Salt Lake City: The Place Which God Prepared, Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History

by Scott C. Esplin (Editor), Kenneth L. Alford (Editor)

In 1847 the Prophet Joseph Smith's plans for Zion were transported more than 1,200 miles west when the Saints established the City of the Great Salt Lake. Much of the history of Salt Lake City is grounded in the revelations, visions, and plans of the Prophet Joseph regarding Zion, and many of the commandments in the Doctrine and Covenants find their fulfillment in the development of Salt Lake City as the headquarters of the Church.

This book tells the story of the Church in Salt Lake City—its pioneer founding, early growth, and development, as well as its bright present and future. You will learn about the significance of Ensign Peak, the Salt Lake Theatre, the Salt Lake Temple and Tabernacle, pioneer cemeteries, Camp Douglas, and other historic sites. You will also learn about modern repositories such as the new Church History Library and the Family History Library.

Craig James Ostler writes, "Salt Lake City is a unique city, due in part to the influence of revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. As the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the influence of the Lord's directives recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants is evident in the building at the heart of the city—the world-renowned Salt Lake Temple, the elliptical-domed Tabernacle, the ten-acre Conference Center, the regal Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and the high-rise Church Office Building; all ornamented with beautiful gardens and fountains.

Throughout this volume, the authors echo the message that reverberated with our pioneer forefathers during their westward trek. We invite readers, as they did, to "Com, Come, Ye Saints" and learn about the history of the Church in Salt Lake City—a city that has been, and continues to be, "the place which God for us prepared."

Contents
Introduction Remarks at the Dedication of the Church History Library
Elder Marlin K. Jensen Salt Lake City: Founded upon the Doctrine and Covenants
Craig James Ostler Ensign Peak: A Historical Review
Dennis A. Wright and Rebekah E. Westrup The Design, Construction, and Role of the Salt Lake Temple
Scott C. Esplin The Salt Lake Theatre: Brigham's Playhouse
Kenneth L. Alford and Robert C. Freeman The Beehive and Deseret: Mormon Symbols in Salt Lake City
Susan Easton Black Thomas Bullock: "The Lord's Clerk"
Arnold K. Garr "And Should We Die": Pioneer Burial Grounds in Salt Lake City
David F. Boone Camp Douglas: Keeping a Watchful Eye on the Saints
Kenneth L. Alford The Arrival of Nineteenth-Century Mormon Emigrants in Salt Lake City
Fred E. Woods A House for the Presidency: The History of the Church Administration Building
Matthew O. Richardson Correlation: The Turning Point (1960s)
Michael A. Goodman Historical Highlights of LDS Family Services
John P. Livingstone "From the Crossroads of the West": Eight Decades of Music and the Spoken Word
Lloyd D. Newell Salt Lake City: An International Center for Family History
Kip Sperry Salt Lake City: City Stake of Zion
Craig James Ostler

Genres: History, Lds

384 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2011

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've lived in the Salt Lake area my whole life, but I learned a ton from this book. There are so many little things about this city that I never knew, but that have made it what it is today. Every day while I was reading this book, I was excitedly reciting to friends and family all the new information I was absorbing.