Prophets who lived in the Hotel Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A hurried Mitt Romney stuck his bag into the elevator door as it was closing late one night at the Hotel Utah. The doors reopened to reveal LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball and his wife, Camilla.

Embarrassed, Romney introduced himself, and the prophet said, "You look like a Romney."

"Thank you, I guess," Romney said.

"What do you mean, I guess?" President Kimball said.

"Well, we Romneys have such huge jaws."

With a straight face, President Kimball said, "Camilla is a Romney."

Following an awkward pause, and seeing Mitt's uneasiness, President Kimball laughed.

Romney, a future U.S. presidential candidate, along with numerous others, occasionally encountered presidents of the church at the Hotel Utah. Presidents Kimball, David O. McKay and Ezra Taft Benson lived within the elegant walls of the hotel for a time.

The historic Hotel Utah, now the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, is one of the most recognizable buildings in Salt Lake City, and it celebrates its 100th anniversary this month.

In 1967 when President McKay was 94, he and his wife, Emma Ray, moved to a spacious apartment in the southeast corner of the eighth floor overlooking South Temple to the south and the church gardens to the east. He moved there to be closer to Temple Square. He died in 1970.

In the mid- to late-1970s, President Kimball and his wife, Camilla, lived in a suite on the 10th floor overlooking the church office and administration building. He died in 1985.

President Benson only lived in the Hotel Utah a short time in the late 1980s before moving to the Eagle Gate apartments.

Several people can recall random and memorable moments when they met the prophets who lived in the Hotel Utah. Here are some of those unique stories.

President David O. McKay

President McKay hosted kings and presidents, as well as business, educational and ecclesiastical leaders on his floor. He also received frequent visits from his grandchildren.