HISTORY OF TEMPLE SQUARE MISSION

IN THE BEGINNING

Within days of the arrival of the first wagons of Latter-day Saint settlers to this territory on July 28, 1847 Brigham Young, who was the President of the Church at the time, struck his cane to the ground and said. "Here we will build a Temple to our God."

It took the pioneers 40 years to finish the Salt LakeTemple, but while still under the construction in 1875 Charles J. Thomas was appointed to be the official guide for Temple Square. Visitors could enjoy a demonstration of a dropping of a pin at the pulpit of the Tabernacle to demonstrate it's acoustics (it is still being done today) and they could also sign a guest book. Over 4,000 visitors came through Temple Square during 1876.President Wilford Woodruff dedicated the Salt Lake Temple on April 6th, 1893.

As more and more visitors came through Temple Square it was important to make sure they would receive accurate information about the church. To eliminate rumors and myths James Dwyer, a local book seller, printed small cards with The Articles of Faith on one side and a picture of the Temple on the other. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints still uses these cards on Temple Square and in various Visitor Centers. Missionaries and members of the church also pass them along.In 1888, Ben Goddard suggested that the church will need a Bureau of Information in effort to welcome and inform visitors. A few years later on August 4th, 1902 it became a reality and Ben became the first director. He worked in this capacity until his retirement in 1929. During the Bureau's first year there were 105 volunteers that greeted about 150,000 visitors.

By 1968 there were 250 volunteers serving as guides.To accommodate the growing number of visitors, two buildings were added to Temple Square. The Church erected the North Visitors' Center on Temple Square and dedicated it in October of 1963. In 1976, the 1904 Bureau was razed and a second visitors' center was subsequently erected in its place. This South Visitors' Center was dedicated in June of 1978. Originally the Church opened the North Visitor Center, with magnificent replica of Christus Statue and beautiful murals depicting stories from the Bible, and South Visitor Center, with focus on the Book of Mormon.

Right before the 2002 Winter Olympics both Visitor Centers were remodeled, modernized and changed and reopened in October 2001 . The North Visistor Center's upstairs area is still the same, but the main and lower level were completely redesigned. the whole area focuses on the Bible and Book of Mormon Prophets, Living Prophet and the mission of the church in general with plasma displays, movie clips and other media information to answer various questions. The South Visitor Center carries the themes of Eternal Familes, Temples and the Pionieer's Legacy.