Where We Be
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| You can get this bird's-eye view of the six spires of Salt Lake Temple from the 26th floor of the Admin Building. Mormon Tabernacle is the oval building behind. |
| Temple Square - Salt Lake City, Utah |
Temple Square is the headquarters for some 15
million members of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints, aka the Mormons. Salt Lake
Temple itself is gorgeous, built of granite with
six tall spires, but you can only view it from the
outside unless you're a member in good stand-
ing of the Mormon church. We took an elevator
up to the Admin Building's 26th floor for a grand
overview of Temple Square and the surround-
ing city. Then we checked out the Conference
Center, which seats 21,000 people and is the
largest indoor auditorium in the world. There
are no columns at all to block one’s view.
At noon we listened to a lovely organ recital in
Mormon Tabernacle (home of the famous choir),
and the organist demonstrated how you could
drop a pin at the front of the room and hear it in
the back. Then came quick tours of Assembly
Hall and Joseph Smith Memorial Building with
its elegant lobby. At the Family Search Center
we learned just how extensive the genealogy
resources are here. We finished up with stops
at both visitor centers -- the statue of Jesus
surrounded by the cosmos is most intriguing,
along with a display of the efforts it took to haul
the granite, chisel and lay it to build the temple.
million members of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints, aka the Mormons. Salt Lake
Temple itself is gorgeous, built of granite with
six tall spires, but you can only view it from the
outside unless you're a member in good stand-
ing of the Mormon church. We took an elevator
up to the Admin Building's 26th floor for a grand
overview of Temple Square and the surround-
ing city. Then we checked out the Conference
Center, which seats 21,000 people and is the
largest indoor auditorium in the world. There
are no columns at all to block one’s view.
At noon we listened to a lovely organ recital in
Mormon Tabernacle (home of the famous choir),
and the organist demonstrated how you could
drop a pin at the front of the room and hear it in
the back. Then came quick tours of Assembly
Hall and Joseph Smith Memorial Building with
its elegant lobby. At the Family Search Center
we learned just how extensive the genealogy
resources are here. We finished up with stops
at both visitor centers -- the statue of Jesus
surrounded by the cosmos is most intriguing,
along with a display of the efforts it took to haul
the granite, chisel and lay it to build the temple.
| The next morning we drove up Emigration Canyon to Little Dell Reservoir -- only a few miles from our rental |
| We hiked down to the lakeside, enjoying the peace and quiet of this recreation area with its backdrop of green mountains |
| The Mormon pioneers created a garden in the midst of the desert here in Salt Lake City. Their work ethic and ability to come together to achieve big goals is pretty impressive. |
| Leaving Temple Square, we made our way towards Emigration Canyon. This park at the mouth of the canyon marks the spot where Brigham Young announced, "This is the place!" |
| Statues commemorate the pilgrims' arrival at the place that would become their home |
| We watched an interesting movie called “Legacy” at one of the visitor centers that depicted the Mormon trek across the west and the hardships and persecution they faced along the way. We had no idea what an arduous journey they experienced. |
| We loved our little Airbnb studio on Emigration Canyon. It felt like we were living in a tree house with the trees so close to the balcony and a bubbling stream down below. |
| Nauvoo Cafe in the Joseph Smith Building offers delicious affordable salads right on Temple Square |
| This is the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, once a posh hotel. Robin is standing next to a statue of Joseph Smith that's only 3 inches shorter than Goliath (according to the lady at the info desk). |
| We loved the fact that no pillars or columns block anyone's view |
| And this is the huge Conference Center that is so well hidden from the outside. Inside, it holds 21,000 people, making it the largest theater-style auditorium in the world. |
| Both visitor centers are worth checking out. This statue of Jesus standing amidst the cosmos in the North Visitor Center is particularly fascinating. |
| Even if you don't want to do genealogy, you can still take advantage of some fun features here -- like the amusing photo ops shown above |
| The roof of the enormous Conference Center is terraced and planted with four acres of trees and grasses so it blends in seamlessly with its surroundings |
| Utah's dramatically situated state capitol is also visible from the 26th floor |
| Down at ground level looking up at the Admin Building |
| Assembly Hall is a gorgeous 1882 meeting hall offering free concerts and recitals. In fact, almost everything on Temple Square is free to visit. |
| The Family Search Center is a genealogist's paradise -- and one of the top attractions in Salt Lake City per TripAdvisor. Come prepared with an online account and family tree in hand to make the most of your visit. |
| It took the Mormon pioneers 40 years (1853 - 1893) to build Salt Lake Temple -- a monumental undertaking. It was constructed with granite to last the ages. |
| The temple is at the heart of the city, with street names (e.g., 100 S 500 E) radiating out from here "like bomb coordinates," one local Mormon joked |
| Statues and flowers adorn Temple Square |
| What a glorious day for temple viewing |
| We attended a noon organ recital in Mormon Tabernacle. This is of course home to the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. |
| An easy hiking trail follows along the lake. A longer trail continues called the California Trail -- once a Pony Express route. Little Mountain Summit at the top of Emigration Canyon marks the last summit in the Wasatch Mountains before the pioneers' descent into Salt Lake valley. |