Temple Square in Salt Lake City

A highlight of our Christmas holidays was the time we went with some of our children and grandchildren to visit Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

Each year they decorate the trees with thousands of tiny colored lights. It is truly a winter wonder land with the majestic LDS Temple standing out in the midst of them.

At dusk, we all bundled up against the chill of the evening and headed for the trax. The trax in Salt Lake City are very convenient, traveling regularly to and from Temple Square, so you don’t have to worry about parking and walking long distances. We gathered all the children onto the trax, each adult taking hold of a tiny hand. One of my little grandsons, age four, said he felt like he had gone to another dimension! So cute (where does he get that? I wondered).

There is no admission fee to get in, and although the weather is chilly, the glow and warmth of the lights are very welcoming. There are tiny lights in Christmas colors, red, green, and white, and then bunches of blues and yellows. They decorate the bell tower, some of the buildings, hedges, bushes, trees and walkways. There are pretty rock fountains and ponds along the way.

Some of the buildings are over 100 years old, and have been well preserved. Most of them are still used today. The Tabernacle where the Tabernacle Choir used to sing has been renovated recently.

The children loved seeing the many different nativity scenes. They would try to find Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in each display. There were displays from Asia, South America, Polynesia and many other parts of the world.

My favorite of all was the display of Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus on the water near the temple. Several glass lighted balls float in the water around this enchanting display, with lights focused on just the right places.

Many families come together for family home evening to enjoy the holiday spirit in this lovely scenario. There is a visitor’s center that welcomes all to come in and get warm and see the Christus, a large sculpture of Jesus along with other wonderful art masterpieces.

There is also the Joseph Smith Memorial Building nearby, where you can get some hot chocolate and see gloriously decorated Christmas trees in deliciously ornate halls.

Christmas music plays throughout Temple Square. It is truly a place to get into the Christmas Spirit and reflect on the reason for the season. I’m so glad we were able to spend this splendid time together. Even though our fingers and toes were a bit icy, our hearts were warm. If you are in the area, a visit to the Salt Lake City Temple Square will be an experience you won’t forget.

For a map of the trax and where it travels:

http://www.rideuta.com/mc/?page=uta-home-trax

For a map of Temple Square:

http://www.visittemplesquare.com/