Towering in the city skyline, the white LDS Church Office Building is almost always visible in Salt Lake City. I think I’ve made it clear that my faith is very personal. With my spiritual activities kept mostly to myself, sometimes I forget I live right in the center of the LDS church’s headquarters.
The church office building itself is a little disquieting. Its bureaucratic symbolism doesn’t help me feel the spirit. Driving by the building, seeing all the white shirts and ties, I feel irked by some of the church’s views on conformity.
It is interesting to me how a specific place can either attract or detract from the spirit of the Lord. My favorite place in Salt Lake City is Temple Square. Ironically, the Salt Lake Temple is right across the street from the church office building. Of course, I respect and understand the purpose of the office building, but I’d much rather feel the spirit at the grounds around the temple.
I’ve visited other significant religious locations. Places like European cathedrals, mosques and even Stonehenge all have a certain sense of spiritual energy. One of my academic majors if geography, so finding a sense of place is always important to me. Specific places have a way of making me feel closer to the Lord. Southern Utah is another radically spiritual place. Areas in canyon country are some of the most unique in the world. Being encircled by such dramatic natural terrain, the spirit tends to inspire me to respect my surroundings. Although the Salt Lake Temple is my favorite, other LDS temple grounds never fail to fill me with the spirit either, no matter how dated the building’s architecture is.
Again, I always need to feel a sense of place. My physical position on the earth is helpful for me to gain an inspiring and spiritual bearing.
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I visited Mountain Meadows this past Thanksgiving. I tend to travel more often in Southeastern Utah because I feel like the Southwestern St. George area is a little too commercialized. The point is it was my first visit to the Mountain Meadows Massacre Site. It was a very eerie and disquieting place, representing heinous actions by renegade church leaders. There is no hiding what happened. I’m grateful the church has opened up about the incident in recent years. The historical/memorial aspects of the site are well maintained by the church, allowing anyone to come and learn about the tragic event in church history.
In response to the question about my comments regarding “conformity”… Don’t look too deep into my words on this one. I have long hair, the bishop always tells me to cut it. I’ve seen bishops chastise members for wearing colorful shirts to church instead of white ones. I just don’t think it should matter at all. It’s completely what’s on the inside that counts.
-Chase
Posted January 30, 2008 7:32 PM
Posted on January 30, 2008 19:32
Wonderful comments, Chase - Thanks! Sacred spaces and places have long been important to
people of faith; so many comparisons can be drawn:
"...many ancient temples were built atop mountains, but even if they were physically in the valley they were still regarded as spiritual peaks where one could be closest to God. In a very real sense, the temple represented a halfway place between heaven and earth..."
The Temple in Time and Eternity, Richard O. Cowan, pp. 99–120, excerpt from farms.byu.edu
"O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!" 1 Ne 2:10
The monolithic appearance of the Church office Building belies what lies within - the workspace of many good people, each making a small contribution, moving the Church's work forward.
You might want to visit the huge mural on the east wall of the main floor.
Although undoubtedly requisite dress, white shirts might also be seen as the individual expression of private feelings of reverence toward God.
"Consistent with the Savior's command to "be one," we seek unity.
On this subject President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught:
I remember when President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., as a counselor in the First Presidency, would stand at this pulpit and plead for unity among the priesthood. I think he was not asking that we give up our individual personalities and become as robots cast from a single mold. I am confident he was not asking that we cease to think, to meditate, to ponder as individuals. I think he was telling us that if we are to assist in moving forward the work of God, we must carry in our hearts a united conviction concerning the great basic foundation stones of our faith... [TGBH, p. 672]"
http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6647
Posted January 29, 2008 2:11 PM
Posted on January 29, 2008 14:11
Interesting to read the UNC and UCLA studies of "spiritual life of college students" and read how well adjusted the LDS youth are. They are optimistic and service oriented scoring the highest of any denomination on belief systems and a purpose in life. Students with no religious preference show a pattern that is the reverse of Mormons, offering a sharp contrast on most measures.
Seems the LDS investment in youth programs and strong morality is building better futures for these young people.
search: "For the strength of youth" at lds.org to know of these great programs
Posted January 29, 2008 1:25 AM
Posted on January 29, 2008 01:25
What is a non traditional mormon?
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Posted January 28, 2008 4:16 PM
Posted on January 28, 2008 16:16
Interesting juxtaposition and ironies here. For me, the towering church office building and the Conference Center across from the Salt Lake Temple can symbolize the worldwide communication efforts and organization of the LDS Church in most parts of the world. Mountain Meadows can symbolize the "heart of darkness" that Joseph Conrad wrote about which every man needs to be ever vigilant against within himself, and the potentially disastrous consequences of a few non-communicative leaders thinking they have answers to complex problems when in fact they should be gathering information from many sources of information and communication. It can also symbolize in our time the unwillingness of people to let go of the past, whether their own or someone else's.
Yet the centerpiece symbols of the Salt Lake Temple and the often mysterious yet peaceful settings in southern Utah remind of the spirit in man that can be awakened and nourished in such settings of peace, if we are willing to let these places nourish our souls.
Posted January 26, 2008 6:51 PM
Posted on January 26, 2008 18:51
"The church office building itself is a little disquieting. Its bureaucratic symbolism doesn’t help me feel the spirit. Driving by the building, seeing all the white shirts and ties, I feel irked by some of the church’s views on conformity."
Hi Chase,
I read what you posted. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm curious about your comment about the church having views on conformity. Are there specific views you're referring to?
Posted January 25, 2008 9:58 PM
Posted on January 25, 2008 21:58
"The church office building itself is a little disquieting. Its bureaucratic symbolism doesn’t help me feel the spirit. Driving by the building, seeing all the white shirts and ties, I feel irked by some of the church’s views on conformity."
Hi Chase,
I read what you posted. I am a member of the church and I'm curious about your comment about the church having views on conformity. Are there specific views you're referring to?
Posted January 25, 2008 9:51 PM
Posted on January 25, 2008 21:51
"Southern Utah is another radically spiritual place. Areas in canyon country are some of the most unique in the world. Being encircled by such dramatic natural terrain, the spirit tends to inspire me to respect my surroundings. Although the Salt Lake Temple is my favorite, other LDS temple grounds never fail to fill me with the spirit either, no matter how dated the building’s architecture is.
"Again, I always need to feel a sense of place. My physical position on the earth is helpful for me to gain an inspiring and spiritual bearing."
Have you been to Mountain Meadows?
If you have, what emanations have you picked up?
How do they affect your spirits?
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Posted on January 24, 2008 10:17
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