Shortly after Brigham Young had arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, he encouraged the Saints to bring “all kinds of mathematical and philosophical instruments, together with all rare specimens of natural curiosities and works of art, . . . from which, the rising generation can receive instruction; and . . . we will soon have the best, the most useful and attractive museum.”

The Museum of Church History and Art • David M. Whitchurch

Over the years, several LDS museums have been located in various places around the city. In 1980 President Spencer W. Kimball announced the location and the plans to build a new 63,500-square-foot museum. This cultural treasure was opened to the public in 1984 and includes depictions of Church history and art from its origins to the present day.

via BYU Virtual Tours: LDS Museum of Church History and Art.

 

This temple is the symbolic heart of the Church worldwide. More important than its recognizable exterior, however, are the sacred ordi- nances performed within its walls.

 

Streets in the city were laid out beginning at the temple block. The building is 186.5 feet long and 118 feet wide, with walls 167.5 feet high. The temple looks somewhat like a fortress and is built to symbolize strength and spiritual safety.

The east center tower rises 210 feet into the air, capped by a statue of the angel Moroni, who announces with a trump the restored gospel message to all the earth. The 12.5-foot statue is made of hammered copper covered with gold leaf.

The temple’s exterior design includes symbolic stones, such as moon, sun, and star stones. These emblematic stones and architectural representations are meant to reinforce spiri- tual principles taught through sacred ordinances performed within the temple.

The temple is used exclusively by members of the Church in good standing for sacred ordinances reserved for the house of the Lord, such as proxy baptisms for the dead, washing, anointings, and eternal marriage ceremonies (see 1 Corinthians 15:29; D&C 124:26–42). Latter-day Saints believe that God has commanded them to be “saviors . . . on mount Zion” (see Obadiah 1:21) by performing proxy ordinances for the dead who did not receive them in mortality and that marriages can endure beyond the grave when couples are faithful to the covenants made in the temple.

 

 

 

 
Little-known shot of the interior of the temple, specifically the Assembly Room, while under construction. The Saints volunteered most of the labor that went into the Salt Lake Temple’s construction • Brigham Young University

 

This has been an exciting week for our new blog.

Since we officially announced this endeavor 7 days ago we have been featured in Mormon Times, launched on Facebook and Twitter, and have had more than 3500 downloads on our YouTube channel.

We thank you all for your support, and hope you continue to enjoy your experiences with us.

Wednesday’s post will be about the magnificent Salt Lake Temple.  Visit us right here to learn all about it, or sign up for our free newsletter to get it in your inbox automatically.

Thanks for stopping by!

George A. Smith, an early Apostle and member of the first Mormon pioneer company, explained that Brigham Young had seen Ensign Peak and the Salt Lake Valley in vision long before he entered it:

After the death of Joseph Smith, when it seemed as if every trouble and calamity had come upon the Saints, Brigham Young, who was President of the Twelve, then the presiding Quorum of the Church, sought the Lord to know what they should do, and where they should lead the people for safety, and while they were fasting and praying daily on this subject, President Young had a vision of Joseph Smith, who showed him the mountain that we now call Ensign Peak, immediately north of Salt Lake City, and there was an ensign fell upon that peak, and heard Joseph say, “Build under the point where the colors [the flag or ensign] fall and you will prosper and have peace.”

The Pioneers had no pilot or guide, none among them had ever been in the country or knew anything about it. However, they travelled under the direction of President Young until they reached this valley.

When they entered it President Young pointed to that peak, and said he, “I want to go there.”
From the summit of Ensign Peak, the Brethren could see the entire valley. The soil looked good to them, and the water from what would be called City Creek was clear and refreshing. They encouraged some exploration as well as the immediate planting of crops. To the north and west lay the waters of the Great Salt Lake. Of the valleys before them, President Young said, “This is the place whereon we will plant the soles of our feet, and where the Lord will place his name amongst his people.”

Hallowed Ground, Sacred Journeys transports readers back to nineteenth-century Salt Lake City by painting a picture of the city during the pioneer era from 1847 to 1869, contrasting those bygone scenes with those of today.

Historic homes, statues, buildings, street names, and plaques bring to mind the names and adventures of early pioneers divinely led to this valley. Each site tells a unique story of the courage and sacrifice that stands as a silent tribute and testimony to the visionary efforts made by these pioneer forebears, who struggled to make “the desert blossom as the rose” (Isaiah 35:1).

These sites also serve as reminders of why Salt Lake City is unique among the cities of the world and what gives her such an exceptional and distinct personality. Whether or not readers are residents of the city, visitors for a day, or just interested in their heritage as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, historic Salt Lake City occupies a distinctive status in the legacy of settling the western United States.

At the centennial celebration in 1947 of the Mormon pioneers’ entrance into the Salt Lake Valley, poetess Vilate C. Raile penned the following tribute about the heritage the Mormon migrants bequeathed to their posterity and to all who walk the streets of Salt Lake City:
“They cut desire into short lengths And fed it to the hungry fires of courage. Long after when the fires had died, Molten gold gleamed in the ashes. They gathered it in bruised palms, And handed it to their children and their children’s children forever.” (Improvement Era, September 1969, 33)

Inspired by such a rich heritage, the sites and symbols scattered around the heart of this growing metropolis are a living legacy to the faith, devotion, and ingenuity of Salt Lake’s early settlers. They also serve as reminders of the pioneer ingenuity and the accomplishments of a dedicated community. Much of Utah’s pioneer distinctiveness survives in the finished granite and sandstone handiwork of these frontier craftsmen.

Downtown Salt Lake City ranks among the world’s most beautiful cities to visit and explore. But once these visitors step off Temple Square, what should they see? Where should they go? Hallowed Ground, Sacred Journeys identifies many key sites that remain relatively unknown to those who live in, work in, or visit Salt Lake City.

Visitors are struck by the beauty of the downtown area with its wide streets, yet nothing quite captures the magnificent sacrifice by those early pioneers as does the majestic Salt Lake Temple, which took forty years in the making. It sits on Temple Square, ten acres of beautifully manicured grounds, and is the best recognized symbol of Salt Lake City. This is also the heart of the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints (LDS).

Millions of visitors from every continent pass through these gates each year, ranking Temple Square in the upper echelon of international tourist attractions. Visits to Temple Square have recently risen from 2.2 million in 1985 to almost 5 million in 2004. Hallowed Ground, Sacred Journeys covers many magnificent sites nestled in downtown Salt Lake City and couples recent images with historical photographs of pioneer times.

salt lake property map: Downtown Salt Lake City property map showing blocks surrounding Temple Square selected by early pioneer leaders • Brigham Young University

Salt Lake City: Ensign to the Nations

Written by John P. Livingstone, W. Jeffrey Marsh, Lloyd D. Newell,

Craig James Ostler, John P. Starrs, and David M. Whitchurch

When the Angel Moroni appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he described the Hill Cumorah.  Joseph would later say that when he got to the Hill Cumorah, “I knew the place the instant I arrived there, owing to the distinctness of the vision.”

Oh, to be an angel; to be able to teach and to have someone see a vision while you taught. We can show a vision to those who have never seen these places. We can deliver the spirit of the Restoration through modern technology.

-John P. Livingstone

The Lord has blessed us so much with that technology, and it only seems appropriate that of those who have been given much, much is required.

And this seems to be one of those projects that we’re required to do by using technology, to show the Lord that we’re appreciative of the blessings that we’ve had with the technology that has been given to us.

-Craig J. Ostler

One of the most exciting things for me, working on this project is that I have an opportunity to watch people learn. And there is nothing greater, there is nothing better than to watch an individual come to a greater appreciation and understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And this particular project is a wonderful way in which to to do that.

-David M. Whitchurch

As a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am deeply moved by the sacrifice and work of the early Saints of the Restoration. I marvel at the commitment they had to follow the Lord by obeying His prophets and carving out a grand society in the desert western United States. They built a sure and strong foundation.

Upon that foundation Latter-day Saints today are asked to build a glorious future for our own children and for the entire world. It is important to remember and learn the lessons of the past and to share those lessons whenever and wherever we can as we build that future today.

-John P. Starrs

It is educational, it is to inform, it’s to enlighten and inspire, yes.

It’s to strengthen testimonies.

When you see these places, like Ensign Peak, and you think back to 1847, and what happened as the saints arrived here, and walked up on this peak and put out the ensign to the nations, that can’t help but move you. Whether you’re a multi-generation member of the Church, or you were baptized just last week, these are the sites that have made the Church, and made us members who we are today.

- Lloyd D. Newell

We stand on some pretty tall shoulders, and there have been great people who have gone before us.

But this is our day in the history of the Kingdom of God on the earth. And by studying the things they did in their day, and going to the places they were in their day, we can appreciate a lot more the responsibility that is ours in our own time.

The opportunity to go around and see the sites that have to do with the restoration, to see the sites that are critical to the restoration of the gospel are things that prophets have seen in vision, that ancient pioneers have experienced personally, and that we need to remember.

-W. Jeffrey Marsh

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