September 2, 2007

September 2, 2007

We got up early so we could ride our bikes the two miles to Temple Square. But it looked like rain so we drove instead. We are at the home of the Mormon Church to attend their weekly Sunday broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We got lucky. All summer because of crowds they hold the event in the arena-size conference center. Today is their first day back in the intimate and original Mormon Tabernacle. We listen to the program twice, once for practice and once for real. I could have listened a lot longer. It was outstanding. It was a beautiful blend of orchestra, men and women choirs, and superb acoustics. And it is all free and all volunteer.

From there we take a guided tour of the Temple Square. Two international girls doing their 18-month mission give it. It is a little about the history of the temple construction and more about the tenets of the Mormon faith. Afterwards we visit the Joseph Smith museum and then see an hour movie on his life. Joseph Smith was the founder of the Mormon faith and for many reasons invited strife with his non-Mormon neighbors. After moving the congregation several times they settled in Nauvoo, IL where they built a community that was close to being the largest in Illinois at the time. When he was killed there in 1844, Brigham Young took over the main splinter group and moved them here to Salt Lake City where they flourished. I am interested in learning the history of the Mormon people but find the story to be very one-sided and full of gaps. Nonetheless any religion that promotes their faithful to be such good upstanding citizens gets high marks in my book. The world desperately needs more religions like theirs.