President Russell M. Nelson has invited young adults to fill the 21,000-seat Conference Center and flood Temple Square for the Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults on Sunday, May 15.
The 6 p.m. devotional will feature messages from President Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy W. Nelson, with young adults in Utah from Logan to Nephi — within a 1.5-hour driving distance of downtown Salt Lake City — encouraged not only to come for the devotional but also spend time in and around Temple Square that afternoon and evening.
Here’s a list of 11 things to do and see and places to go if you’re headed to Temple Square for the May 15 devotional with the Nelsons:
1. Attend the devotional
Obviously, that tops the list.
Read more: President and Sister Nelson to speak at May 15 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, plus what they've said in previous devotionals
2. Arrive early and stay late
To facilitate lingering and mingling both before and after the 6 p.m. devotional, the Conference Center and other Church buildings and sites on and around Temple Square will be open from 3 to 9 p.m.
- Relief Society Building, 76 N. Main St.
- Assembly Hall, 50 W. South Temple St.
- Tabernacle, 50 N. West Temple St.
- Family History Library, 35 N. West Temple St.
- Church History Museum, 45 N. West Temple St.
- Church History Library, 15 E. North Temple St.
- Social Hall Avenue meetinghouse, 110 E. Social Hall Avenue
- Brigham Young Historic Park, 100 N. State St.
3. Cookies — ’nuff said
After the devotional, cookies and bottled water will be available at the Conference Center and other various locations — but only while supplies last.
4. Photo scavenger hunt
Gather for a group selfie around one or more of the following:
- The Christus statue at the Conference Center
- The original Book of Mormon manuscript at the Church History Museum
- The Angel Moroni statue in the Church History Museum
- The Family of Man mural at the roof of the Conference Center
- The Salt Lake Temple cut-way model at the Conference Center
- The “Christ in a Red Robe” painting at the Relief Society Building
- The spire of the new Social Hall Avenue Meetinghouse, 110 E. Social Hall Ave.
5. Share your experience
Take to social media and use the hashtags #JesusChrist #PresNelson #WWdevo.
6. Explore the Conference Center
After the devotional, see the art and history exhibits throughout the Conference Center. Or head up to the roof for some of the best views of the restoration of the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square as well as of the setting sun west across the cityscape and the Great Salt Lake.
7. Listen to the music
Listen to organists perform in the Tabernacle from 3 p.m. to the devotional’s start time and after until 9 p.m.
8. Discover your roots
Find out more about your ancestors and see who you’re related to by visiting the Discovery Center in the Family History Library.
9. View the Salt Lake Temple/Temple Square restoration projects
Remember, we mentioned the view from the Conference Center rooftop.
Church News podcast: The expansiveness of the Salt Lake Temple renovation project, with Brent Roberts and Andy Kirby
10. Be inspired by art and exhibits
View the works of 148 Latter-day Saint artists participating in the 12th International Art Competition, held every three years and hosted this year in the Church History Museum. The museum also has various displays and exhibits about the Church and its history.
11. Walk through history
View original documents of the restoration in the Church History Library.
Devotional details and logistical info
- Young adults ages 18 to 30 and those in their last year of seminary are invited to attend.
- Those going to downtown Salt Lake City for the devotional are encouraged to carpool and use mass transit, given the limited parking and accessibility concerns due to construction on and around Temple Square.
- The Conference Center will open that day at 4:30 p.m., with tickets distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees will receive seating assignment once they enter the Conference Center.
- Overflow seating in available in the Conference Center’s Little Theater, the Tabernacle, the Assembly Hall and the Social Hall Avenue Meetinghouse.
- Young adults in other areas who are not attending the devotional in person are encouraged to gather locally and to share their experiences as well.
