Friday, June 4th I headed to the Salt Lake Temple. I had big plans to do baptisms, initiatory, an endowment, and sealings. Things didn't go as planned, but it was a great day anyway.This will be a long rambling post, but I want to write it all down so I can remember it forever. First off, when I arrived at the temple, I went through the main doors, and then asked to be directed to the baptismal area. WOW - you can't believe the "walk", it is really amazing. You basically head downstairs, and AROUND the perimeter of the east and south sides of the temple. It is a long walk, along a LONG hallway.
Along the way, I passed the marriage waiting room, and it was full, just like the day Keysto and Kaley were sealed. As usual, there were many brides on a Friday. I continued heading south along the hallway, when I came to an entrance from the parking garage under the Main Street Plaza, and another recommend desk !! Surprising!, then I turned West, and headed along another long hallway. There was a security guy in a golf cart - another surprise :)
Finally I came upon the doors heading to the baptism area (to my right), but I could see that the hallway/tunnel continued west, I'm assuming to the tabernacle. I pressed a button, and was "buzzed" into the baptism area. Here was a busy beehive of activity, filled with youth. I found that they were very very busy, and it would be a 2 hour wait, so I decided to go ahead with an endowment session.
After entering the Celestial Room, I went to the small sealing room just off to the side. It is very small, with seating only for about 10 persons. There is a beautiful stained glass window there, depicting Joseph's vision in the Sacred Grove. It is spectacular.
After a few sealings, I returned to the dressing room, and once again headed back down the LONG ROUNDABOUT hall way, to check on doing baptisms once more........there was still a 2-hour wait :( - so I determined that it just wasn't going to happen for me that day. It was now about 2:30, and I was famished !
I dressed and headed over to the top of the Joseph Smith Building, where I proceeded to lunch all by myself at "The Garden" ! You would be proud of me Amy :) I would never dream of eating alone in a restaurant, and will go to all lengths to avoid it, but I asked for a window overlooking temple square, and I sat and enjoyed the view, the wonderful salad, whole wheat rolls, and soup. I was looking out THIS window (see picture below).
I texted Landon a few times. I reminded him that the last time I had eaten here was with him, on our special day, just the two of us, at temple square in 2003. Here's a picture ! Doesn't he look so young? He was 14 at the time.
The building that is going on downtown is something to behold. I would love to work and/or live in this area.
After eating, I visited Deseret Book, and spent too much money !! I love books !
I also saw THIS !! I wonder how many people walk right by this, and never give it a second thought? It's ONLY the GROUND ZERO, by which all locations in UTAH are based upon.
Okay - a quick lesson. I work in the Assessor's Office, and everyday almost, I deal with legal descriptions of property. They all say something like....... Property located in Section 3, Township 3 North, Range 2 East, SLB&M.
SLB&M stands for Salt Lake Base and Meridian, and that's just what this marker is. A Township is made up of 36 sections (6 x 6 square), each of them a square mile. In Morgan County, we have Township 1 North and 2 East. This is located in the extreme southern end of our county, up by Big Mountain. We also have Township 7 North, Range 6 East. This is located up by the Rich County border, in the extreme North end of Morgan County on Deseret Land & Livestock property. If you were to go to St. George Utah, the Townships and Ranges there would be something like Township 27 South, and Range 8 West. All directions/locations like these in the state of Utah are based upon this tiny little marker on the South East corner of Temple Square. Thank you Brigham Young !! :) For more exacting info on this (and you know you want it :), Click here.
Then it was a walk back through temple square, the flowers were spectacular.
I did stop in at the South Visitor's Center, and viewed the new display of the interior of the SL Temple. It was awesome, but you know what?? I still wasn't totally understanding it all. I've had to come home and sketch it on paper. There are so many rooms that the day to day temple patrons to not need to use. While in the temple, I had even asked one of the workers if it was possible to use or see the circular staircases (there is one in each corner of the temple, top to bottom). They said, "Sorry, but no".Well, was my day over? Not yet. I walked across the street to the Conference Center and took the tour there. It was just me, and two ladies from Ontario Canada who were in town for a work conference. They were not members, and the sweet lady who took us on the tour (and myself) were able to answer, explain, and discuss may of the things that Mormons believe.
They were of course, impressed with the seating inside the big auditorium. Who wouldn't be? And we were lucky enough to hear an organist practicing. They loved that !
But the paintings throughout the building were the most talked about. They were interested in every one, and it was inspiring and testimony building to explain to them about Joseph's first vision, the Savior appearing in the America's after his resurrection, and all of the Book of Mormon pictures.
Last but not least, we went to the rooftop of the Conference Center. Did you know there is about 3 to 4 acres up there? Water features and trees, planted not in dirt (too heavy), but in crushed shale with nutrients added. The East side is planted like a forest with pines, etc. and the West side is planted like a natural meadow. This simulates what the pioneers saw as they came out of Emigration Canyon, those many years ago. It was beautiful.
And we ended the tour, looking across and down on to Temple Square. It was a wonderful day.
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