There is Beauty all Around...

I have to admit- I was kind of annoyed that we ended up in Utah. However, the more I let go of my pre-conceived notions of what it was going to be like here, I've seemed to notice the more beautiful things about living in the Beehive state! I work right next to beautiful Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake and often venture there on my lunchbreak. I wanted to share with you how breathtaking Spring is at Temple Square. Take a look...

Tuilps "kissing" the Conference Center tower

Purple blossoms in front of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. My Grandparents on my Checketts side had their reception there back in the day.

The Salt Lake Temple. My ancestor John R. Moyle engraved on the golden tablet you can see set into the middle spire. An AMAZING feat- seeing as though he walked from Alpine Utah every week on a wooden leg to do it:

"John R. Moyle lived in Alpine, Utah, about 22 miles as the crow flies to the Salt Lake Temple, where he was the chief superintendent of masonry during its construction. To make certain he was always at work by 8 o’clock, Brother Moyle would start walking about 2 a.m. on Monday mornings. He would finish his work week at 5 p.m. on Friday and then start the walk home, arriving there shortly before midnight. Each week he would repeat that schedule for the entire time he served on the construction of the temple.

Once when he was home on the weekend, one of his cows bolted during milking and kicked Brother Moyle in the leg, shattering the bone just below the knee. With no better medical help than they had in such rural circumstances, his family and friends took a door off the hinges and strapped him onto that makeshift operating table. They then took the bucksaw they had been using to cut branches from a nearby tree and amputated his leg just a few inches below the knee. When against all medical likelihood the leg finally started to heal, Brother Moyle took a piece of wood and carved an artificial leg. First he walked in the house. Then he walked around the yard. Finally he ventured out about his property. When he felt he could stand the pain, he strapped on his leg, walked the 22 miles to the Salt Lake Temple, climbed the scaffolding, and with a chisel in his hand hammered out the declaration “Holiness to the Lord."

-Jeffrey R. Holland, “As Doves to Our Windows,” Ensign, May 2000, 75

The Lions at the base of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. My favorite place to eat on Temple Square is inside this building. It's called Nauvoo Cafe and I promise you they serve the tastiest toasted sandwiches! The Cranberry-Orange Relish Turkey Sandwich is my favorite!

http://www.diningattemplesquare.com/nauvoo.html

That's it for out tour folks! We end at the statue in front of the Church Office Building that celebrates Motherhood. How appropriate that there are beautiful purple floweres surrounding it- my Mom's favorite color! I love you MOM!