On the first day of the Family Reunion, we visited Temple Square. My parents were married in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We felt it appropriate to begin the reunion where they began our particular part of the family history 50 years ago!
We toured the Conference Center.
We visited the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was begun in 1909 and finished in 1911. Many of the artists working on the building were the same ones that Brigham Young sent to Europe to learn from the masters how to do the amazing craftsmanship displayed in the details of this picture. They learned the skills to beautify the Salt Lake Temple and other church and public buildings.
Here is a picture of Joseph Smith studying James 1:5-6 prior to his prayer that resulted in the First Vision:
Here is a wonderful sculptural depiction of the First Vision (link takes you to a 3 minute video of the First Vision):
When we visited the Church History Museum we found two lovely paintings by Minerva Teichert.
She was a prominent LDS artist and we had been studying her works for our Picture Studies just prior to going. She has a distinctive style that we love – her color choices seem to help humanize the scenes she paints. (As a fun note, she is our Great-Aunt by marriage. 😉 )
Here is a picture of the original door and marriage altar from the Manti Temple. The white dress next to it is an original wedding gown made from silk the pioneers had made by raising silkworms.
This is one view in the Mormon Tabernacle. These are the choir seats and the organ pipes where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcasts their Music and the Spoken Word every Sunday morning, which is the longest continuously running radio broadcast in America.
We also visited Brigham Young’s home named the Beehive House
. The early Mormon pioneers used bees as an analogy to remind themselves to be productive and work together.
And we toured the Temple Square grounds… I enjoyed these statues and fountains. Lovely.
My Soul Doth Delight... 