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Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys

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"A Brighter Day" - Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
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LDS Living - Travel Church Sites in the Blink of an Eye? No Problem, Say BYU Professors

Sacred Grove, Early Spring
by John P. Starrs

At 2 o’clock, you’re in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. At 2:01, you’re in Manchester, New York, in the Sacred Grove. A group of Brigham Young University professors have created a way for it to happen, and we’re not talking teleportation.


“Hallowed Ground, Sacred Tours” is a collection of text, photos, videos and virtual reality tours posted on an interactive website, virtualtours.byu.edu, that allow anyone with a computer and Internet access to visit dozens of Church history sites without ever boarding a plane, train or bus.


The idea for the project was conceived in 2001. Since then, the BYU religious education professors behind the work have been in front of the camera, taping footage of Church history sites in places like Utah, New York and Pennsylvania.


“We would like to go to Kirtland, Missouri, Nauvoo and just keep going as long as we have donors that will support it,” said John Livingstone, BYU associate professor and executive producer of the project. “All of it has been done with help of the donors, so it’s all non-profit. … Any money we do make just goes back into the BYU project.”


The footage and other material was first compiled into a book and accompanying DVD called “Salt Lake City, Ensign to the Nations.” Now all the content from the book and DVD, plus much more, is available for free on the website.



Read the Entire Article at LDS Living...






___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Brigham Young University Religious Education presents
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
Featuring BYU Religious Educators teaching about sites significant in
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
For more information, or to visit our interactive web site with dozens of additional sites to explore,
please visit VirtualTours.BYU.edu
______________________________________________
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
is a co-production of
This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute
and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.
All Rights Reserved
___________________________________________________________________

Brigham Young Family Cemetery


This peacefully landscaped park is on a small hill one-half block east from the midway point on the block which contains both the Church Office Building and the Beehive House. It is the gravesite of Brigham Young, Eliza R. Snow, and other members of the Young family. The cemetery is located in an area that, before large modern buildings were constructed, overlooked Brigham Young’s homestead and the valley he helped settle.


A bust of Brigham Young located in his private family cemetery honors his memory as a servant of the Lord.

David M. Whitchurch


This peaceful private cemetery is open to the public and honors Brigham Young as a father, a prophet, and a statesman.
© by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Standing in this cemetery, visitors might reflect on the courage and determined leadership Brigham Young exhibited to make this desert blossom like a rose. President N. Eldon Tanner rededicated this site as a memorial park on June 1, 1974, the 173rd anniversary of Brigham Young’s birth. It was remodeled once more in 2000 and offers visitors the opportunity for quiet reflection about the lives of Brigham Young and other influential Latter-day Saints.

The Brigham Young family cemetery is beautifully landscaped and surrounded by a rectangular wrought iron enclosure, providing a serene setting for Brigham Young’s grave.

David M. Whitchurch

Clayton’s “Come, Come, Ye Saints” stands at the entrance to the Brigham Young Cemetery.
Kathie and W. Jeffrey Marsh


Several sculptures and monuments can be found throughout the park. Among them are memorials to two unique Latter-day Saint hymns. As visitors enter the gate, to their right is a bronze plaque in honor of the unique Latter-day Saint hymn “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” by William Clayton. William was with the first group of pioneering Saints in Iowa near the banks of the Chariton River. He was worried about his wife that he had to leave behind in Nauvoo, Illinois, due to her expectant condition. Upon receiving the news that his wife had given birth to a new baby boy, he wrote a poem and set it to music. The opening line reflects this situation: “Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear.” To the left of the gate, on the opposite side of the park, another plaque commemorates Eliza R. Snow’s poem “O My Father,” about our father-child relationship with God and our eventual reunion with Him after this life. Thus, one poem celebrates life, and the other commemorates death and our eventual entering back into God’s presence.

Just inside the front gate of the park is a sculpture by Edward J. Fraughton honoring the six thousand pioneers who lost their lives crossing the plains between 1847 and 1869. In the very center of the cemetery is a magnificent bust of President Young. Just to the west is a unique monument depicting Brigham seated on a bench, reading the scriptures with two children. It portrays a loving father spending important time with family members.

This sculpture honors Brigham Young’s role as a father.
Kathie and W. Jeffrey Marsh



The Great Faith of Brigham Young

Several individuals who worked closely with Brigham Young left accounts of their reflections concerning his life and death.

Prophet and colonizer, Brigham Young.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers

In describing President Young’s faith, one biographer observed: If I were asked to point out the principal thing, which, more than all others, made President Young the great man he was, I think I should reply, without hesitation, that it was his ability to believe— his great faith. First, faith in a living God. . . . Second, faith in every principle and doctrine revealed and taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith. . . . Third, faith in himself, and in his ability to carry on the great work of establishing the Kingdom of God. . . . On his tombstone one might well have written, HE BELIEVED.

Contemplating the imminent death of President Young, George Q. Cannon described his feelings:

On Tuesday night, as I sat at the head of his bed and thought of his death, if it should occur . . . it seemed to me that he was indispensable. What could we do without him? He has been the brain, the eye, the ear, the mouth and hand for the entire people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From the greatest details connected with the organization of this Church down to the smallest minutiæ connected with the work, he has left upon it the impress of his great mind. From the organization of the Church, and the construction of Temples; the building of Tabernacles; from the creation of a Provisional State government and a Territorial government, down to the small matter of directing the shape of these seats upon which we sit this day; upon all these things, as well as upon all the settlements of the Territory, the impress of his genius is apparent. Nothing was too small for his mind; nothing was too large. His mind was of that character that it could grasp the greatest subjects, and yet it had the capacity to descend to the minutest details. This was evident in all his counsels and associations with the Saints; he had that power, that wonderful faculty which God gave him and with which he was inspired. And while I was thus thinking of all this, it seemed as though we could not spare him, he was indispensable to this great work. And while I felt it, it seemed as though a voice said, “I am God; this is my work; it is I who build it up and carry it forward; it is my business to guide my saints.”

The plaque reads: Grave of Brigham Young, prophet–pioneer–statesman. Born June 1, 1801, at Whitingham, Vermont. Died August 29, 1877, at Salt Lake City, Utah. Brigham Young, second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, succeeded Joseph Smith, founder of the Church, who was martyred at Carthage, Illinois. He was chosen as leader of the people in 1844 and sustained as President of the Church December 27, 1847. Earlier that year he led the Mormon pioneers from Winter Quarters (Omaha) to the Salt Lake Valley, arriving here July 24. In 1849 he became governor of the provisional state of Deseret, and in 1850 governor of the territory of Utah. This tablet erected in honor of their beloved leader by the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Associations, which were organized under his direction.
Kathie and W. Jeffrey Marsh


Those who witnessed the passing of Brigham Young in the Lion House recorded the following:

[President Young] seemed so restless that Dr. Seymour B. Young, his nephew, thought it best for him to be removed from the canopy bed he occupied which stood in an alcove of the room and placed him before the open window where he would get the air and where his beloved ones could be around him. . . .

When he was placed upon the bed in front of the window he seemed to partially revive, and opening his eyes, he gazed upward, exclaiming: “Joseph! Joseph! Joseph!” and the divine look in his face seemed to indicate that he was communicating with his beloved friend, Joseph Smith, the Prophet. This name was the last word he uttered.”

Representative of his foresight and meticulous but plain manner, President Young left the following instructions for his funeral:

I, Brigham Young, wish my funeral services to be conducted in the following manner:

When I breathe my last I wish my friends to put my body in as clean and wholesome state as can conveniently be done. . . . I want my coffin made of plump one and one-quarter inch boards, not scrimped in length, but two inches longer than I would measure, and from two to three inches wider than is commonly made for a person of my breadth and size, and deep enough to place me on a little comfortable cotton bed, with a good suitable pillow for size and quality; my body dressed in my temple clothing, and laid nicely into my coffin, and the coffin to have the appearance that if I wanted to turn a little to the right or to the left, I should have plenty of room to do so. The lid can be made crowning.

At my interment I wish all of my family present that can be conveniently, and the male members wear no crepe on their hats or on their coats; the females to buy no black bonnets, nor black dresses, nor black veils; but if they have them they are at liberty to wear them. The services may be permitted, as singing and a prayer offered, and if any of my friends wish to say a few words, and really desire, do so; and when they have closed their services, take my remains on a bier, and repair to the little burying ground, which I have reserved on my lot east of the White House on the hill, and in the southeast corner of this lot, have a vault built of mason work large enough to receive my coffin, and that may be placed in a box, if they choose, made of the same material as the coffin-,redwood. Then place flat rocks over the vault sufficiently large to cover it, that the earth may be placed over it—nice, fine, dry earth—to cover it until the walls of the little cemetery are reared, which will leave me in the south- east corner. This vault ought to be roofed over with some kind of temporary roof. There let my earthly house or tabernacle rest in peace, and have a good sleep, until the morning of the first resurrection; no crying or mourning with anyone as I have done my work faithfully and in good faith.

I wish this to be read at the funeral, providing that if I should die anywhere in the mountains, I desire the above directions respecting my place of burial to be observed; but if I should live to go back with the Church to Jackson County, I wish to be buried there.

Brigham Young. President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sunday, November 9th, 1873, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The grave of President Brigham Young sits in the southeast corner of the Young family burial plot two blocks east of Temple Square.
David M. Whitchurch


President Wilford Woodruff left us this description of President Young’s funeral: This was the greatest day in some respects that the Latter Day Saints Ever Saw. The funeral of President Brigham Young was attended to this day in the New Tabernacle. 18,000 people by actual Count passed through the Tabernacle to visit the Body of President Young and several thousand were not Counted. It is estimated that 25,000 took their last fare well of the honored dead. . . .

The procession was then formed and the Corps Carried and Deposited in the vault & Elder W Woodruff then Dedicated the ground the vault and the body unto the Lord. The History of all this with the speeches is published in the Deseret News weekly of Sept. 5, 1877.



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Brigham Young University Religious Education presents
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
Featuring BYU Religious Educators teaching about sites significant in
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
For more information, or to visit our interactive web site with dozens of additional sites to explore,
please visit VirtualTours.BYU.edu
______________________________________________
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
is a co-production of
This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute
and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.
All Rights Reserved
___________________________________________________________________

BYU Daily Universe features BYU Virtual Tours

Seeing history from home
Photo by Mariangela Mazzei

People in countries around the world can now visit church history sites in Salt Lake City without ever traveling to the United States, through online virtual tours.

The online virtual tours are meant to provide an interactive experience for members who are unable to come to the United States and visit sites of historical importance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is hoped these members will grow in their testimony, appreciation and understanding of the early pioneers and the history of the Church.

Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys is a multimedia platform featuring Religious Educators from BYU. It consists of a website, virtualtours.byu.edu, a hardcover book, “Salt Lake City, Ensign to the Nations,” a Salt Lake City church history tour guide and a DVD-ROM that includes the virtual tours also found on the website. The educators teach about various sites’ significant to the church.

“We’ve got more members now outside the U.S. than we do inside, and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people could actually see the church history sites and kind of be introduced to them and interact with them and see what they wanted to see?’ ” said John Livingstone, executive producer of BYU Virtual Tours and associate professor of church history and doctrine.

Read The entire article at Universe.BYU.edu




___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Brigham Young University Religious Education presents
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
Featuring BYU Religious Educators teaching about sites significant in
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
For more information, or to visit our interactive web site with dozens of additional sites to explore,
please visit VirtualTours.BYU.edu
______________________________________________
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
is a co-production of
This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute
and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.
All Rights Reserved
___________________________________________________________________

Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys in the news...

Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys had some nice press coverage this week.

The Mormon Women blog had a link to our blog, website and Youtube channel.

The Bloggernacle Back Bench Column at Mormon Times also mentioned us in celebration of Youtube's 5th anniversary.




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___________________________________________________________________
Brigham Young University Religious Education presents
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
Featuring BYU Religious Educators teaching about sites significant in
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
For more information, or to visit our interactive web site with dozens of additional sites to explore,
please visit VirtualTours.BYU.edu
______________________________________________
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
is a co-production of
This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute
and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.
All Rights Reserved
___________________________________________________________________

The Relief Society Building


The relief society building is located between the Church Office Building and the Salt Lake Temple. Dedicated in 1956, it was built using funds donated by Latter-day Saint women which were then matched by the Church.




The Relief Society logo.
© by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.


The main doors of the Relief Society Building face west, and visitors can cross a stone walkway to the entrance to the Salt Lake Temple entry area.
David M. Whitchurch

This building houses the general offices for three auxiliary organizations of the Church: the Relief Society, for adult women eighteen years and older; Young Women, for girls ages twelve to seventeen; and the Primary, for children under eighteen months to eleven years.
The inscription below the statue says, “All that I have to give to the poor, I shall give to this Society.”
Robert L. Hall


The Prophet Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society, the largest and oldest women’s organization in the world, in 1842. Of the organization, the Prophet said: “This Society shall rejoice, and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time henceforth; this is the beginning of better days to the poor and needy, who shall be made to rejoice and pour forth blessings on your heads.”

The interior of the Relief Society Building is beautifully appointed and presents a restful atmosphere for meetings and visitors.
David M. Whitchurch


Eliza R. Snow (sitting, right) served as general president of the Relief Society from 1866 to 1887. Elizabeth Ann Whitney (sitting, left) served as second counselor to Sister Snow from 1880 to 1882. Emmeline B. Wells (standing) later served as fifth general president of the Relief Society from 1910 to 1921.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers

Belle S. Spafford, general president of the Relief Society, breaks ground for the Relief Society Building. Note President David O. McKay, left, and his counselors in the First Presidency, Stephen L. Richards and J. Reuben Clark Jr., right.
© by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Today the Relief Society, directed from this building, continues to follow its motto, “Charity Never Faileth,” as it serves the needy and poor of the world with relief efforts and through the education and training of women and children everywhere.
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___________________________________________________________________
Brigham Young University Religious Education presents
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
Featuring BYU Religious Educators teaching about sites significant in
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
For more information, or to visit our interactive web site with dozens of additional sites to explore,
please visit VirtualTours.BYU.edu
______________________________________________
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
is a co-production of
This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute
and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.
All Rights Reserved

___________________________________________________________________

Brigham Young Historic Park


Honored for his roles as pioneer, colonizer, governor, and religious leader, Brigham Young (1801–77) was best known as simply “Brother Brigham.”

Brigham Young on his 70th birthday, June 1, 1871.
© by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. 
The entrance to the Brigham Young Historic Park.
Kathie and W. Jeffrey Marsh


A beloved leader and wise counselor, he served as President of the Church from 1847 until his death in 1877. This historic park is a representation of the lives and industry of Brigham Young and the early pioneers. Statues in the park depict pioneering efforts.

The waterwheel in the Brigham Young Historical Park is powered by City Creek.
David M. Whitchurch

Items such as the waterwheel powered by City Creek, a portion of the old wall of Brigham Young’s farm that stands in place, and the gardens are all reminiscent of the farm once found here. The Young’s family estate, which included this site, extended north of Eagle Gate nearly three blocks. It included the eastern half of the block where the Lion and Beehive Houses are located and continued east up the hill for approximately two blocks. The property was large enough to accommodate carpenter and shoe shops, as well as a pigeon house, barns, sheds, and corrals. What they called the “upper garden” had vegetables, fruits, and an orchard of apple, peach, pear, and walnut trees, as well as beehives.

Statues in the park depict various pioneering activities. Stonecutters are shown at work with hammer and chisel.
David M. Whitchurch


On October 2, 1995, President Gordon B. Hinckley jointly dedicated City Creek Park (across the street to the north) and the Brigham Young Historic Park as places that would “afford refuge from the rush and hurry of the city [and] provide a place where the weary may sit and rest with the soft music of moving water [and] provide an oasis for contemplation and reflection.” Besides the pleasant surroundings, a variety of concerts are held in the evenings during the summer months, making this park a unique oasis in downtown Salt Lake City.

Brigham Young’s layout of Salt Lake City began at Temple Square, and surrounding ten-acre blocks were subdivided for homes.
David M. Whitchurch

On the inside of the west wall of the Brigham Young Historic Park are two plaques honoring the Prophet Joseph Smith for his ingenious design in laying out a city. Following the pattern established by Moses in the Old Testament, Joseph proposed a city with a temple in the center and streets running north-south and east-west from there. Farming areas were located on the outskirts of town, allowing the farmer and his family to enjoy all the urban advantages of schools, public lectures, and social gatherings.

This plaque notes an award for city design. Salt Lake City was laid out according to the pattern revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith for the city of Zion.
David M. Whitchurch

Brigham Young Historic Park contains several statues of individuals engaged in activities typical of the era.
David M. Whitchurch


___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Brigham Young University Religious Education presents
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
Featuring BYU Religious Educators teaching about sites significant in
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
For more information, or to visit our interactive web site with dozens of additional sites to explore,
please visit VirtualTours.BYU.edu
______________________________________________
Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys
is a co-production of
This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute
and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.
All Rights Reserved

___________________________________________________________________

"I have been sharing this information with friends around the world and the response is outstanding. These tours contain information that we could never access on our own and can be shared and treasured forever."
Frank M. McCord
National Chair
BYU Friends of Religious Ed.
Everett, Washington


Brigham Young University Religious Education presents

Hallowed Ground

Sacred Journeys

featuring BYU Religious Educators teaching about sites significant to
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.

"A great source for weekly Mormon Church History Videos"
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