Emily Babcock

March 2014

WHY visit Temple Square?

Temple Square Info

Address 50 W. North Temple , Salt Lake City, Utah 84150

Why visit Temple Square?

As stated by Mormon News Room, Temple Square is one of Utahs most visited attractions, drawing millions of visitors a year. As you may assume, a majority of those included in the number who visit Temple Square are local tourists of Salt Lake City, but what is it that draws people to Temple
Square? What exists on Temple Square that invites the

Hours

Open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.

Contact

801-240-4872 (Main) 1-800-537-9703 tsq-secretary@ldschurch.org

Pricing

Admission is FREE!

Did You Know?

Temple Square is one of Utah's most visited attractions, drawing millions of visitors a year.

Emily Babcock

March 2014

It is a place of history; a place that has so much to offer everyone.

local residents of Salt Lake City to visit this place? Is it the curiosity of the Mormon religion or is Temple Square something that people view as beautiful and so full of history that is enough to invite and spark their interest to visit this unique place?! Too often, Temple Square is misunderstood. If you were to ask a non-LDS individual what is the purpose of Temple Square, common answers would be that its purpose is only for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or for those who are foreign/non-foreign tourists. However, Temple Square is so much more than those two things. It is a place that is open to everyone, no matter your religion or culture. People think Temple Square deals only with Mormonism and the LDS Church. While much of it does revolve around the LDS church, it is much more than that. It is a place of history; a place that has so much to offer to everyone. Each site and building is unique and plays a major role in Temple Square as a whole. While each building and attraction is different, they are all connected and serve a purpose, creating a bigger picture, purpose and memorial.

Emily Babcock

March 2014

In order to obtain an answer to my inquiry, I used several different methods and research. A great deal of research from the Internet, reading multiple online articles, to gain information about visitors on Temple Square. I asked several nonLDS, local Salt Lake City residents reasons that they visit Temple Square. I spoke with missionaries who served on Temple Square, who dealt with tourists and visitors daily, what experiences or input they had pertaining to my inquiry. Throughout these several methods, I was able to pin down three main reasons why people visit Temple Square answering my inquiry, What exists that invites local, non-LDS residents of Salt Lake City to Temple Square?

The Holiday Lights

The most common answer I received when asking non-LDS locals what is it that draws them to Temple Square is the Christmas lights. As stated by the LDS church news, "Every Christmas, Temple Square becomes a wonderland of festive lights and nativity scenes. Visitors can enjoy the lights, watch the Christmas story unfold outside the South Visitors Center, or listen to local musicians perform."

Pictures from google.com

Emily Babcock

March 2014

During this time, many will gather as dates, families, friends, and tourists to see the beautiful, bright lights put up at Temple Square during the festive season.

Family History Library

The second thing that invites non-LDS, local residents to Temple Square is the Family History Library. There are many individuals who are interested in learning more about their family history and discovering their ancestors. The Family History library, located west of Temple Square, houses the largest collection of genealogical records of its kind in the world. Each year hundreds of thousands of people from throughout the world and from all walks of life; many spend their entire vacation searching out their ancestry. (Mormon News Room) The Family History Library is completely free and open to the public everyday, except Sunday. It allows for people everyone, of all ages and faiths, discover and learn of their history and obtain genealogical records.

The Family History Library houses the

largest collection
*Picture from LDS.org

of genealogical records of its kind in the world.

4

Emily Babcock

March 2014

History and Beauty

Lastly, something inviting to those visiting Temple Square is simply the history and beauty.
Holiness To The Lord
A doorknob of the Salt Lake City Temple, crafted in 1893

Temple Square is full of breath taking attractions. Through its magnificent buildings including the Salt Lake Temple and historic Tabernacle with striking architecture along with its history of the Pioneers who settled Utah and of Jesus Christ, you are lured in and captivated. Its beauty also comes from the many bushes, trees, and colorful flowers in the spring and summer seasons where tulips, and other fragrant flowers and trees, surround the Salt

Each year over 2,000 volunteers refresh and replant 35-acres of flowers.

Lake Temple. Temple Square takes pride in their gardening and planting. Each year over 2,000 volunteers refresh and replant 35-acres of flowers in more than 700 varieties, making this place unique and stunning.

Tulips and other fragrant flowers and trees surround the Salt Lake Temple.

Emily Babcock

March 2014

Temple Square does not solely exist for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Photos from Google.com

Temple Square does not solely exist for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a place that is built for people of all ages, ethnicities and religions, a place with so much to offer and to share. Not saying that all visitors need to become members of the LDS church, but to be familiar with their neighbors and the heavily populated LDS community in which they reside. As local residents of Salt Lake City, all should embrace the culture in which they live and make special efforts to learn and be more involved in what is available to them at Temple Square.

Emily Babcock

March 2014

Works Cited
"Mormonism in Pictures: Temple Square Attracts Millions of Visitors. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. "Visitors' Centers." Salt Lake City Temple Square. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. "Welcome to Temple Square." Welcome to the Official Temple Square Tourism Site. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.