Temple Square

On Wednesday we decided to head down the hill from Park City to visit Temple Square.

First we took a tour of the absolutely beautiful LDS Conference Center. It is huge - 1.5 million square feet!

It is stunning inside. The kids loved the incredible skylight and chandelier that was several stories high, and I really loved all the artwork! It is so wonderful to get up close and personal with the originals all of the great painting we are so familiar with. It is like an art museum.

But of course the most amazing part of the Conference Center is the vast auditorium where General Conference is held. It is an engineering marvel. It holds 21,000 people (the largest theater in the world!) and there is not a single support column anywhere to obstruct anyone's view. It is hard to believe until you actually step inside. This is where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings, but the podium, the choir seats, and all except the organ pipes can be completely removed and replaced with a stage for theatrical performances. It is hard to believe.

Another highlight is the incredible rooftop garden which overlooks the temple. They were in the process of re-doing all of the fountains on the rooftop, so we were not able to explore, but it is amazing - 4 whole acres - like a whole park high above the city.

I had to take off for a while to go register for my conference at the Salt Palace just down the street, but my family stayed on Temple Square and explored the visitors centers and watched movies in the Joseph Smith Building. When I joined them later they we resting their weary feet watching segment after segment of the "I'm a Mormon" advertising campaign. It is really, really good! Each spot features individuals with a unique backgrounds, nationalities, race, families, occupations, interests, and, in the end, challenges. You can see these wonderful short videos here at Mormon.org. Prepare to shed a tear or two.

I think we could have sat there all day watching them. The gospel really is for everyone! We are all His children, and the Lord loves each one of us very much, wherever or whoever we may be.

Finally we decided to call it a day.

We were leaving just at dusk and the light and sky were incredible, so I snapped some pictures as we walked away. Here are a few:

To see more of the great shots I got of the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square, visit my Photography blog here.