We used to park at Temple Square because we have out of state plates and it was free. I never entered. Who wants to be preyed upon by celestial salesman?

How wonderfull it would be if i can visit there one day.i'm not LDS,but i once almost join the church.due to family's objections i have to leave the church.Until now i still believe that LDS teach good things,only some of the beliefs diffrent from the mainstream CHRISTIAN.anyway,i love the way they lead life,the way they treat people humbly,the warm brotherhood the missionaries give,all that i wont forget all my life.i hope one day i'll be able to visit SLC and UTAH,the hometown of MORMON people,to taste the warm friendship that once lost.although there are lots bad comments here and there,my impressions wont ever change.i feel blessed once to ever knew you.

Temple Square is wonderful. I hope everyone will take advantage of the opportunity to visit. Everything is free and you will be treated great. It's a really special spiritual experience.

I am looking forward to a trip to SLC and Temple square. I visited Logan UT once before and found the people there to be very nice. We ate out one day and the service was by far the kindest most efficient service I'd ever had in my short 46 yrs of life.

Visiting Temple Square is somewhat of an education for those who would like to know more about the LDS Faith. Also the garden is quite the spot to spend some time admiring beauty and then one can dine at the Pantry which serves the finest cuisine in SLC. And a person can actually partake of the Spirit of Peace to be found in Temple Square. I highly recomment a visit for one full day.

Fonf...

I hope you never felt like anyone was going to "prey" upon you. Yes, there are missionaries there who want to tell you a little about the Church and the history of temple square. However, a simple word or two (they could even be kind words) is all it takes for them to give you more space.

Agency is a fundamental principle in the LDS faith. If you're not interested in cozying up to LDS beliefs, go for the information... nothing else. Temple square is, after all, a part of the history of the United States and particularly of a people in search of a home.

Temple square is a very peaceful experience. The grounds are beautiful.

Dear Dreamer. I feel that the Lord knows the desires of your heart and in His own due time he will bless you for your righteousness.

I am member of the church since I was 13 years old. I am from manzanillo colima mexico. I hope one day I can have the opportunity to visit the Templo Square.thanks for the article.

Anyone who visits Temple Sqaure and does not believe the Mormons are Christians, then I feel sorry for them.

Christians do not worship in temples!

Please explain Christ and Peter teaching in the temple. Christ called the temple His house. If He didn't think temples were important, why did He go through the trouble of cleaning it out--twice.

If I went to a place where another culture or religion was the framework for living, I would want to learn all I could. Not to be converted but to gain knowledge. I think it is wonderful that the Temple Square is designed to allow for learning more about the people who came West and settled here. We spent the evening there on Monday and it was wonderful

As much money and power that the LDS church has,
the building of there empire and all the greed.
The Mormons can never cover up there past.
Power and Money and Polygamy and Gold...is
not the way of GOD!!!

Don't know who you have been talking to Jeff, but you are way off base with your comments! You need to learn more about the LDS Church before you start condemning it.

Jeff’s point was to get a reaction. I would bet Jeff knows plenty about the LDS church…

Well, yes
Ive worked on and off for the LDS church, was a member
my family goes back to the pioneers.
Thats just it, I know directly from the source,
My brother is a bishop.

Kay wake up....

I have the best memories of visiting temple square at Christmastime. I can't wait to take my children. I also love the Christus room what a beautiful and wondrful place! I encourage my friend here in the south if they get the chance to go to visit temple square, some already have and enjoyed it. What a great place it is!!!

I don't understand how people can bash the church.

My favorite touch was reading the messages on the cards. I wonder if we could get a shuttle service from the Cleveland Airport to Kirtland, but I am not sure if the distance would even be doable. Does anyone know?

Jeff,

When you say "I've worked on and off for the LDS church" what in the world do you mean?

Nothing you say gives me any indication you have any special insite.

Are you trying to say that Thomas S. Monson and his close associates are greedy men? I can not believe that about any of them. Next time, before you start spouting off about greed and gold make it clear what people you are accusing.

jeff, I wonder what happened in your life that has turned you off to the church. did they not agree with your choice of life style? were you deemed not honest, praise worthy or of good report? there's always history somewhere there in your past. It has been my experience that those how complain most are those that have something to hide.

You just go to prove the old point: "You can leave the Church, but you can't leave it alone." As an ex-Lutheran would I take the time and go out of my way to make derisive comments about it? Never. It's not even on my mind.

Two of the most impressive religious sites I have visited are the Blue Mosque in Turkey and the Salt Lake City temple. They are both very significant of man's endeaver to build monuments to the unknown God. I am appreciative of the believers sacrifice and devotion. I personally do not feel any special spiritural sense at either of the sites that I feel in the natural beauty of God's creation in the forest, mts. national parks, etc.

Jeff,

Interesting that you had an opportunity to explain what "working on and off for the Church" meant, but yet you did not. The Church's business operations are massively bureaucratic...were you in Human Resources? A anitor? Temple building? A secretary in the humanitarian dep't?

Typically, whistle-blowers, almost by definition, know names, dates, data...something that's DIFFERENT from your typical Joe Schlunk. So let's hear it! The DN blog community awaits...

I, like Jeff, have worked for the church on and off for several years. My brother is not a bishop, but I did work for several bishops, stake presidents, etc., and even had some interaction with the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 at that time (as a secretary).

I can only say from my experience that the Church does have a lot of resources and the men and women charged managaing those resources do so with humility, dignity and honor. As a result, the Church is able to send aid to countless people throughout the world. I don't see how anyone could find greed in that.

I was grateful to have been a part of the inner workings of the organization. I learned a great deal about integrity and hardwork through that experience and enjoyed my associations with the people there very much.

As for power... the only power I feel the Church has is in it's message, that Christ lived and died, and lives yet again.

Mormons dont worship in the temple either.The purpose of the temple was revealed to and restored to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.Other christian churches have no need for temples because they dont believe in or practice or have the authority to do what goes on in the House of the Lord.If they did they would but they dont have it so they dont.

You wold probably have better luck renting a car.

My MIL visited earlier this year but refused to go visit temple square- I think that she was afraid someone would try to convert her.

A couple of weeks ago she was talking to her son who mentioned that we were going to the temple. She was surprised that we were able to go in. I have yet to send her an email explaining it to her. She lives in Canada and her neighbors are LDS so hopefully they will give her great insight to the church

Temple Square is a unique place. For the spiritually minded, they sense the peace and reverence. That feeling is directed to Jesus Christ the Lord. The Mormons do things with "soul" because they are doing it for Jesus Christ. Others may not agree, but they love Jesus and are sincerely trying to live the complete gospel--everything in the OLD and the NEW Testaments. They don't leave out anything, including Temple worship.
--Virginia

I'm so sorry for you, Jeff. Not because you turned away from the light, which is your right to do, but because of your pathetic need to spread darkness.

And I had to chuckle over the folks who were willing to park by Temple Square to take advantage of the free parking but were afraid they would be taken advantage of if they entered Temple Square - :^p

Dreamer and Moises, I hope your dreams come true. I get to go to Temple Square once or twice a year. I hope I never take my blessings for granted,

Many of us left the church because we realized that the doctrine was false. I decided to leave when my oldest daughter was approaching age 8, and I couldn't go through with baptizing her into the LDS religion. My lifestyle has not changed at all (with the exception of sabbath day church-going and tithe-paying). I still observe the word of wisdom because it's a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes we even have our own version of family home evening. We did not leave so we could go out and live a sinful life. You said, "There's always history somewhere there in your past." In my experience members often assume that about those of us who have left, but it isn't always so.

That being said, the temple is a lovely place to visit. I haven't been to Utah in a number of years, but it's nice that the shuttle service is being offered.

It's not always about "spreading darkness." Many of the "antis" on this message board are doing, in a sense, what your missionaries are doing--they are trying to save people from the darkness of the LDS church by opening their eyes to the truths as they see them. I don't go out of my way to dissuade people that I know from the church, but, if they ask me, I'm willing to tell them why I left. Sometimes I tell of my experiences here hoping that it will help someone else out there.

One of my favorite memories of Temple Square was a couple of winters ago. Some friends and I made some coffee and Irish Whiskey concoctions, filled our thermos mugs and headed off to enjoy the Xmas lights. They look even better when seeing double :), and after a while even the pestering missionaries trying to get my mailing address didn't bother me. Most the time though I just get pissed off every time I have to detour around mainstreet to get where I'm going. ONLY IN UTAH.

I really enjoyed going to temple square. It was peaceful and I was able to learn about the mormons. The young ladies were very kind. I truly respect the mormons.

"To: Californian," there is a difference between spreading your own beliefs and spreading your opposition to others' beliefs. No one who visits Temple Square will hear the sister missionaries spread disparaging remarks criticizing other faiths.

Wow everybody was sure hard on Jeff. That was pretty Christian. An no Christians do not worship in temples. So two strikes! Now try explaining the authority thingy which other mormon churches also claim. Please explain and do so very carefully as your on your third strike.

Actually, Jeff came here to bash Mormons and received, for the most part, to the point but very civil responses.

Paul, the earliest Christians were often found in the temple. I don't think there's much disupte about that. The question is, why did they stop? And where is the revelation given in scripture that tells them to do so?

Due to siting an email address, my previous explanation on this subject was blocked. If you look on the internet you can find lots of places called "Christ's Temple". Earlier I had a list of about 50 such places in the United States named "Chrsit's Temple". Such as "Christ's Temple of Deliverance".

I guess you can define the people who worship there as "non-Christian" or say that these are not temples despite the fact that they are called such. However neither argument seems very strong.

Utahfornian,

Are you trying to get us to believe that missionaries on Temple Square refrain from teaching about the Great Apostasy? From the moment Joseph Smith CLAIMED that God called all other Churches "abominations," to James Talmage's thick book called "The Great Apostasy," to Elder Holland's making fun of the Trinitarian theology of many religions, to a number of books published in the last few years on the same subject, the LDS church has done a GREAT DEAL of "disparaging remarks criticizing other faiths."!!! Where have you been, under a rock?

Hello to the Bear Lake Guy. Good spot

Otherwise, to those who criticize LDS doctrine or left the church for various reasons, I would be interested in hearing what doctrine you found more acceptible to you? Nature of God, not so authoritative, poligamy or whatever.

Expressing your love for God is a personal thing. I just dont see how LDS doctrine prevents you from doing it the way you would like to.

If you leave for another churches doctrine or prefer a different doctrine I think you would soon realize that there a big problems with those positions as well. Pretty soon you need to do it for yourself and not for anyone else.

To Dreamer: I truly do hope you can visit one day, we'd love to have you stop by. The temple is a beautiful building. I've been to many historic religious buildings around the world, as well as to many LDS temples, and it's still my very favorite. Good luck!

To georgiaonmymind: The Christus room is one of my very favorite spots in Temple Square, too. It's absolutely wonderful to sit in there and stare up at that magnificent statue and just think of the Savior and His abounding love.

To Will: I'm LDS, but I completely understand what you say about nature. I love the SLC Temple, I find it to be a very spiritual experience, but one of the most profound moments in my life, one of the very most spiritual experiences I've ever had, came when I was simply sitting outside, looking out at the San Rafael Swells in central Utah. There's a quiet beauty and power about nature that is very hard, if not impossible, to duplicate anywhere else. It's never surprised me that so many people in the world worship nature instead of our Heavenly Father, even if I don't agree with their beliefs.

I visit Temple Square on a yearly basis. I have found that the visitors center is nice… although void of true Mormonism. IF you really want the truth of Mormonism try the Joseph Smith museum across the street. Or even better take up the challenge and read the book of Mormon, like I have.
40 years ago the real in your face Mormonism was in Utah, now it is marketed as Christian and very different than the real thing.

Utahfornian, you quoted "No one who visits Temple Square will hear the sister missionaries spread disparaging remarks criticizing other faiths".

Last time I visited, I recall the sisters recite the first vision of Joseph Smith...

In his “first” vision, Joseph Smith said that all the Christian Churches;
1. “were wrong”, and that,
2. “their creeds were an abomination”, and,
3. “those professors were all corrupt.”
(Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith History, 1:19)

Joseph Smith attacked all of Christianity when he made these statements.

TEMPEL SQUARE sounds an interessting place,with beutiful garden,peaceful surrounding,good people and lots free offers,thats certainly the very first place i want to be.i am not MORMON,but i respect you all.in some ways i guess i need to learn from you,to put GOD above everything.

You are Not Truthful...and Come on NOw (strange names indeed):

You are engaging in an old pamphleteer's technique...string together all like comments and use them as a representation of the larger milieu.

Please note that most of the comments about corruptness of the religions focus on creeds, ideas. And yes, it's true...the Church does actually believe something about its own truthfulness; that's the nature of the religious marketplace. In order to do so, it's necessary that we make claims about other religions.

Furthermore, you ignore the comments by Joseph that he would fight for the rights of all religions, that he asks people to bring all the good they have. While we certainly agree with Joseph's comments about religions, the evidence simply is not there to imagine us as a bunch of dogmatic fanatics who live in an imagined theological bunker.

To Jeff: I'm sorry if I offended you. I have a brother who has left the church and It pains me. Here's my point, Truth is truth, where ever you find it. we are all human, even mormons believe it or not. We do make mistakes. the world holds us(mormons) to a totally different standard than everyone else and so does God. we are all subject to the same temptations and falability that everyone else is. We should all Know better and when we know better we should do better. Not everyone follows that principle. good luck with what ever you choose to do but alow me to do the same without critisium.

I visited Temple Square in 1980 and it was
great.
Altough I never converted I`m always interested about what`s going on in Utah and the LDS church.
I`m really glad to be able to read Deseret News on
the Internet. Keeps you connected, even being so far away.