Temple Square is a ten acre (40,000 m²) complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon or LDS Church). In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square proper are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument and two visitors' centers.

History

In 1847, when Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, Church president Brigham Young selected a plot of the desert ground and proclaimed, "Here we will build a temple to our God." When the city was surveyed, the block enclosing that location was designated for the temple, and became known as Temple Square. Temple Square is surrounded by a high, granite wall that was built shortly after the block was designated for the building of the temple.

The square also became the headquarters of the LDS Church. Other buildings were built on the plot, including a tabernacle (prior to the one occupying Temple Square today) and Endowment House, both of which were later torn down. The Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, was built in 1867 to accommodate the General Conferences of the Church, with a seating capacity of 6,000. Another church building called the Assembly Hall was later built with a seating capacity of 2,000.

As the Church has grown, its headquarters has expanded into the surrounding area. In 1917, an administration building was built on the block east of the temple, to be followed in 1972 by the twenty-eight story LDS Church Office Building, which was, for many years, the tallest building in the state of Utah. The Hotel Utah, another building on this block, was remodeled in 1995 as additional office space and a large film theater and renamed the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. In 2000, the Church purchased the section of Main Street between this block and Temple Square and connected the two blocks with a plaza called the Main Street Plaza. In 2000, the Church completed a new, 21,000 seat Conference Center on the block north of Temple Square.

The Family History Library and the Church History Museum are located on the block west of Temple Square.

Modern usage

Tourism

Attracting 3 million to 5 million visitors a year, Temple Square is the most popular tourist attraction in Utah. By comparison, Utah's five National Parks —Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches— had a combined total of 5.3 million visitors in 2005.

Temple Square (and the surrounding blocks) has become a popular tourist destination, with five million visitors annually, more than the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park.

General Conference

Lighting

The grounds, which feature a number of gardens, often host concerts and other events; during the Christmas holiday season, hundreds of thousands of lights sparkle from trees and shrubs around Temple Square. The lighting of Temple Square time is a popular event, attended by tens of thousands .

Other uses

The gates outside Temple Square are popular places for those critical of the Church where critics, mainly former members and activist evangelical ministers, often picket and hand out tract and literature critical of the LDS Church. They are also well-known locations for street musicians to perform, especially during the holiday season.

Sites

Salt Lake Temple

The Salt Lake Temple is the largest (of more than 120) and best-known LDS temple. It is the sixth temple built by the church overall, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois.

North and South Visitors Centers

Today, Temple Square features two visitors' centers, called the North Visitors' Center and the South Visitors' Center. The North Visitors' Center was built first and features a replica of The Christus, a statue of Jesus Christ by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. The Christus is located in a domed room with large windows, painted with clouds, stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies. The visitors' centers and grounds are staffed by sister missionaries and senior missionary couples exclusively; no single male missionaries are called to serve on Temple Square. The sister missionaries serving on Temple Square are called from North America as well as around the world, speaking enough languages to cater to the majority of visitors from around the world. Sister missionaries come from many different countries, and provide tours and information in their home languages as well as English. Beginning with the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, sisters have been wearing tags with their national flags along with their missionary name tags.

Conference and assembly buildings

There are three large assembly buildings housed on Temple Square.The smallest of the three is the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, which seats approximately 2,000 and is located on the southwest corner of Temple Square. The Assembly Hall is a Victorian Gothic congregation hall, with a cruciform layout of the interior that is complemented by Stars of David circumscribed high above each entrance. These symbolize the gathering of the Twelve Tribes of Israel (LDS perspective). Construction of the hall began on August 11, 1877 and was completed 1882. It is located just south of the Salt Lake Tabernacle and across from the South Visitor Center near the South Gate. Upon entering Temple Square from the South, the Assembly Hall can be seen to the left (west). The Assembly Hall hosts occasional free weekend music concerts and is filled as overflow for the Church's twice-a-year General Conferences.

The second meeting house is the Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. The Tabernacle was built between 1864 and 1867 and has an overall seating capacity of is 8,000, which includes the choir area and gallery. In March, 2007 the Tabernacle was rededicated after its extensive renovations and restorations were completed. It was rededicated at the Saturday Afternoon Session of the 177th Annual General Conference, in which the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve and other General Authorities and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, broadcast the session from within the Tabernacle rather than in the Conference Center. In addition to housing the choir, the tabernacle is also used for other religious and cultural events.

The largest and most recently built assembly building is the LDS Conference Center. With a capacity of over 21,000, it is used primarily for the LDS Church's General Conference as well as for concerts and other cultural events. The Conference Center was completed in 2000. Attached on the northwest corner of the Conference Center is the Conference Center Theater, a comparatively smaller 850-seat theater for dramatic presentations, such as Savior of the World, as well as concerts and other events.

Museums and libraries

Family History Library

Located on the block west of Temple Square, the Family History Library is the largest genealogical library in the world and is open to the general public at no charge. The library holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions. Its collections include over 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 742,000 microfiche; 310,000 books, serials, and other formats; 4,500 periodicals; 700 electronic resources.

Church History Museum

Located on the block west of Temple Square adjacent to the LDS Family History Library, this edifice houses collections of Latter-day Saint art and artifacts. The Museum houses permanent exhibits as well as playing host to many temporary exhibits throughout the year.

Past exhibits have included displays and themes from individuals such as artist Arnold Friberg, sculptures and work by Boyd K. Packer, as well as themed historical displays depicting church events.

See also

• Salt Lake Temple
• Salt Lake Tabernacle
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• Music and the Spoken Word
• Temple
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

References

1. Quoted in The Salt Lake Temple. Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, March 1993, 2.
2. Information on Salt Lake Temple Background
3. Assembly Hall on Temple Square, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
4. Conference Center

External links

• Official website - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Official Site - Temple Square at lds.org
• Temple Square World - A Unique Mission
• Utah History Encyclopedia - Temple Square
• KSL News: LDS Main Street Plaza Controversy
• Placeopedia map - Temple Square
• On-line tour
• Virtual tour
• VisitTempleSquare.com