Author Archives: jhenderson

Conference Center

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On April 6, 1996, Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to construct, a new house of worship to replace the Salt Lake Tabernacle. The new building would be much larger, and able to accommodate three or four times the number as could be seated in the old tabernacle. The building became known as the Conference Center.

temple mormonOn July 24, 1997 ground was broken and the construction of the Conference Center began. During construction, nearly 750,000 cubic yards of dirt were excavated and 15,000 tons of concrete steel, and 10,000 tons of structural steel were used to build the building. Church leaders wanted the outside of the building to made of granite, similar to the Salt Lake Temple . Granite was quarried from Little Cottonwood quarry and used to make the exterior of the building.

In terms of size, the Conference Center is huge. It has 1.4 million square feet of floor space, and covers 10 acres or an entire city block (and the same amount of space that all of Temple Square sits on). The Center can seat 21,000 people, more than any other religious auditorium in the world and there are 13,000 parking spaces. It also houses an 850 seat theatre. There are also no visible pillars inside, so there are no bad seats. The organ in the Conference Center has 7,667 pipes. About 50,000 miles of electrical wire, enough to wrap around the world twice, were used to wire the Conference Center.

The building was completed in Spring of 2000, just in time to hold April Conference in the building. About 370,000 people inquired about tickets for this first General Conference in the Conference Center. The Conference Center was formally dedicated on October 8, 2000. It is mostly used for General Conference meetings which are held each year on the first weekends in April and October. However it is also sometimes used for concerts and other large meetings. Free tours are given daily.

Jaredites

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The Jaredite People of The Book of Mormon

The Jaredites were a people whose history is given in the Book of Mormon, an ancient record kept by the people of the Americas and then later translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Jaredites were descendants of Jared, his brother, and other righteous people of their family. They were led to the Americas, by God, at the time of the Tower of Babel. Their history is found in the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon.

book mormonZzA group of Nephites eventuall found the Jaredite record and their were kept with the records of the Nephite people. Later, the last Nephite prophet, Moroni, abridged the record of the Jaredite people and included it in his record. Hundreds of years later, the ProphetJoseph Smith was visited by the angel Moroni and told where to find these records. Joseph found the records and translated them. These records are now known as the Book of Mormon.

The Jaredites and the Olmecs

There are shocking similarities between the Jaredite civilizations and the civilization called the Olmecs by archeologists.

Until about 2000 B.C. the Jaredites struggled to establish survival. Archeological findings support that the Olmec people until this point were unsophisticated.

From 2000 to 1500 B.C. the Jaredites made significant advances, built many cities, and a highland capital called Moron. A site with similar characteristics exists in the valley of Oaxaca and archeology has found such things as pottery, farming areas, and settled villages from this time period.

In 1500 the Jaredites built up a city called Lib. Olmec archeological finds have discovered a city near San Lorenzo beginning at the same time with the same social organization and the makings of monuments that coincide with the account in the Book of Mormon.

In 1070 there was a civil war in the time of Com mentioned in the Book of Mormon. This coincides exactly with a civil war that archeologists say destroy the city at San Lorenzo.

The following years of the Jaredite culture were decadent and wicked. The Olmecs during this time period developed a culture focused on riches and wealth. They enslaved many people to build massive monuments.

By 600 B.C. the Jaredite culture was destroyed in one last battle. Archeologists put the destruction of the Olmec people at 601 B.C.

The last battle of the Jaredite people is described as being on a hill. The last battle of the Olmecs was at Cerro Vigia and is consistent with the description of the site given in the Book of Mormon.

Dispensation

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In Mormon doctrine, a dispensation of the gospel is a time period, of no particular length, during which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who holds the keys of the holy priesthood and who has a divinely appointed commission to “dispense” the gospel to mankind. When a new dispensation is organized, the Lord reveals the gospel anew, so that mankind is blessed with current revelation and does not have to depend upon previous dispensations for their knowledge of the gospel and the plan of salvation.

Dispensations are often associated with the servant who stands at the head of it. In Old Testament times, Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses are all considered heads of new dispensations. When Jesus Christ came to earth He ushered in another dispensation. In the last days,Mormons believe the Lord called the Prophet Joseph Smith to usher in what is known as the “dispensation of the fulness of times.”

Joseph Smith mormonThat in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him. (Ephesians 1:10)

Each of the dispensations has been characteristic in some way or other. Adam, for instance, opened the way for man to come to the earth; In Enoch’s time, the righteous people were taken to heaven; Jesus atoned for mankind and was resurrected; and Joseph Smith laid the foundation for a culmination God’s work on the earth.

For it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. (D&C 128:18)

Latter-day revelation clearly shows that the leaders of former dispensations all had the gospel of Jesus Christ and were called and ordained of Him.