Now I'm not sure what I was expecting of SLC - The only things I knew about the Mormon faith involved the Osmond's and multiple marriage, oh and family records keeping.
I certainly know a whole lot more now!
On the family records keeping front I know that the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) keep extensive family records. They have a centre in London. So I'm not sure why, as a genealogist myself, I hadn't used this vast resource before - not a problem, not only do they have the largest records archive in the World, the family search centre give you free access not only to their records but to many other family history sites also. I spent a totally absorbed afternoon cross checking some family info - amazing!
All the original documents are stored on 2.4 million rolls of microfilm and 1 million on microfiche which equal 3 billion pages of family history. All this is stored underground in the Granite Mountain records vault (The Vault) which is carved 600 feet into the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon and can withstand a nuclear blast. The granite from the canyon was also used to builds the Temple send conference centre.
This Vault is the subject of much suspicion in America, most people question the need for such records and think there is a deeper more sinister reason.
However, as far as I can tell, access to all records are unrestricted - LDS believe only baptised people can go to Heaven and so they baptise people by proxy from family records thus sealing the families so they can be reunited in the afterlife.
The preservation of family life is central to their faith and they follow the teaching of the Bible and Jesus. The Book of Mormon is an additional transcript written by a prophet (disciple) that has been handed down to them. The LDS have an enduring group of 12 disciples who run the Church and pass on their teachings.
A gentle peaceful group who have never held with the idea of slavery, the LDS were hounded out of several settlements in the East and finally decided to search for Zion on the new frontier out West.
Temple square is lovely and definitely has a calm peaceful ora about it.
I also managed to find a delicious salad in Norstrom - kristina please note!
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