A documentary released late last year covering the history of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, will stream free on KUED’s website this weekend to commemorate Pioneer Day. The free online stream will be available now through Wednesday, July 26, 2017.
Pioneer Day celebrates July 24, 1847, the day Brigham Young, the prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time, and the first group of Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. Temple Square was soon built as the center of the settlement and carries with it a lot of Utah history.
Through video and old photos, the hour-long film documents the history of Temple Square and its importance to the establishment of Salt Lake City. Each of the buildings and monuments tells a story about the early Church.
Filmmaker Issac Goeckeritz, who produced and directed the documentary, says he enjoys looking at old pictures and researching the area where he lives. “While the ‘big stories’ of the Tabernacle and the Salt Lake Temple are fairly-well known, we have found many personal, smaller stories that give life to the setting,” he said. “It becomes a story of grand visions humanized by small and important gestures.”
The documentary examines the history of the Tabernacle, the Salt Lake Temple, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as well as the history of Utah and how it ties into Temple Square. “By the 1920s Temple Square becomes a cultural destination as well as a spiritual setting,” said Goeckeritz. “The visiting crowds grow so large the decision is made to select a guide for the grounds. At the time, it was quite a step to embrace visitors of all beliefs and from all different locations.”
Temple Square continues to be Utah’s top tourist destination. A variety of free tours are available year-round.