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April 23, 2007
Place-making in SLC: Conference Center fits, library doesn't
OK, I might as well say it: I like the new LDS Church Conference Center (designed by Zimmer, Gunnsel, and Frasca, 1999).
As a gentile and consummate bo-bo ("bourgeois bohemian" - a cross between a hipster and a yuppie), I should hate it, or at least that's what all my aesthetically astute friends and colleagues tell me. The unfavorable response the building gets from the local literati runs from mild scorn to outright hostility, particularly among those who consider it "terribly fascist." By this I'm assuming they mean that the building's imposing size and monumental frankness equate nicely with their vision of the all-encompassing, authoritarian LDS Church. And on cold January days I might agree with them - devoid of summer greenery, the sky-gray Conference Center, fronted by its barren plaza, can be intimidating. Still, for me the building works as a piece of architecture, and it works better than our other new building, the Salt Lake City Main Library (Moshe Safdie, 2003).
Salt Lake City Council adds money to pot to buy refuge for homeless
Salt Lake City opened one door to the homeless Tuesday, but forever closed three others.
Meeting as the Redevelopment Agency, the City Council agreed to funnel $3 million to The Road Home to help purchase the Holiday Inn hotel at 999 S. Main as a refuge for low-income families and single men and women. The money will buoy a $7 million matching grant from the LDS Church, which The Road Home will use to convert the hotel into studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments.
A new study based on three years of data has ranked Utah tops in the nation for its high rate of volunteering.
The Corporation for National and Community Service looked at figures from 2004 through 2006 to conclude that Utah has a volunteer rate of 45.9 percent for that time period.
Last year, for example, 790,000 volunteers dedicated 145.8 million "hours of service," according to the study. That gave Utah a volunteer rate of 43.5 percent for 2006 — well above the national rate of 26.7 percent.
According to Tom Tolman, Bountiful historian and city councilman, the town was originally named Sessions Settlement.
He said the city's Web site, www.bountifulutah.gov, includes an accurate look at the city's history, as written by another historian, Charles R. Mabey.
"On the 27th day of September, 1847, Perrigrine Sessions, with his family, moved about nine miles north of the newly established Mormon settlement of Salt Lake City and camped," Mabey wrote on the Bountiful city Web site.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir returned to the Salt Lake City landmark that gave the choir its name with a stirring concert Friday. The event, which also spotlighted the Orchestra at Temple Square and the three Tabernacle organists, felt more like a worship service than a concert, but it's unlikely that many of the thousands in attendance were inclined to complain.
The fact that the choir was back in the Tabernacle after more than two years of seismic upgrades was itself reason to rejoice. The LDS Conference Center across the street may seat four times as many people, but it's no concert hall.
The Salt Lake Tabernacle, completed in 1867 by the faithful of the fledgling Mormon religion and home of the world-famous choir, reopened over the weekend after a two-year top-to-bottom renovation.
The Mormon church has drawn criticism from preservationists for replacing the tabernacle’s original pews, made from pine and “grained” by artisans with paint and etchings to appear like oak, the wood favored by Brigham Young, the pioneer Mormon leader. The new pews are made of oak.
Salt Lake Tabernacle to be Rededicated this Weekend
Calling it a rare gem of architecture, President Gordon B. Hinckley, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced in October 2004 that the Salt Lake Tabernacle would undergo retrofitting and renovation. He will rededicate this unique building with its shiny new roof this weekend during the church's annual general conference.
Before there was a Temple Square, when the trees were newly planted, the Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley undertook a project to build a large meeting place, a building where they could unite under one roof and hear the words of their leaders.
As Latter-day Saints get their first peek into the newly restored Salt Lake Tabernacle later this week, questions about what has changed and what remains the same are inevitable.
Yet curiosity about the 140-year-old building has been a discussion point throughout much of its history and rekindled by its closure for seismic retrofitting and upgrading in late 2004.
The historic building is to be rededicated this weekend during the 177th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many of them from out of town, descend on Salt Lake City this weekend for the LDS Church's annual General Conference, they are certain to notice some commotion: Two blocks in the heart of downtown are kind of a mess.
The blocks that encompass the Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center malls are the site of a massive downtown renovation project, spearheaded by the LDS Church in its efforts to bolster the economy and tourism of its headquarters city.
Utah state officials, community leaders and advocates have made some independent progress in tackling domestic violence concerns.
Ned Searle, director of the Governor's Office on Violence against Women and Families, is developing a state program to help young men become better husbands and fathers. Known as TUFF — Teaching Utah Future Fathers — the initiative aims to use good dads as role models and mentors.
Downtown Rising: Vision of what S.L. might become is unveiled
Six community districts, eight "signature projects" and one big vision.
The Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance unveiled their vision for Utah's capital city Tuesday, a blueprint connecting mountains and metropolis, communities and cultures, residents and guests.
"This is one of the most exciting endeavors I've been involved with in my life," said Salt Lake Chamber President Lane Beattie. "What is Salt Lake City going to be in the next 30 to 40 years? What could it be?"
Whatever Kirsten Hinckley could have been, whoever she would have become, no one will ever know. She will forever remain a budding teenager, "sweet baby Kirsten," perfectly preserved in memory, but never given the chance to grow up.
Killed at her mother's side at Trolley Square in what her brother called "the selfish act of one person," Kirsten was brought to life Wednesday at her funeral as family members mourned while celebrating her sweetness, friendship and warmth.
It's the third sledding accident this winter, this time leaving a Utah County man paralyzed. Cameron Sevy was sleigh riding in Centennial Park with his son when his sled turned backwards, shooting the man head first in to a tree.
Sevy, who is a well known LDS actor in films like "The Testaments" was immediately paralyzed. His son called 911, beginning a long road to recovery.
Just hours after announcing his 2008 presidential bid on David Letterman's late-night television show, Arizona Sen. John McCain arrived in Utah Thursday for an overnight stay that includes meetings with a fellow Republican, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
McCain collected more than $150,000 at a $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser held in a Federal Heights home and is scheduled to raise more money from Utahns before leaving the state this morning. He will also address a group of financial executives meeting in Deer Valley.
Hundreds of downtown state employees may soon be replaced by students and, eventually, cars under a real-estate deal between the state and the LDS Church.
Lawmakers on Wednesday approved an offer from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to purchase the state's Human Services Complex, on the corner of North Temple and 200 West, for $11 million.
Utahns shell out up to $2,300 each to help boost Mitt
Some 500 Utahns contributed as much as $2,300 each to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign at a Tuesday evening fund-raiser in Salt Lake City that included an endorsement from a majority of state GOP lawmakers.
More than 1,000 mourners gathered this weekend at funeral services for a pregnant woman and two of her children killed Feb. 9 when their car collided with a suspected drunk driver.
Forty-one-year old Michelle Williams was remembered as an upbeat, enthusiastic and perfect mother. She was five months pregnant with a baby boy.
While mourning 15-year-old Kirsten Hinckley and praying for her wounded mother, Carolyn Tuft, their family takes solace in what they say was one miracle at the Trolley Square shooting.
The Salt Lake City Planning Commission on Wednesday unanimously signed off on four 100-foot-plus residential buildings planned for downtown, including one that would be among the state's tallest structures.
Katie Millar was really an outside-the-box contestant for Miss America.
Not only was Miss Utah the only one to wear a one-piece, modest swimsuit in the physical fitness segment, but she played her electric violin with only three working strings. (The fourth broke just as she started the fast-paced "Souvenir d'Amerique.")
Church Offers Condolences to Victims of Salt Lake Shooting Tragedy
On behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Merrill J. Bateman, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, issued the following statement regarding the shootings that occurred last night at Trolley Square in Salt Lake City:
“We are deeply saddened at the deaths and suffering caused by this senseless tragedy. Our sympathy and prayers go out to all who have been affected, especially the families and friends of the victims.
“Although it is difficult to explain the conflicts and incongruities of life, we are certain that through the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ death is not the end and life continues in the hereafter.
“We pray that His spirit will bring comfort, peace and healing to all at this difficult time.”
Elder Bateman said the Church is also offering grief counseling to those affected by this tragic event through LDS Family Services (LDSFS). The Salt Lake agency of LDSFS can be reached at 801-240-1711.
Valentine's Day and birthdays. Dinner and a quiet evening with friends and loved ones. These were the simple pleasures so violently interrupted by 18-year-old Sulejman Talovic as he strolled, shotgun in hand, into Trolley Square on Monday evening.
His victims — those he killed and those he injured — are loved and admired, and are missed. Their heartbroken families, friends, co-workers and neighbors paid tribute to them Tuesday.
Certain events in history such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre are often considered to be a blot on the history of the LDS people, said Thomas Alexander, BYU professor emeritus of western history Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, at UVSC.
This massacre and specifically, the church's investigation into the massacre, was the subject of Alexander's presentation.
The LDS Church may have lost a court battle in its fight against a strip club opening a block from Temple Square. But, in the end, it got what it wanted: The Crazy Goat Saloon, formerly the Dead Goat, has closed.
And no other strip club can take its place anywhere downtown, thanks to recently enacted zoning rules.
The sign on the Palmers' house says "Reed's Bike & Trike."
But Elton Reed Palmer didn't run much of a business. He gave away a lot more bicycles than he sold, and he seldom charged any child for a repair.
"Every child in the neighborhood knew if they had a flat tire on a bike or a scooter, they could go to Reed and he would fix it," said Catherine Solomon, a neighbor to Palmer and his wife, LoaFae Palmer.
"The Religious Divide" in Utah — the alleged chasm between Mormons and non-Mormons — was played down in a lecture Tuesday by David Knowlton, a sociocultural anthropologist who teaches at Utah Valley State College. Knowlton spoke at a diversity and social-justice session sponsored by the University of Utah College of Social Work.
Borrowing a declaration from the best known non-Mormon historian of Mormonism, Indiana-based Jan Shipps, Knowlton called the American West "a donut with something missing — a hole" — and that hole is Utah.
Negative perceptions about Utah still linger — strict liquor laws, a conservative monoculture and the dominant influence of a single church.
However, a new survey of more than 100 businesses that have relocated or expanded in Utah during the past five years shows that those perceptions may be turning.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not typically ones to start the party early, or even start it at all. The church disapproves of drinking, smoking and other indulgences.
But this year in Utah, at least two cities will celebrate New Year’s Eve on New Year’s Eve Eve, eagerly embracing 2007 a full 24 hours before it actually arrives in order to appeal to Mormons.
The premature celebration does not reflect a new emphasis on revelry, church officials assure. It is simply that New Year’s Eve this year falls on a Sunday, the Sabbath, and the two cities, St. George and Provo, know that in a state with about 1.75 million Mormons, faith can trump Father Time when it comes to planning a party.
Groundbreaking Held for Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
resident Gordon B. Hinckley, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, presided today at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple. His counselors in the First Presidency, President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust, also participated. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles conducted the service.
President Hinckley announced that the new temple, to be built on a bluff on the west bench of the Salt Lake Valley, will be known as the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple. The temple will be the 13th for the Church in Utah and the fourth in the Salt Lake Valley. Both the Oquirrh Mountain and Jordan River temples are located in South Jordan, Utah, making it the first city in the world to have two Latter-day Saint temples.
The sacred edifice will feature a single copper-clad spire soaring to a height of 193 feet, topped by a 9-foot statue of the Angel Moroni. Latter-day Saints believe that Moroni, an ancient American prophet, was a key figure in the gospel restoration that took place in the early 1800s through Joseph Smith, the Church’s founding prophet.
To be built on an 11-acre site, the temple will sit at the foot of the Oquirrh Mountains that form the western edge of the Salt Lake Valley and face east toward a panoramic view of the majestic Wasatch Mountains. From the site, temple visitors will be able to see the other three temples in the valley: the Draper Temple, Jordan River Temple and Salt Lake Temple.
The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple will serve approximately 83,000 Latter-day Saints living in the western Salt Lake Valley. The building will be faced with light beige granite quarried and milled in China.
Prior to dedication, the public will be invited to tour the new temple during an open house period expected to last several weeks.
To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are the "house of the Lord," the most sacred place on earth, where Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity
In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and strengthen their commitment to serve the Savior and their fellowman. Unlike meetinghouses where Sabbath worship and weekly activities take place, temples are open throughout the week and closed on Sundays.
Temple Square will host multiple free musical performances during the Christmas season and New Year celebration in conjunction with the LDS Church's annual lighting display. Local high school and collegiate choruses and ensembles, as well as choral groups of children, community groups and others will perform. The public is invited.
The LDS Church is moving forward with plans to build its fourth Salt Lake County temple - this one inside Kennecott Land's Daybreak development.
South Jordan City's Planning Commission has unanimously approved a site plan for the 60,000-square-foot building. Across the valley to the east in Draper, construction is under way at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' third Salt Lake Valley temple.
Home to the Jordan River Temple - the valley's second - South Jordan will be the first city in the world to have two of the edifices that LDS faithful hold sacred.
Those with ties to BYU or Utah like to think of their rivalry as one of the country's great hates.
It is, at least, one of the most unique, according to sports psychologist Dr. Keith Henschen, who works with Olympic teams, the Utah Jazz, many pro sports stars and athletes from both schools.
Henschen grew up in Indiana, schooled at Ball State and IU. He's been to an Ohio State-Michigan game and traveled the world in the name of sport. He took a professor's position at Utah in 1971 and is an LDS convert.
"It's just different," he says. "I've found that fascinating all the time I've been here.
