Our Bishop, Bishop Mortensen works as the Assistant secretary to the First Presidency, so he showed us around and answered a lot of questions. It was really neat. We got to see President Monson's office(but not enter), and we saw a couple of their meeting rooms(one is a board room where some committee meetings are held(general welfare, etc.) The other is another meeting room for the Apostles and First Presidency along with the Presidency of the Seventy.
That is where they meet most often, and if you look in the photo, in the left corner is the door that leads to the Prophet's office. Our Bishop has the responsability to open it for the Prophet. The wood in the room was imported from Russia, and the door is at least 3 inches thick, so it is heavy and President Monson always jokes with our Bishop because its hard. One day they were joking and The Bishop mentioned he was doing push-ups to get ready to open it and Pres. Monson said: "Oh really? Well lets see!" So Bishop Mortensen dropped down and gave the Prophet 10 push-ups and got up and Pres. Monson said: "I meant show me by opening the door!" Funny story.
This is the tree inside the Joseph Smith Memorial Building
We went through the lights, but it was so cold(like 2 or 3 degrees F) that we hurried and left and went to Crown Burger. That is apparently a tradition they have, but this is the first time that we were able to see the offices.
SO overall it was a great, cold night!
12 comments:
Great pics. What a great opportunity you had!
Why is impressive that a room was paneled in imported expensive opulent unnecessary wood from Russia. It could have been done in a simple elegant way for significantly less money and that money could have gone back to the church's poor, or por in general.
I wish you hadn't posted these pictures. It makes me sad to learn of the opulent facilities the Church builds. How many people could have been fed with the money it took to panel that board room? How much does a room like that cost, not in dollars, but widows mites? If my High Council can meet humbly in a room made of cinder blocks and cheap commercial grade carpet, then why can't the Q12? Where is the humility?
But, to be fair, this room is nothing compared to the $3B mall the Church is building across the street.
It makes it hard for me to reconcile that the Head of this Church washed the feet of his disciples.
Maybe it's just another man made organization. *Sigh*
This year, I will give my 10% to efforts that actually help my fellow man. The world has enough opulent buildings and board rooms paneled with expensive imported Russian wood.
Glad to see you guys worship Joseph Smith and not Jesus Christ.
I would think that humble servants of God would chose less ostentatious furnishings for their offices. Not only is the interior design in poor taste (and just plain ugly), but it makes one wonder just what the QoT is doing with all that tithing income, besides building a $3 billion mall in downtown SLC.
The building is almost 100 years old and reflects the era in which it was built -- thus the style, architecture, etc. This is the building where Church leaders meet and greet heads of state and leaders of other faiths. It is our Church headquarters, and so, like our temples, is designed to be beautiful and functional -- a gift of the very finest for the Lord, and used for His work.
Opinions addressed under the name "anonymous" really have no value. I truly support every persons right to express they're personal values and opinions, but when one has to hide under a blanket of anonymity to do so only shows a large weakness in character. Why blog stalk someone and write argumentative comments if you can't even put your name next to it? Maybe next time you should stand behind what you feel.
And you think that "Kyle" makes you less than anonymous? Post your full name and address if you're such an advocate of transparency on the Internet.
For the record, no tithing money is being used on the City Creek redevelopment. It's funded by revenue from the Church's business holdings (Deseret News; Bonneville Communications; farms; etc.).
One more point, Kyle: Why does someone's identity make any difference in the validity of the argument? Engage the ideas for their own worth. That should only pose a problem if your response depends upon an ad hominem fallacy.
Ha Ha Ha! Do you want my phone number, age, height, and weight too? :) ... Or you could just leave my little brother's blog alone. Its really not a public forum looking for debate and scrutiny. Rather, it's a medium allowing for Troy's friends and family to keep in touch with him. I'm sure you can find a numerous amount of other media outlets that would better suit your purpose.
Love,
Kyle
Yeah. Leave Troy's blog alone. If you have a problem with the church, talk to your church leaders. Don't just make comments on some random blog. You have issues, man. Serious, serious issues. I feel sorry for you.
Travis and Kyle,
Thank you for your concern for me.
Now, I did not mean to invade this blog with unwelcome comments. I meant to defend it, and the Church, from those making comments to the effect that the fact that the Church Administration Building is a tactfully designed piece of neoclassical architecture amounts to priestcraft. I think that the confusion comes from the fact that there are multiple people posting anonymously. I assumed that Kyle was responding to the Anonymous at 3:06--and that he meant to discredit that comment, which defended the building as an appropriate use of tithing funds. So I responded (at 11:24 and 11:30). I am not the Anonymous person or persons who earlier criticized the way the Church uses tithing or accused us of worshiping our leaders.
I hope that clears things up. I guess it illustrates that using a 'nym IS helpful. I've spoken my two cents; I'll go away now. All I meant to say is that wood siding in an administration building by no means makes the Church untrue.
Sincerely,
Another Travis
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