Assembly Hall

On the southwest corner of temple square stands the assembly hall, begun by LDS pioneers in 1877 and dedicated January 8, 1882. It is a gothic-style building. With its gabled roof and 130-foot spires, this unique building is adorned with forty stained glass windows. The interior panels are graced with carvings of beehives, sego lilies, and sheaves of grain, symbols meaningful to its pioneer builders.



Because 1880 was designated as a “Jubilee” year (fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Church), the builders incorporated the star of David in the structure, reminiscent of the Israelite jubilee celebrations in the Old Testament. As was the custom in Old Testament times, debts were forgiven and a great jubilee celebration was held (see Leviticus 25:8–10). In 1980 the Assembly Hall was closed for renovations, and when the doors were reopened in 1983 the building had hardwood flooring, elegant draperies, and a ceiling with gold-leaf designs.



During construction of the Assembly Hall, Charles J. Thomas was appointed as the first official guide on Temple Square. In 1876 he greeted and gave tours to four thousand visitors. Today hundreds of guides take millions of visitors on tours of Temple Square.

Seagull Monument

In 1848, a year after the pioneers settled in Salt Lake, hordes of crickets began to devour their first crops. The situation was dire, but a miracle occurred when flocks of seagulls from the Great Salt Lake flew in and began to feast upon the crickets. An eyewitness, pioneer Priddy Meeks, reported, “They would eat crickets and throw them up again and fill themselves again and right away throw them up again.” For over two weeks, the gulls came until the crickets were effectively eliminated. Utah citizens designated the seagull as the state bird, and in 1912 the Church commissioned a monument to the seagull on Temple Square celebrating this miracle.

The Miracle of the Gulls Monument was designed and executed by Mahonri M. Young, grandson of Brigham Young. His work is in more than fifty museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the rotunda of the National Capitol Building.

-Robert L Hall

Stained Glass Windows

There are forty of these stained glass windows around the Assembly Hall. 

Shown are sego lilies, whose roots saved the pioneers from starvation in the early years.

Robert L. Hall

Organ inside the Assembly Hall

Parts of the original Joseph Ridges organ in the “Old Tabernacle” 

were used in an expanded organ installed in the Assembly Hall in the 1880s.

Gary G. Memorial

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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

BYU Religious Education and Starrs Universal

This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute

and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.

All Rights Reserved

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BYU Virtual Tours Press Release 2/19/10

Press Release - 19 February 2010

(Download PDF)

Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys launches BYU Virtual Tours

Salt Lake City: Ensign to the Nations has been released. This cross-media platform includes a hardcover book, a walking tour-guide, and an interactive DVD-ROM with over 5 hours of video documentaries covering more than 50 historic sites in Salt Lake City, Utah. The documentaries can also be seen regularly on BYU Television. Thanks to generous donors, a fully interactive website and blog are available for free at VirtualTours.byu.edu.

Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys features Brigham Young University Religious Education professors telling the story of unique sites that are of importance to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Some LDS sites are well known, such as the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York, or the majestic Salt Lake City Temple. Others may be lesser known, such as the baptismal site of Brigham Young, or the site of one of the first underground parking garages in America, which was built by Mormons.

On January 1^st, a new blog was introduced. Each week a new Church History site is featured, complete with a documentary video, stories, and pictures based on the scholarly work of Brigham Young University Religious Education professors. The project also established a presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The online videos were downloaded more than 3500 times in the first week. There will be over 150 videos available for download over the coming months.

The next release will be New York, New England, Pennsylvania: Cradle of the Restoration. The blog will feature scheduled releases of chapters from the forthcoming book with full high-definition documentaries for each site.

Lloyd D. Newell, Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine, a project host and executive producer says, “Whether you're a multi-generation member of the Church, or you were baptized just last week, these are the sites that have helped make the Church’s legacy, and made us the members who we are today.”

Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine, John Livingstone, another project host and executive producer states, “We can show a vision to those who have never seen these places. We can deliver the spirit of the Restoration through modern technology.”

Craig Ostler, Professor of Church History and Doctrine, also one of the project hosts and executive producers, says, “This seems to be one of those projects that we’re required to do by using technology, to show the Lord that we're appreciative of the blessings that we've had with the technology that has been given to us.”

In addition to Livingstone, Ostler and Newell, other professors involved in the production are: Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine, Craig K. Manscill; Professor of Church History and Doctrine, Matthew O. Richardson; Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine, Kenneth L. Alford; Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture, David M. Whitchurch; and Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture, W. Jeffrey Marsh. BYU Broadcast Communications alumnus John P. Starrs serves as the media producer and director.

More than a dozen BYU students have received professional experiences and mentoring by working on BYU Virtual Tours. BYU’s Center for Teaching and Learning has generously provided technical design and support.

Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys has been called "One of the finest projects ever to come out of Religious Education at Brigham Young University," by Arnold K. Garr, former BYU Church History and Doctrine Department Chair.

More information can be found at VirtualTours.byu.edu.

Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys is a co-production of Brigham Young University Religious Education and Starrs Universal.

Media Contact-
John Livingstone
801-422-3692
(Download PDF)

Lloyd D. Newell in Hallowed Ground Sacred Journeys

A screen shot from the BYU Virtual Tours blog

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Subscribe to our Free Newsletter 

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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

BYU Religious Education and Starrs Universal

This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute

and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.

All Rights Reserved

___________________________________________________________________

Salt Lake Pioneers First Encampment Park

Mormon Pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 22nd, 1847.

This is where they camped that first night.

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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

BYU Religious Education and Starrs Universal

This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute

and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.

All Rights Reserved

___________________________________________________________________

Joseph Smith Memorial Building

In the early pioneer era, the site of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building was occupied by the Deseret News press buildings, the Tithing Offices, the General Bishops’ Storehouse, and stockyards. In 1911 the Church built a well-appointed hotel known as the Hotel Utah. The ten-story, 468,433-square-foot structure now serves as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

Aerial view of Temple Square, plaza, and Joseph Smith Memorial Building,
taken from the nineteenth floor of the Gateway Tower West
David M. Whitchurch

The Tithing Office

Latter-day Saints believe that the payment of tithing is a law of God (see Malachi 3:8–10; D&C 119). The main Church Tithing Office was on the northeast corner of the intersection of South Temple and Main streets. Church members donated 10 percent of their income “in kind.” That meant tithing often came in the form of cattle, poultry, and produce. Consequently, stockyards were located to the northeast, behind the office and storage buildings. The Church paid its workers from the proceeds available at the “tithing store.”

As a young man, President Joseph F. Smith told of bringing his mother’s tithing to the site: I was a little boy at the time, and drove the team. When we drove up to the steps of the tithing office, ready to unload the potatoes, one of the clerks came out and said to my mother, “Widow Smith, it’s a shame that you should have to pay tithing.” He said a number of other things that I remember well, but they are not necessary for me to repeat here. The . . . name of that tithing clerk was William Thompson, and he chided my mother for paying her tithing, called her anything but wise or prudent; and said there were others who were strong and able to work that were supported from the tithing office. My mother turned upon him and said: “William, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Would you deny me a blessing? If I did not pay my tithing, I should expect the Lord to withhold His blessings from me. I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a blessing by doing it. By keeping this and other laws, I expect to prosper and to be able to provide for my family.”

The Hotel Utah

The Hotel Utah was built in harmony with a revelation the Prophet Joseph Smith received in Nauvoo, Illinois, that encouraged the building of “a house that strangers may come from afar to lodge therein; therefore let it be a good house, worthy of all acceptation, that the weary traveler may find health and safety while he shall contemplate the word of the Lord” (D&C 124:23). When the revelation was received, the Nauvoo Saints began construction of the “Nauvoo House,” which was to become a large hotel in town, but it was never completed as envisioned.

Hotel Utah Ballroom

However, once the Church was firmly established in Utah, the need for a well-appointed hotel near Church headquarters was discussed. The Hotel Utah opened for business on June 9, 1911, as one of the finest hotels west of the Mississippi River. Its underground parking facility, built in the 1940s, was the first of its kind in the nation. Many U.S. Presidents and other world dignitaries stayed there. President David O. McKay and later President Spencer W. Kimball each lived in a private apartment on the eighth floor as their health became more delicate due to advanced age.

The cupola above the Joseph Smith Memorial Building bears symbols of
freedom and industry important to Latter-day Saints.
David M. Whitchurch

The lobby and balconies in the Joseph Smith Building are
ornate, reflecting early-twentieth century style
David M. Whitchurch

The Joseph Smith Memorial Building

When President Gordon B. Hinckley proposed the hotel be renovated in 1987 for Church purposes, the community was concerned, and some even spoke harshly of the decision. But when the renovation was complete in 1993, the results were impressive and pleasing to almost everyone. Public access was enhanced. Structural stability was improved. The original hotel had no building requirements for earthquake safety. Today the building’s original footings have been replaced with new larger footings with seven huge concrete shear walls that extend from the basement to the tenth floor. Since it is no longer a hotel, the building was renamed the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

The Joseph Smith Memorial Building houses the Legacy Theater, the FamilySearch Center, two rooftop restaurants, a chapel, and other special events facilities. The Legacy Theater shows a seventy-millimeter movie every ninety minutes. For many years the film Legacy was shown, which highlights early events in Church history. Then a movie about the visit of Christ to the Americas called The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd was shown. In December 2005 Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration was introduced.

The FamilySearch Center contains two hundred computers, and helpful assistants can show visitors how to fill in their family trees. This training area assists patrons who wish to start computer research on their ancestors.

A heroic-size statue of the Prophet Joseph Smith highlights
the lobby of the building that bears his name
Robert L. Hall

A chapel on the second, or mezzanine, floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial
Building is used by Latter-day Saints who live around Temple Square
Robert L. Hall

Elegant detail reminiscent of the gilded age adorns the lobby
David M. Whitchurch

There are intricate moldings throughout the building, and beehive carvings adorn the pulpit in the chapel. A heroic-sized statue of Joseph Smith is found in the lobby and can also be viewed from the mezzanine floor above. Many meetings and receptions are held in the beautiful setting of this renovated structure.

The view from the tenth floor is spectacular. It offers a unique view of Temple Square and the entire Salt Lake Valley. Emigration Canyon can be seen in the Wasatch Mountains to the east, where the Saints first entered the Salt Lake Valley. Immediately to the east is the Church Administration Building, which houses the offices of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. The Church Office Building sits across a plaza to the north with a fountain between it and the Administration Building. The Relief Society Building is on the northwest corner of the block. Temple Square occupies the entire block just across the pedestrian plaza to the west of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

On the top floor, the northernmost eatery is the Garden Restaurant, a fine-dining buffet with a retractable glass roof. The Roof Restaurant offers a less formal atmosphere. Both of these restaurants enjoy a gorgeous view of Temple Square and the western expanse of the Salt Lake Valley.

The angel Moroni statue stands atop many Latter-day
Saint temples and trumpets the Restoration of the gospel

David M. Whitchurch

Inspired Name

The naming of the renovated structure came about in an unusual way. On May 5, 1993, President Hinckley had been reflecting in the night on the new name of the structure:

After trying unsuccessfully to go back to sleep, he finally got up and stared out the window at the historic block that housed the old hotel, the Church Administration and Office Buildings, and the Lion and Beehive Houses. For a few moments his mind raced back and forth between past and present. He had spent a lot of his life on that block—beginning at the Deseret Gym as a boy and continuing as a teenager at LDS High School, where the campus had included both a Young Building and a Smith Building—one named for Brigham Young, the other for Joseph F. Smith.

Then he had a powerful and clear impression: There were many monuments to Brigham Young in downtown Salt Lake City, but none to the Prophet Joseph Smith except a statue within the walls of Temple Square.

The Hotel Utah, which had been exquisitely restored and would not only serve various Church functions but provide the public with many reasons to visit its precincts, should be named the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

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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

BYU Religious Education and Starrs Universal

This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute

and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.

All Rights Reserved

___________________________________________________________________

LDS Museum of Church History and Art

Shortly after Brigham Young had arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, he encouraged the Saints to bring “all kinds of mathematical and philosophical instruments, together with all rare specimens of natural curiosities and works of art, . . . from which, the rising generation can receive instruction; and . . . we will soon have the best, the most useful and attractive museum.”

The Museum of Church History and Art • David M. Whitchurch

Over the years, several LDS museums have been located in various places around the city. In 1980 President Spencer W. Kimball announced the location and the plans to build a new 63,500-square-foot museum. This cultural treasure was opened to the public in 1984 and includes depictions of Church history and art from its origins to the present day.

This original handcart is in the possession of the Church Museum of History and Art.
Handcarts allowed for a cheaper way to cross the plains without the expense of having to purchase larger wagons and the animals to pull them.

Amy Meeker
and Brooke Burdge

An 1830 Book of Mormon, original edition, on display in the Museum of Church History and Art
© by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The museum displays the original press on which Egbert B. Grandin
printed the first edition of the Book of Mormon in Palmyra, New York.
David M. Whitchurch

Death masks taken of
Joseph and Hyrum Smith
before their burial.

Robert L. Hall

The museum contains artifacts from the Salt Lake Temple.
This door hardware is typical of the ornate work done by
the early Saints to show their regard for a temple of God.

David M. Whitchurch

Symbolism has always been important in learning.
This wooden facsimile of a sunstone reminds
Latter-day Saints of the celestial kingdom and
the kind of life our Heavenly Father lives.

David M. Whitchurch

The George A. and Bathsheba Smith family pose for the camera.

Daughters of Utah Pioneers

John and Clarissa Smith Homesite

The Museum of Church History and Art sits on the former homesite of John Smith (1781– 1854),younger brother of Joseph Smith Sr. and his wife Clarissa Lyman Smith (1790–1854). Their firstborn son was the future Apostle George A. Smith, who also established a home on this block.

The descendants of John and Clarissa include three generations who served in the Quorum of the Twelve: George A. Smith, their grandson John H. Smith, and their great-grandson George Albert Smith, who was born in a home near the south corner where the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel is located. George Albert became the eighth President of the Church, from 1945 to 1951.

The home of Elias Smith, an early Salt Lake County judge and a cousin of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was also located on this corner.

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Subscribe to our Free Newsletter 

___________________________________________________________________

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

BYU Religious Education and Starrs Universal

This blog is a public service of The Watchmen Institute

and is distributed by B.U.M.P. LTD.

All Rights Reserved

___________________________________________________________________