Church of Jesus Christ unveils its new Temple Square in upcoming general conference special

SALT LAKE CITY — As the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has undergone construction and renovation, so has Temple Square, the 35-acre complex that surrounds the temple.

It was a new day on Temple Square when President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman met with members of the media to open the new Visitors' Center at Temple Square in April.

"It is the openness of this visitors' center that will show you how temples look inside," said President Uchtdorf.

Presidents Uchtdorf and Freeman then took members of the media on a tour that all visitors can experience — through temple replica rooms.

"It's really about introducing people to the temple, which they normally can't visit," said Donna Lawrence, who helped design the Temple Square Visitors' Center. "So when you go to the heart of the temple, you're going to the heart of the religion. You're going to the heart of the beliefs."

Media representatives met the landscape designers who re-envisioned the new Temple Square and artists who created the new sculptures on display. Stephanie and Roger Hunt molded the clay for their sculpture, "Christ with Mary and Martha."

Artist Stephanie Hunt described the process of creating the new sculptures at Temple Square.

"Art is to move, to cause emotion — not just that moment, but that they can reflect upon it," she said. "That it will continue to work upon their souls, their hearts."

"Art is a way of communicating when words alone aren't sufficient," added Roger Hunt.

From the beginning, a meeting place

The history of Temple Square shows that from the beginning, it was a meeting place for Latter-day Saints and a destination for travelers.

"Since the 1870s, people visiting Salt Lake City have made Temple Square their first stop," said Emily Utt, the church's curator of historical sites.

A steady stream of visitors has come from throughout Utah and around the world to see new exhibits at the Temple Square Visitors' Center since it opened in May. The Blomdal family traveled from the Bay Area of California and said they will always remember the experience.

"The kids were all excited to recognize — they'd seen the pictures of the baptismal font, pictures of a sealing room, and for them to be like, ' There it is, right there!' was a great experience," David Blomdal said.

"I think it elevated how reverent we have to be and how sacred it is, and I just loved how people explained it," his 14-year-old daughter, Molly Blomdal, said.

Nancy Sylvester works across the street from Temple Square and has watched the construction of the new Visitors' Center. She did not have a reservation on opening day in April but was able to visit another day.

"My spirit was just touched immediately, as soon as I walked in," she said. "You don't have to wait in line to get that experience. You'll get it as soon as you walk in."

Years of renovation, workmanship and talents have come to fruition. The new Temple Square is open to visitors in preparation for the Salt Lake Temple Celebration in 2027. To make a reservation, visit templesquare.org.

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