Family Matters: For Time and All Eternity

It was truly a tender, sacred, answered prayer that just before we turned toward home, the barriers were removed, and we were invited near. For the first time, we were able to walk right up to the Salt Lake Temple to touch the sacred stone walls, to rest our hands upon the holy doors, to stand in the very shadow of the House of the Lord in a way we had not been able to before.    As our hands rested upon the temple doors, we marveled at the exquisite, historic doorknob and lock plate, a masterpiece of craftsmanship and symbolism! Carved into the brass knob are the sacred words: "Holiness to the Lord". The reverent declaration that defines every temple of God. At its center sits the beehive, a symbol of industry, unity, and the faithful labor of the pioneers who built this holy house.  Above it, the dates 1853–1893 are etched deep, marking the forty years of faith, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion that it took to construct ...

Standing proudly at the intersection of State Street and South Temple, right beside Temple Square, is one of Salt Lake City’s most iconic landmarks, the Eagle Gate Monument.    A Gate with a Story   The original gate was built all the way back in 1859, serving as the entrance to Brigham Young’s property and quickly becoming a beloved symbol of the growing pioneer settlement. What began as a simple wooden arch has been rebuilt and expanded over the decades, yet it has never lost its connection to the area’s faithful, hard‑working pioneers.    Symbols of Strength & Industry   Today’s monument features a magnificent bronze eagle with wings spread wide, perched above a beehive, two powerful symbols in one:   - The Eagle → represents strength, vision, and rising above just as the pioneers rose to build a city in the desert. ​ - The Beehive → the enduring symbol of industry, cooperation, and community, a reminder that we build bes...

  This stone monument marks the U.S. Meridian Base of 1869, the official starting point for the Salt Lake Meridian, the survey reference line that defines the addressing system for the entire state of Utah!  It sits on Temple Square grounds, just north of the Salt Lake Temple, precisely at 40°46′13″ N, 111°54′00″ W. Every street, property line, and land survey in Utah traces back to this exact spot.   Its Story   - The Survey Begins (1869) : The U.S. Coast Survey established this marker to define the principal meridian and base line for the Utah Territory. It was placed here because Temple Square was already the geographic and cultural center of the city, and the temple site was the most accurately surveyed location in the region. ​ - How It Works : All east–west addresses in Salt Lake City are measured from Main Street (the meridian line), and all north–south addresses are measured from South Temple Street (the base line) — with this marker a...