Salt Lake Study Week
I thought I’d share a handful of photos from my week in Salt Lake City where I tried to fill in the considerable gaps in my knowledge of the Mormon Church.
The centerpiece of the ten-acre Temple Square is the Salt Lake Temple itself; as you can see, it is under major renovation; three floors are being added below the ground level, requiring the entire building to be stabilized. While the Temple is closed for worship to all but the Mormons themselves, it was a slight disappointment not to be able to view the building in all its majesty.
The Mormon Tabernacle is of course best known for its music: the choir and organ. The first photo is the outside of the oval Tabernacle, the second is of the majestic organ: it has 206 ranks, 11,623 pipes organized into eight divisions, and is played from a five-manual console. I took in two noontime organ recitals, but Tabernacle Choir rehearsals, which are usually open to the public, continue to be closed due to the pandemic.
Assembly Hall was built of the stone that was leftover from the construction of the Temple. It is used for meetings and conferences, and is also open to the public for cultural and civic functions.
For some reason The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints office building reminds me of the United Nations building. I can almost imagine Mari staffing the main desk!
This is the Conference Center, it has multiple halls and rooms for meetings, has an extensive outdoor plaza and a lovely carillon that sounds for special occasions.
The institution of the family is an important component to the Mormon faith. The Family History Library contains some of the most extensive genealogical resources, and people from all over the world use it to trace their own family trees, Mormon and non-Mormon alike.
Finally, after five days in Salt Lake City, we headed north for a few days in Eden, about ten miles NE of Ogden. This sunrise occurred Sunday morning; it was breathtaking!
This Sunday holds multiple observances: it is Reformation Day, Hallowe’en and the beginning of our Stewardship season all rolled in to one. We look forward to sharing the morning with you.
Sunday 10.31.21 Bulletin
Link to service