Acting President of The Quorum of the Twelve Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicates the new visitors' center at Temple Square. He invited all to come visit Temple Square to what members of The Church believe. (Aubree Curtis)
Photo Gallery: New Visitors' Center at Temple Square
By Aubree Curtis
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened their new visitor center at Temple Square for one day to the local media for an exclusive look. The center will open to the public on May 18th and is open for reservations through the templesquare.org website or Temple Square app.
The new visitor center features two statues of Jesus Christ, an array of temple models, and a replica temple underground that will serve as a permanent open house for people from all around the world to come and see what the inside of a temple looks like.
Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated the visitor center and introduced the building as a milestone in the oncoming reopening of the Salt Lake City Temple in 2027. Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman also spoke at the event, expressing excitement for the future of The Church.
The center features a tour of an example instruction room, baptistry, celestial room, and sealing room. Tour guides, including General Authority Seventy Matthew S. Holland and his wife Paige Holland, guided media members through the center and talked about the purpose of each room.
Daily Universe reporter Aubree Curtis walked through the replica temple and showed what the experience was like.
A model of the renovated Salt Lake City Temple sits in the visitors' center, showing the layout of the temple. The model shows all floors of the temple and where each room is located. (Aubree Curtis)
Members of the local media listen to President Uchtdorf as he explains the purpose and goals of the new visitor center at Temple Square. (Aubree Curtis)
Twelve oxen sit below the baptismal font in each temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The twelve oxen represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the strength required to complete God's will. (Aubree Curtis)
Sister Paige Holland listens contently as her husband, Matthew S. Holland, explains the purpose of the new temple visitors' center. She conducted a tour of the center with Elder Holland, adding insight into the special details added to the building to help non-members understand what doctrine The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints teaches. (Aubree Curtis)
General Authority Seventy Matthew S. Holland introduces a built-to-scale model of the Salt Lake City Temple. He conducted a tour of the visitors' center with his wife, Paige Holland. (Aubree Curtis)
A white marble statue, called a Christus, shows Jesus Christ as a resurrected being. Marks are highlighted on His hands, wrists and feet, showing the place where nails were hammered into his body to hold him up on a cross. (Aubree Curtis)
Young Woman General President Emily Belle Freeman introduces the new visitor center at Temple Square, focusing on the collaborative effort made to finish the center and Salt Lake City Temple. (Aubree Curtis)
As part of the tour, a line of model temples sit down a hallway toward a statue of Christ. The display features 11 built-to-scale temples from around the world, representing The Church's global footprint. (Aubree Curtis)
A new statue of Christ , titled "Come unto Me," was crafted specially for the visitor center at Temple Square by Swiss artist Christian Bolt. The statue sits at the center of the lower level and represents Christ extending His hand as a reminder to all to come to Him. (Aubree Curtis)