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Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys

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"A Brighter Day" - Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
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BYUVT Wins Major Award
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University of Deseret



The first university west of the Mississippi.

The University of Utah now sits at the northeast end of Salt Lake City rather than near the downtown core.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers

The John Pack family owned a low adobe house, which they made available to church members for early social and educational events in Salt Lake City. From this humble beginning would grow the University of Utah.

Officially founded in 1850, it is now the flagship campus of the Utah System of Higher Education and the state’s oldest and largest institution of higher learning.

The first University of Deseret classes were held in the living room of the Pack home beginning in November of 1850, just three years after the arrival of the Saints in the valley.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers
Brigham Young suggested that John Pack make his home a multipurpose structure.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers

Initially called the University of Deseret (Utah was first called the “State of Deseret”), it was the first university west of the Mississippi.

It was inaugurated in February 1850 and classes began in March. The doors officially opened November 11, 1850, with forty students enrolled the first year. Because the territorial government failed to appropriate funds for the school, tuition was often paid with produce, lumber, chickens, barrels of molasses, and baskets of fruit, which were then sold by John Pack to fund the school.

Tuition was eight dollars the first quarter. Cyrus W. Collins was the first teacher, and Wilford Woodruff, an important record keeper in the early Church, donated much of the library.

Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers


Sewing, weaving and other domestic arts were taught in earlier days at the University of Utah.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers

The Packs demonstrated bold faith in their newfound religion after joining the Church in 1836. During the exodus of the pioneers from Nauvoo, John was chosen to be a member of the original pioneer company, arriving in July 1847. He was later called to settle the Carson Valley of Nevada.

Once while still in Missouri, he was threatened by a mob who tried to compel him to deny his newfound faith. Standing with unflinching resolve, he said, “[The mob] came to me and stopped my carriage, and asked me if I was a Mormon. I told them, Yes! I am a full-blooded Mormon!

"They dragged me from my wife into a wood, and told my wife to take a last farewell of me. [The mob leader] asked me if I would forsake the Mormons, and deny Mormonism. I told him, No! I would not; I knew that it was true, and I would not give up my faith. They condemned me to death. [The leader] then took ten men, and led me into the woods to shoot me, but no one could be found to do it.

"They quarreled among themselves, and after some time I was liberated.”

A coed class picture.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers

Young men posing in a science laboratory at the University of Utah.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers










The marker sits embedded in the sidewalk to mark the corner where John Pack’s home stood and where the first university classes were held. 


The stone reads: Daughters of Utah Pioneers No. 53. Erected Oct. 15, 1939. First University West of the Mississippi. The Parent School or the University of Deseret, established November 11, 1850 in the home of John Pack, was located on this corner. Forty students enrolled the first year. Produce, lumber, etc. were take for tuition and sold by Mr. Pack. Cyrus W. Collins was the first teacher. In 1851 the school was moved to the Council House, then to 13th Ward Hall, in 1867 back to the Council House, in 1878 to Union Square, 2nd West and 1st North Streets. In 1892 the name was changed to University of Utah, and in Sept. 1900, moved to the present site.








Photo by David M. Whitchurch





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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
___________________________________________________________________

Celebrate Pioneer Day!

On the 24th of July 1847, Mormon pioneers officially entered the Salt Lake Valley.

The Mormons were unique among the many pioneers that settled the Western United States. They did not journey seeking gold or wealth; they were seeking religious freedom.

Latter-day Saints enjoy a rich history.  It began in this dispensation in the Green Mountains of New England, gained a foothold in New York and Pennsylvania, traversed across the heartland of America, found refuge and flourished in the Rocky Mountains and made it's way to the four corners of the earth.

LDS Church History didn't end in Nauvoo.  It continued to Winter Quarters and to downtown Salt Lake. Missionaries brought it to the world, and there continues to be an ongoing history being played out among Mormons everywhere Mormons are.

As we look back during this Pioneer Day celebration, it is important to look ahead to those who will look back at us.

Are we living today in a way that our children's children can learn and benefit from our efforts?

Gordon B. Hinckley, fifteenth President of the Church, related the following in 1997: This great pioneering movement of more than a century ago goes forward with latter-day pioneers. Today pioneer blood flows in our veins just as it did with those who walked west. Its the essence of our courage to face modern-day mountains and our commitment to carry on. The faith of those early pioneers burns still, and nations are being blessed by latter-day pioneers who possess a clear vision of this work of the Lord.


___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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
___________________________________________________________________

Lest We Forget

- -  Click here to watch this weeks video   - -  


The Mormons were unique among the many pioneers that settled the Western United States. They did not journey seeking gold or wealth; they were seeking religious freedom. The Lest We Forget monument, dedicated by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers in 1968, is a tribute to all those who traveled the Mormon Pioneer Trail.
The last known surviving pioneer, Hilda Anderson Erickson, died in 1968, at 108 years of age.
Robert L. Hall

Pioneer Faith

J. Reuben Clark Jr., a member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers and a counselor to the First Presidency, honored the pioneers with the following tribute:

So through dust and dirt, dirt and dust, during the long hours, the longer days that grew into weeks and then into months, they crept along till, passing down through its portals, the valley welcomed them to rest and home. . . .

That evening was the last of the great trek, the mightiest trek that history records since Israels flight from Egypt, and as the sun sank below the mountain peaks of the west and the eastern crags were bathed in an amethyst glow that was a living light, while the western mountainsides were clothed in shadows of the rich blue of the deep sea, they of the last wagon, and of the wagon before them, and of the one before that, and so to the very front wagon of the train, these all sank to their knees in the joy of their souls, thanking God that at last they were in Zion.

Anniversary photograph honoring the pioneers of 1847 taken on Temple Square in front of the Assembly Hall.

George Edward Anderson courtesy of Richard K. Winters

The Mormon pioneer trek has been regarded as one of the greatest mass movements of a distinct people since the biblical time of Moses and the children of Israel. It was said of the initial group of road-breaking pioneers: It was not just a trip of many families to new homes in the west.

It was the transfer of a whole community of 15,000 peoplewith their furniture, their food, their animals, manufacturing equipment, school supplies, and their all over a trackless prairie. . . . There is nothing like it in history.

The plaque on the monument reads:

From 1847 to 1869 approximately 86,000 persons, mainly converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, left their established homes to build anew in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains.

About 6,000 were buried along the way. Hilda Anderson Erickson, last known surviving Utah Pioneer, died Jan. 1, 1968, age 108, thus ending an illustrious era. Other late survivors were: Tora Nielsen J. Starkie, 1961; Minnie Peterson Brown, Selina Beddous Kelsey, Harriet Paris Smith Clawson, 1962; Heber Charles Cox, 1963. They were representative of the thousands of western pioneers who left to posterity a rich heritage of faith, fortitude, leadership and vision.

Gordon B. Hinckley, fifteenth President of the Church, related the following in 1997: This great pioneering movement of more than a century ago goes forward with latter-day pioneers. Today pioneer blood flows in our veins just as it did with those who walked west. Its the essence of our courage to face modern-day mountains and our commitment to carry on. The faith of those early pioneers burns still, and nations are being blessed by latter-day pioneers who possess a clear vision of this work of the Lord.

Interesting Facts

* Nearly 1,800 pioneers in ten different companies arrived in Salt Lake City in 1847.

* Brigham Young, traveling in the first company, entered the valley on July 24, 1847. This date is now a state holiday called Pioneer Day.

* The last known surviving pioneer, Hilda Anderson Erickson, died in 1968.



___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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
___________________________________________________________________

Meridian Magazine Features BYU Virtual Tours


BYU Church History professor John Livingstone had long had a vision of sharing the history and sites of the Restoration with people everywhere on the globe, and when videographer John Starrs moved into his ward it seemed that both the right people and the right technologies were coming together to make it happen.

Go to Meridian Magazine...


___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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
___________________________________________________________________

Mormon Tabernacle Organ

- -  Click here to watch this weeks video   - -  


Only a few of the gold-leaf organ pipes in the Tabernacle actually “speak.” 
Regardless, their grandeur adds to the solemn majesty of the Tabernacle.
Richard Crookston

The organ in the Salt Lake Tabernacle is one of the most famous musical instruments ever made.

Accompanying the Tabernacle Choir each week on its Music and the Spoken Word broadcast and in daily recitals and numerous performances at Church conferences and other public concerts, this organ has probably been heard by more people around the world than any other.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
© by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

While not the world's largest, it is one of the finest pipe organs ever built. Constructing the original organ required artistic craftsmanship and perseverance in the face of great obstacles.

Australian-born organ builder Joseph Ridges fashioned pipes from tall, straight-grained pine that ox-drawn wagons hauled from some three hundred miles away into Salt Lake City. Since its completion, the organ has been renovated and enlarged several times.

The Aeolian-Skinner Company of Boston built the present organ. Several of the famous golden pipes, made of wood staves fashioned from Utah timber, still play today.

The Tabernacle organ is a complex instrument. Organists control over 11,000 pipes and can communicate with technicians during performances, if necessary. The organ sits on a circular platform that may be swiveled to allow audiences to see different views of the organist and the console.
© by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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 Virtual Tours Producers on "Cricket and Seagull"





Have a listen as they explain the origins and challenges of the project, tell of the prestigious award their creation recently won, and, most importantly, talk about the church history we are each called to be part of today.


Listen to the interview from any of the following sources






Be sure to vist Steven Kapp Perry's website here.


___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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 Virtual Tours Daily Universe Interview





Click Here to Listen to the Interview




___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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 Virtual Tours wins Major Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Scott Earnshaw
Phone: 603.472.2264
BumpLimited.com

Bedford, NH -- (July 7, 2010)

B.U.M.P. Limited is pleased to announce that Starrs Universal has won a first-place 2010 Silver Telly Award for its media production of "The Mormon Tabernacle" for Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys, part of the BYU Virtual Tours series. Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys is a co-production of Brigham Young University Religious Education and Starrs Universal.

John Starrs, Producer and Director of the series, is excited about the recognition. "It is very gratifying to receive such an honor from our peers in the media industry. It's nice to see recognition for an historical, educational and religious production. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the project a reality."

John Livingstone, Executive Producer for BYUVT, and Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU says, "We have known for a long time that the quality of Starrs Universal's work is outstanding. It is wonderful to see this award verify that."

Lloyd Newell, Professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU and host of “The Mormon Tabernacle” piece, says “It is an honor to associate with the exceptional team involved in this production. Our hope and plan is to produce more quality work in the future.”

About the Telly Awards

Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and web commercials, videos and films. The Telly Awards annually showcases the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. The Telly Awards is a widely known and highly respected national and international competition and receives over 11,000 entries annually from all 50 states and many foreign countries. Less than 10% of entries are chosen as Winners of a Silver Telly, the highest honor. Other outstanding work is awarded a Bronze Telly.

For more information, please visit www.TellyAwards.com

About B.U.M.P. Limited

Starrs Universal is an associated company of B.U.M.P. Limited.

B.U.M.P. (Building Unity Media Productions) works to add to the ways people can “bump” into uplifting media, and to “build unity” with our friends of faith all across the globe.

B.U.M.P. Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Watchmen Institute.

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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
___________________________________________________________________

"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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