Temples in Utah

Saturday, 1 December 2007

All the temples are beautiful! I had the opportunity to see 4 temples in Utah last week.

23 Nov (Fri) - St. George Temple - Went with Brother/Sister Telford to hear the missionaries sang at the temple ground and to see the lights and the nativity displayed there. I would have love to visit longer if it wasn't that cold! It was only a little after 6 pm and it was already dark. I was never more anxious to get back to the car!



24 Nov (Sat) - Bountiful Temple - It was wonderful to be inside the temple with Sister Jensen and her daughter, Julie.



26 Nov (Sun) - Salt Lake Temple - While visiting the roof garden of the Conference Center with Brother/Sister Jacobs, I took this shot.



The Salt Lake Temple is so beautiful with the lights on:



28 Nov (Wed) - Provo Temple - This temple was easy to find as it was near the Provo Mission Training Center.

Morning in Provo, Utah

Wednesday, 28 November 2007

Last morning in Utah, for this trip. Rocky mountains are definitely one of Utah's 3 distinct geological features!



Maybe that is why it is cold in Utah because there are mountains here and there! I felt cold even though I had more than 4 layers of clothing! My clothes felt like that they have been refrigerated. My hands also felt like they have been refrigerated, even with the gloves on! I need to get thicker clothing for my 'always cold' body in this kind of season in Utah !

Funny there were snow on the top of this mountain

while there was none on this side.

Great Salt Lake, Utah

Monday, 26 November 2007

According to Wikipedia, the Great Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere, the fourth largest terminal lake in the world and the 33rd largest lake on earth.

According to the tour brochure, the Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. It is currently 75 miles long by 28 miles wide covering 1,700 square miles. Size and depth vary greatly with seasonal evaporation and precipitation. Salinity is too high to support fish and most other aquatic species, however, brine shrimp, brine flies and several types of algae thrive in the lake.

Yes, it is a big lake. Couldn't see the shape of it. Looked like I am looking at a sea or ocean. Thought why I am taking pictures of nothing but water. I am glad I did because they turned out pleasing to my eyes! I love the blue water and the blue skies!

Antelope Island State Park, Salt Lake City, Utah

Monday, 26 November 2007

This is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake. According to the brochure, Antelope Island comprises 28,022 acres, and is 15 miles long and 4.5 miles across at its widest point.

We saw bighorn sheep last Saturday while travelling to St. George. This morning saw the same kind of sheep in this Antelope Island. Can you see them in the picture? Maybe I should try zooming in next time then I can get a bigger picture of the bighorn sheep. Anyway, I like the surrounding scenery. It is not green but nevertheless uniquely beautiful.



This was a zoom shot of a bison - not bad! According to the brochure, bison are the island's most famous residents.


I don't know how big the buffalo is. Maybe the buffalo statue, behind all of us is of the life size?


We didn't see the other animals that were mentioned in the brochure - bobcats, coyotes, reptiles, shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors, chukars and different kinds of birds.

Conference Centre, Salt Lake City, Utah

Monday, 26 November 2007

It is big! It can seat more than 21,00 people! Hope I get the chance to attend the church conference one day!

Museum of Church History & Art, Salt Lake City, Utah

Monday, 26 November 2007

Having learnt the history of the church, this visit enhanced my understanding. How could one not believe after visiting this museum and seeing for themselves the actual writings and other materials related to the history of the restoration of the gospel? I would like to come back and visit this place again.

Oliver Cowdery's original transcript of the Book of Mormon.


The printing press that printed the first Book of Mormon.


Liberty Jail - the letter that Joseph Smith wrote.


Battle of Crooked River: Captain David Patten's rifle


Pioneers - Handcart


Painting of Lehi's Dream


Other Paintings


An Angel


Display of "Italy" nativity


The Pulpit

The Angel "Moroni'

A quilt showing the different prophets

The Birth of Christ, in a manger.

A Pioneer's Log House

This is the Place Heritage Park, Salt Lake City, Utah

Monday, 26 November 2007

The Monument commemorating the 100th anniversary of the the arrival of the first Mormon pioneers to Salt Lake valley. The Pioneers entered the valley on 24 July 1847.

Surrounded by mountains

Pioneers giving thanks to God

Statistics of the Handcart Companies who arrived at the Valley.

The Visitors' Centre

What a handcart looks like, in miniature size.

Sunday in Salt Lake City, Utah

Sunday, 25 November 2007

I was looking forward to attending church meetings with Brother/Sister Jensen this day. What we experienced this morning, instead, was absolutely special, and worth the time spent.

We went to the Salt Lake Tabernacle to attend a live 30-minute broadcast of "Music & the Spoken Word" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from 9:30-10:00 am. I was actually seeing and listening to the choir live! I loved every second of it. The Tabernacle and the Choir were beautiful beyond words. I could sit there and listen to the music forever.

It was also a special broadcast for the Tabernacle Choir because it was the final time their organist, John Longhurst, was accompanying them. John had been their organist for the past 30 years.



Making this visit special for me, was the company of Brother/Sister Jensen, their daughter Julie and her son.


After the show, we walked across to the North Visitors' Centre, passing display of the nativity. First "The Shepherds who watched their flocks"


Then "The Wisemen"


And the baby "Jesus" with his mother "Mary" and father "Joseph"


We were thinking whether to go to Sunday sacrament meeting at 11 am. Since most of us have not seen the film "Joseph Smith The Prophet of the Restoration" yet, we decided to stay and view the 69 minutes film depicting the life and legacy of the founding prophet. I am glad we watched the film because it had strengthened my testimony of Joseph Smith and the restored gospel.

Cove Fort Historic Site, Utah

Saturday, 24 November 2007

Cove Fort historic site is in Millard County, Utah. We were shown into the cabin of Ira Hinckley, an ancestor of President Gordon B. Hinckley.


According to http://www.covefort.com/, Cove Fort is the only fort built by the Latter-day Saints in the 1800's that still stands. Very interesting - the walls for the fort were made of volcanic rock and limestones.

Snow at Beaver, Utah

Saturday, 24 November 2007

Winter is not here yet, officially about 1 month to go. No other places on our way from St. George to Bountiful, Utah, showed any snow except here in Beaver. For the very first time in my life, I am really seeing snow! Looked exactly like the 'snow' in our freezer at home!


and holding it! The ones that had not hardened were soft!


Felt like I am inside a big freezer! There wasn't any snow when we passed the place, on our way home on Wed 28 November.