Friends - Salt Lake City

I arrived in SLC last Wednesday at 11am. My sister Amy picked me up at the airport and we drove straight to Five Guys for a burger and fries. It was as good as I remember with John in DC a few years back. Amy then dropped me off at the Bountiful Temple where I was able to worship for a few hours in a grand and sublime setting. Following my session I was able to visit with the President and Matron, President and Sister Richards. It was wonderful to visit with them about our exciting days, "days never to be forgotten" in the England Manchester Mission. After visiting with them I felt like they had re-built me, perhaps without knowing it, although I doubt. President and Sister Richards are great builders, and I was renewed by being in their presence.

Amy and I then went to Temple Square where we enjoyed the free movie at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I thought to myself that the church finally made a movie about Joseph Smith worthy of the name. It is the best to my knowledge, and the first to quote his words directly throughout. The depiction of his wife Emma, too, was fantastic and whetted my appetite for the biography of her that I own.

Following the film we repaired to Buca de Beppo's - an excellent Italian restaurant - where Amy and I enjoyed some delicious pepperoni pizza. We joked that since we had Five Guys for lunch and pepperoni pizza for dinner that we ought to have dedicated the days festivities to Mike - an undying fan of both. Then we walked back to her house through Grove Park on a fine spring evening. I don't think the day could have been more wonderful.

On Thursday I slept late, but made my way to the Barnes & Noble at Gateway plaza - a swanky new outdoor mall in west Salt Lake. With my strawberry julius I made it through a few books on Stoic philosophy including most of Seneca's On the Shortness of Life which I managed to finish yesterday in Minneapolis. I recommend it to you with great eagerness - it is the kind of book that will change the way you think about the precious time you've been given.

At twelve thirty I met Cash at Crown Burger where we enjoyed some pastrami. We then had a second (for me) showing of the Joseph Smith movie. It got better with age. We then repaired to Brigham Young's grave where he is buried with a few of his wives and one son. Following our pilgrimage we toured the Conference Center. It is by far the best venue for artistic events in the American west. The most impressive thing about the place is the original art throughout, including a painting of Joseph in Prison by Jacques-Louis David, which is saying a lot considering the beautiful garden roof.

Cash and I had a few minutes to spare before dinner, which we spent in the Salt Lake cemetery. We aimed to find President Hinckley's headstone, but instead found those of Joseph F. Smith, Joseph Fielding Smith, James E. Talmage, Orson Pratt, and others. We were both excited to see James E. Talmage's headstone was engraved: Educator - Scientist - Apostle. Now how many places can you find that? We also noted that Elder Talmage's headstone had a quotation from himself. We joked about how awesome it would be to say something so profound that you were quoted on your own headstone. (More about this to follow.) My favorite was Orson Pratt's however, which noted that he was a scientist, astronomer, and apostle. His own epitaph was: "My body sleeps, but my testimony lives and shall endure forever."


After our time in the cemetery we met up with Amy, her friend Nick, and my old friend Darin at a Korean restaurant. Cash was kind enough to order for all of us as the menu was in Korean. He managed to order the best rice I have ever had in my life. What do they call that again, Cash? Mmmm . . . spicy goodness. Considering that most of us had never met one another before, dinner turned out quite well. We kept a good discussion going and all stuffed ourselves. After dinner we walked outside only to see the lights of a baseball stadium shining off the night sky. Such a lure cannot be resisted by Cash. We made it in time to get in free, stretch at the 7th inning, and watch the Salt Lake Bees get annihilated. All in all it was a wonderful evening. Darin, Cash, and I spent the wee hours of the night talking ourselves goofy. It was a wonderful day and all our dreams came true.

[For an account of my visit Friday and Saturday with MSH stay tuned.]

On Sunday morning I reunited with Darin for a wonderful Mother's Day. We had eggs and ham for breakfast - thanks Darin - and then sped away to the Mormon Tabernacle for Music & the Spoken Word. If you've never heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform live you haven't lived. Every Sunday morning they do a free performance at half past nine. Seeing as it was Mother's Day the choir, together with the Salt Lake Orchestra, were in rare form, but the real treat came after the show. The historian David McCullough of John Adams fame was in attendance as he was the commencement speaker the day before at the University of Utah. In honor of he and his wife the choir sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic." I noticed from my seat that they were both deeply touched - as were we all - by the thrilling number. Then, as is tradition, the choir sang, "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again." It was a powerful performance and I am moved reflecting on it now. A glorious day of rest.


Darin and I followed it up with a garden tour of Temple Square. We learned more than we ever thought we could about the architecture - not sure if that's the word - of gardens, how they are planned, executed, and renewed, &c. It was enlightening and I shall not look at trees or flower beds ever again with the same eye.

Following our garden tour we met up with Amy for lunch before I caught my plane. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and renewing weekend to meet up with so many friends. I cherish them all. My spirit was renewed by their presence, laughter, visages and voices.