A Christmas Time Visit to Temple Square in Salt Lake City

 

A highlight of our recent  Utah Christmas holidays was the time we went to visit Temple Square in Salt Lake City with some of our children and grandchildren. Each year the trees, buildings and almost every square inch are decorated 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.

We bundled up against the chill of the evening and headed for the trax. The trax are very convenient in Salt Lake City, and travel regularly to and from Temple Square, so you don’t have to worry about parking and walking long distances. Each adult held a tiny hand, and as we exited the trax, one of my little grandsons, age four, said he felt like we had gone to another dimension! So cute (where does he get that? I wondered).Bell Tower on Temple Square   Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika

There is no admission fee enter Temple Square, and although the weather is chilly, the glow and warmth of the lights are very welcoming. There are lights in Christmas colors, red, green, and even blues and yellows. They decorate the bell tower, some of the buildings, hedges, bushes, trees and walkways. There are pretty rock fountains and ponds. Lights on Temple Square Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Some of the buildings are over 100 years old, and have been well preserved. Most of them are still used today. The huge Tabernacle 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.

Japanese Nativity        Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika Maori Nativity (New Zealand)   Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika Mexican scene of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus   Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika

My favorite of all is 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 flood lights focused in 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, get warm and see the Christus, a large sculpture of Jesus and other wonderful art. 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.The Nativity on the water near the Temple   Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika

 

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.

Ruth Elayne Kongaika was raised in the mainland, USA, but has been living in the South Pacific for the past forty years. She enjoys trying to capture the beauty of the Polynesian islands through her photography, painting and writing. She has a blog which shares some of her art and favorite subjects at:

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

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Bingham Canyon Kennecott Copper Mine

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Tire Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, Utah, United States R E KongaikaWe recently returned from a trip to Utah, where you can find the largest manmade excavation on this earth.  Just a few miles from Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, there is a hole which contains copper, silver and gold. It contributes much to of the materials used in electric wiring,building construction, transportation,medical equipment like CAT scans, space exploration, and even everyday things like soap, food and medicine.

We were able to take our twelve grandchildren to this huge hole in the ground. The first thing we saw was a huge tire that is used on the humungous trucks used to haul out the earth from which the metals are extracted. The children were dwarfed and amazed by it.

The owners of the mine, Rio Tinto, are concerned with safety as well as sustainability of the environment.  There is a fence shielding you from falling into the huge pit. There are coin-operated binoculars so you can peer far down to see the activity in the mine. Around 1800 employees currently work in the mine, which has existed for more than 100 years.  The copper mine produces nearly 25 per cent of the copper used in America.

There is a visitor’s center near the mine which has many hands-on displays and exhibits. Three-dimensional models entertain and educate visitors of all ages. Our whole crew was excited over the many tiny replicas of the mine, including miniature trucks, trains, and other equipment. You can also learn about the history of the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, which was settled back in 1848 by the Bingham brothers. At one time, there were around 20,000 people living near the mine trying to make a livelihood from it.

Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, Utah, United States R E KongaikaThe geological forces that created the metallic deposits in the Oquirrh Mountains are believed to have been in action some 260 million years ago. It has been discovered that there are still plenty of minerals below the present pit.

Trucks Haul Earth Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, Utah, United States R E KongaikaThe mine is two and a half miles across and nearly a mile deep. It takes your breath away when you see it for the first time. It is said that you could put two Sears Towers on top of each other and not reach the top of the mine. Also, 500 miles of roads traverse the sides of the mine.

Sign Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, Utah, United States R E KongaikaIn the visitor’s center, there is a movie which explains the mining process. It involves many steps, including grounding the ore into fine particles, separating the valuable minerals from the waste rock, and then sending the minerals through a pipeline to a smelter. The valuable copper is transformed into a liquid in a furnace from which copper plates are made. There is also a refinery which removes the impurities before the metal plates are sent to market. During these processes, gold and silver as well as many other minerals are recovered.

We also learned that it takes 30 different minerals to make a computer, 42 to make a telephone, and 15 to make a car. Copper is an important mineral in each of these products. It was interesting to learn that The Statue of Liberty contains nearly 180,000 pounds of copper, and it has endured quite for over 100 years.

 

If you get the chance to travel to Salt Lake City, it would be well worth the effort to take a look at the Kennecott Utah Copper’s Bingham Canyon Mine.

Ruth Elayne Kongaika was raised in the mainland, USA, and has been living in the South Pacific for the past forty years. She enjoys trying to capture the beauty of the Polynesian islands through her photography, painting and writing. She has a blog which shares some of her art and favorite subjects at:

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

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