by catsholiday on June 19, 2011
CHURCH OFFICE BUILDING:We didn’t really have any interest in seeing in this modern office building but we were advised by our guide at the Conference Center that we could get something to eat at the cafeteria. Actually what we wanted was a coffee but hadn’t realised that this not possible anywhere in temple Square as coffee and tea are considered drugs in the Mormon religion. Anyway we walked all through this huge building down to the cafeteria but it looked really busy so we decided to try elsewhere. It was like any other modern office building but airy, light and once again so clean and shiny.Apparently you get a good view from the 26th floor observation deck but we were hungry and tired and wanted sustenance so we moved on.JOSEPH SMITH MEMORIAL BUILDING:This is rather a grand building and was formerly the hotel Utah. It is named in honour of the founder of the religion and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978 and it was one of the more attractive buildings on the Square in my humble opinion. It is largely an administrative centre now but does have three restaurants one on the ground floor called ‘Nauvoo’ which is where we decided to sit and have something to eat. The food was not thrilling, rather canteen style buffet, sandwiches, salads and a few hot dishes but not bad value. We had root beer as coffee was not an option. Despite the fact it was called the Nauvoo café!Having eaten we explored the building a little. The fact that it was a former hotel was evident as the ground floor lobby was very ornate with a huge chandelier and a 9ft staue of Joseph Smith as a centre piece. There are two further restaurants in the building both on the 10th floor but they gave the impression that they might be a bit smarter and more expensive than we wanted for lunch. In this building you can get assistance to research your family history but having failed so miserably in the South Visitor Center we thought we wouldn’t waste any further time.The Legacy Theatre is also in this building which shows free church-produced movies, including Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration. We decided we would give this a miss and explore the rest of Temple Square.THE TEMPLE:As it had stopped raining we walked back through the gardens passed two statues. One showed Joseph and Oliver Cowdrey having the Aaronic priesthood conferred on them by John the Baptist. If you would like to read further information about this then I refer you to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaronic_priesthoodAnother statue depicted Peter, James, and John in the act of conferring the Melchizedek priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and once again I pass you on to wikipepia for the full explanation as I am at a loss as to how this took place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melchizedek_priesthoodVenturing round passed the front of the Temple we came across another wedding. The bride was climbing onto a stone ledge y a door to ose. The previous bride and groom had been posing at the top of the garden by the Church Office Building with the Temple in the background. We were informed by one of the volunteer staff that they can have up to 80 weddings a day in the summer in the Temple. We took some photos of the Temple with the cherry blossom trees before moving on to the Lion House and the Beehive House.This square has so many fascinating buildings and some we just didn't get around to seeing as we were just so tired from walking around all day.
http://www.igougo.com/review-r1388429-Temple_and_other_buildings.html
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