The heart of Mormon Country

I have been aware for over a decade that here in Alpine, WY, I am in Mormon Country. Alpine itself does not have an LDS (Latter-Day Saints) Church, but nearby Etna and Thayne do. A few years ago, I even went to a service at the LDS church in Thayne, just out of curiosity. It was very interesting. I am both repelled and fascinated by Mormonism as a religion. I cannot imagine becoming a Mormon practitioner, but as an historian of religion (trained in the study of ancient, biblical religion), and also as sort of an amateur anthropologist of religious systems and behavior, the Mormon religion is a very rich and multi-faceted, and yes, in some ways, bizarre, case study. For some time I have wondered just what Salt Lake City is actually like as the heart of the Mormon phenomenon. What is the Mormon Tabernacle really like? What does the Mormon Temple actually look like? What is in Temple Square? What is it like to be there? How do Mormons present all that to the "outside," non-Mormon world? Well, Sunday, I got at least a glimpse of that world and some answers to my questions. Ellen and I made a day-trip to Salt Lake City.

It was quite a trip - a 500-mile round-trip. A lot for one day, although  when we travel, we often cover at least 500 miles. But that's all we do. To do that and take in Temple Square was a lot. But we did. We left at about 8:30a.m. We were aiming at a specific event, an organ recital at 2p.m. in the Mormon Tabernacle. We had considered going to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which sang at 10a.m. But you had to get there by 9a.m., and that would have involved getting up at 4a.m.  We decided against that. It was a 4-hour trip. We went one way and came back another. We went through Freedom, WY and Soda Springs,  ID - a really lovely drive, and then over to I-15 near Pocatello, ID and straight south to SLC. That was not lovely, because it was a 100-mile long commercial strip with lots of traffic. But it was fast (speed limit - 80 m.p.h!!! - that meant we were passed by everyone, since we were only going 65-70 at most). We got to SLC at about 12:30, got oriented, found a free parking spot on the street only two blocks from Temple Square, and walked in.

First you are struck by the flowers and the utter cleanliness of the place. And then the buildings. Temple Square is quite a place. We found an information kiosk right inside the gate, found the door we needed to enter for the organ recital, got a program, and were told the door would open in 30 minutes. So we looked around.

                     The Mormon Temple

The Temple does dominate the scene - it rises high with its many turrets and the crowning gold statue of the angel, Moroni.

Replica of the Angel Moroni in the Visitor's Center

But there are many other very striking buildings; large striking buildings. The Tabernacle, however, is a large, odd building. It is quite a contrast to the Temple, which is right next to it. It is a relatively low, sort of hanger-like, round, brick building with a very shiny metal roof. 

               The Tabernacle is in the right foreground

During our 30-minute wait, we went into the South Visitor's Center, the central feature of which is a model of the Temple, which is cut away on two sides, allowing you to see the interior. The public is not allowed inside the Temple. Even Mormons can go in only for special rituals - like being commissioned as a missionary. So the model satisfied the curiosity.

            Model of the Temple

                The Temple interior

There were a number of other exhibits in the visitor's center about the building of the Temple, aspects of Mormon history, and also several exhibits about the importance of Jesus Christ in Mormon faith. Those exhibits featured a portrayal of Christ by Heinrich Hoffman, a painting very familiar to me from my childhood. All in all, we had no trouble filling up the 30 minutes. Then we went back to the Tabernacle.

H. Hofmann's Portrait of Christ

I'll have to say, I was shocked when I entered the Tabernacle. The organ was set off by the most lurid colored lights imaginable. They illuminate the ceiling behind the organ case. They were violet when we entered, but changed during the recital to yellow, green and blue. I was not expecting something that garish, and to this moment I wonder, "Why?" That was not the only time, however, that I wondered about the aesthetic taste of Mormons during our visit.

                   Entering the Mormon Tabernacle

The organ itself is quite an instrument. I studied organ in college. I went on an organ study tour of pipe organs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland 20 years ago. I know something about organs. This is a very large organ - over 11,000 pipes, and a five-manual keyboard. Not the largest in the world, by any means (that is in Passau, Germany, which I have also visited and heard -  it has over 17,000 pipes!) but this one was still big. It was essentially built by the Aeolian-Skinner Company, probably the most prominent American builder of large, romantic  organs (as opposed to baroque organs of the J.S. Bach era). The program played by the organist was designed to "show off" the organ. It was very satisfying if you like a lot of sound! I can get into that, and I loved it. Ok, with the colored lights, it was sort of over the top. I would have liked more real music and less "showing off." But it was what it was, and I enjoyed it.

Another view of the organ. The bunting is interesting too! What's that about?

After that, we went to the North Visitor's Center.  Entering there was sort of shocking in a different way. The spacious room you enter is dominated by a series of large murals - maybe 12-15 in all, depicting the life of Christ, from birth to Ascension. These murals were in a style which was very reminiscent to me of illustrations on the cover of  Sunday School materials from my childhood - in other words, what I would consider inferior art, but also art of a particular era - the 1930's and 40's.

Murals in the North Visitor's Center, Temple Square

Ellen noticed that there was a movie, titled Legacy, that we could see in the North Visitor's Center about the Mormon pioneers who were persecuted in Illinois and Missouri, came out to Utah, founded Salt Lake City and built the Temple. We asked about when it would be shown and learned that we could have our own private showing in one of scores of small video rooms, and so we did. It was, again, sort of melodramatic, and reminiscent of religious movies I had seen in my dad's churches in the 30's and 40's, although it was recently made. I was expecting something in a more documentary style - a la Ken Burns. Not at all. This was a movie designed to move you to become a Mormon.

Based on this very brief exposure, I would say that Mormons have enshrined an earlier era in this nation's history, the era I grew up in, which must seem to be a era more compatible with Mormon values, perhaps especially values concerning the family. I don't know if that is right or not, but I was certainly struck by the aesthetic that is on display in Temple Square! It is decidedly retro!

So, it was interesting in an unexpected way. One more interesting little note - the two great prophets of Mormonism, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, were both born in Vermont, Smith in Sharon, VT and Young in Whitingham. We interacted with several Mormon young women missionaries who serve as guides in Temple Square, and they all asked where we were from, but when we said, "Vermont," no one said, "Oh, that's where our prophets came from!"

We had a lovely trip back, a different way. We took I-80 to Evanston, WY and then came up along the Idaho/Wyoming border to Alpine. It was a lovely drive and we got home before dark.

                       Scene from our homeward trip