinary, Polka said. “We [choir members] have felt so welcomed, so accepted and included in something so extraordinary and so friendly it breaks down all barriers of race, religion, geographic differences and other beliefs…I have felt nothing but humility, openness, genuineness and a real sense of being part of a family. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced”.

Polka is eager to continue that experience with Lex de Azevedo’s Virtual Millennium Choir. “I can’t wait to submit my video now that I’ve heard the music on the website. It’s really wonderful.”

For Gloria!, participants will enjoy an added twist: the Virtual Choir and the Live Choir will sing together—in the Tabernacle—for the first time in history.

Visit www.millenniumchoir.org and learn detailed instructions on how to participate. The instructions include the printed music, audio recordings of the songs in performance and audio recordings of someone singing each vocal part. Just sing along as you learn it—and as you record it! Listen to the title song, “Gloria”, here, and “Fear Not, Zacharias” here to get an idea of what Gloria! is all about.

Those wishing to be in the virtual choir need only learn the music and submit video recordings of themselves singing the two numbers in the finale, without memorizing them.

Those wishing to be part of the live choir and have the means to come to Salt Lake City will audition by submitting a recording of themselves singing the audition piece. Then, if accepted, they will learn all 15 choral movements the same way, memorizing only the two numbers in the finale. The Live Choir is only required to attend four rehearsals in Salt Lake City, all during the week of the performance (Thanksgiving week in the USA).

And don’t forget to spread the word. The more singers that participate, the more amazing this novel performance will be.

The performance is Saturday, November 26, at 7:30pm, also in the Tabernacle.

Celebrating 100 years with the Hotel Utah

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:02:00 -0600

by Alexis Sanders
source: ldsliving.com

The time is June 8, 1911, and the setting, the very heart of downtown Salt Lake City at the doors of a noble white palace as they open for the first time. Guest arriving in their horse-drawn carriages and some automobiles are greeted at the door with boutonnieres and corsages.

In attendance are Governor William Spry, Supreme Court Justices, Utah mining magnates, leading businessmen and General Authorities of the Church, led by President Joseph F. Smith, who was also president of Utah Hotel Company.

More than 500 persons attended the gala opening for the Hotel Utah, today more commonly known as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB). A rare experience for Salt Lake, “the editor of the anti-Mormon Tribune sat to dinner across from the editor of the anti-Tribune Deseret News, while the president of the Roman Catholic women’s organization poured punch with the president of the Mormon Relief Society,” according to “The Hotel: Salt Lake’s Classy Lady.” This event marked a new sense of community throughout Salt Lake.

For longer than almost anyone can remember, downtown Salt Lake City has been crowned with the JSMB’s entrancing ten-story presence. Opened in June 1911, next week marks the 100th anniversary of this well-known symbol of Utah.

As a tribute to its 100 years, the JSMB will host magnificent celebrations from June 9-11. “If you walk in the lobby, it will be just like you’re walking back in time,” said Cynthia Terry, assistant director of Church Building Hosting. With the pianists playing period music, and the staff dressed to play the part, it’s sure to be an event you won’t want to miss.

The hotel’s beginnings go back to a long-needed movement for cooperation between the Church, business leaders, and other independent citizen groups.

Proposing the hotel, their ideal aim was to provide a social center, entertainment for exceptional visitors, a symbol of Mormon and non-Mormon cooperation, and the evidence of Salt Lake’s progress in the modern economy of the nation.

Over the years it would become just that. Considered a skyscraper of its time, it would play host to the community and the likes of presidents, royalty, prophets, musicians, politicians and celebrities as they attended dinner at the world-renowned Roof Gardens restaurant, listened to the melodious tunes of performers and stayed, or in the case of some prophets, lived in the hotel.

Such renowned guests included the faces of Ed Asner and Henry Fonda, Raymond Burr, Peter Vidmar, and Danny Kaye with Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II and Norway’s Princess Sonja, Ella Fitzgerald, Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, Bob Hope, Elton John’s rock group, and every U.S. president up to its closure as a hotel in 1987. Prophets who called the hotel home include David O. McKay, Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson.

Decommissioned as a hotel in 1987 by its owner, the Church, it was reopened in 1993 as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. After being converted from its hotel form to offices, banquet rooms, and community meeting halls over the closure, the building still shines as an integral part of its surroundings, which today include Temple Square and its gardens, the Assembly Hall, the Church Office Building and the old and new Latter-day Saint tabernacles.

“I think [the JSMB] is vital to downtown, I really do. It’s full of history and it’s the most open building on church grounds. It serves people from all over the world. It’s really the only place on the square for the public,” said Becky Gledhill, a JSMB hostess.

“It’s a place for meeting, for families, for finding refuge in the rain,” said Lois Magowan, another JSMB hostess. One thing the Hotel Utah was always known for was its fabulous service, and taking a tour today, you will feel absolutely the same way.

The time now is 100 years later, June 2011, and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building still stands as Salt Lake’s crowning white palace. Although the carriages have been upgraded to cars and the faces have changed over the decades, the ideal is still the same: bringing people together.

Summer Travel Series: Temple Square

Thu, 19 May 2011 10:38:00 -0600

source: Newsroom.lds.org

Every year, millions of tourists visit Temple Square at the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. At this beautiful 35-acre destination, visitors can learn more about Mormon history and beliefs through free tours that are available in 30 languages by native-speaking guides. The number one tourist destination in Utah, Temple Square is known for its excellent research libraries, cultural activities and activities for people of all ages and all faiths.

Background

Temple Square has been the center of Salt Lake City since the city’s founding by Mormon pioneers in 1847. Just a few days after their arrival, Church president Brigham Young designated a spot to build a temple. The block surrounding that location became known as Temple Square, a designation that has expanded over the years to include several surrounding blocks.

This unique history is one of the major reasons people visit Temple Square, according to Scott Beck, the president and chief executive officer of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Request for artifacts, experiences and short videos of the Hotel Utah

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:23:00 -0600

source: MormonTimes.com

In conjunction with the upcoming centennial celebrations of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, LDS Church service missionaries are looking for artifacts, old photos, personal experiences, short wedding videos from a reception, or missionary experiences from the Hotel Utah.

The items and articles may become part of an exhibit for the 100-year celebration of the building June 9-11.

2nd LDS Office Building BASE jumper pleads guilty

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:12:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

The second of two men accused of BASE jumping from the top of the LDS Church Office Building last year resolved his case Monday with a plea in abeyance.

Hartman Rector III, 28, entered a guilty plea in abeyance to disturbing the peace, an infraction. In exchange for Rector’s plea, prosecutors dismissed a second count of criminal trespass.

Salt Lake City Justice Court Judge Jeanne Robison will dismiss the case in six months if Rector pays a $300 court fee and incurs no additional violations.

Lion and Beehive Houses are 'gathering places'

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:52:00 -0600

source: MormonTimes.com

Two historical landmarks on the southeast corner of Temple Square were originally built for Brigham Young’s large family. More than 70 people used to live in the Lion House alone. More than 155 years later, the Beehive and Lion houses have become gathering places for thousands of families and friends while continuing to reflect a rich pioneer heritage.

In the Beehive House, visitors can tour and capture a glimpse of frontier family life in the 1860s and 1870s.

The Lion House, remodeled in the 1960s, played a role in the organization of the young women’s program and has become a popular location for wedding receptions, banquets and birthdays. A cafeteria-style restaurant now also offers sweet aromas and delicious food.

"There is a spirit here that kind of grabs you. It’s a wonderful place,” said Julie Ulrich, banquet manager at the Lion House for 32 years. “You feel comfortable and warm. It’s inviting.”