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1506: Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Mystery Worshipper: Amanda B. Reckondwythe. The church: Funeral Service for Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Denomination: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The building: The conference center was completed in 2000 as a venue for meetings, conferences and other events that do not require the sacred surroundings of the Tabernacle. It is rather unremarkable from the outside, but the inside is a large, arena-like space with a stage on which can be found a rostrum, plush armchair seating for the church elders, and tiered choir seating. Red upholstery and dark walnut appointments make for a very pleasing visual effect. The church: I cannot presume to speak with any authority about the Mormons, their history or their present day ministries, but would instead refer the reader to their website. The neighborhood: Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah and headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was founded in 1847 by Mormon pioneer Brigham Young and his followers. The city sits on the southeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake, a large (37th largest lake on earth) but shallow body of water that has been called "America's Dead Sea." Downtown Salt Lake City is dominated by the Tabernacle and other church buildings, but the city is surprisingly modern, with thriving commercial and recreational attractions as well as suburban shopping malls and all of the modern trappings with which cities are blessed (or cursed, as the case may be). The cast: The service was conducted by Thomas S. Monson, senior apostle and counselor to President Hinckley. Also participating in the service were H. David Burton, presiding bishop; several members of the Hinckley family; and various members of the governance of the church. The church elders sat in plush red upholstered chairs, with President Hinckley's chair being conspicuously empty. The date & time: Saturday, February 2, 2008, 11.00am. What was the name of the service? Funeral service for President Gordon B. Hinckley. How full was the building? The conference center can hold 21,000 and was completely full. Did anyone welcome you personally? I did not attend the funeral personally, but rather watched it on television. Was your pew comfortable? I assume the seats in the conference center were comfortable. I was quite comfortable in my La-Z-Boy chair in my living room. How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere? Quiet. The organ provided soft background music. What were the exact opening words of the service? "I have been asked by the Hinckley family to conduct the funeral service for President Hinckley." What books did the congregation use during the service? None that I could see in the television image. What musical instruments were played? The conference center's 7,667-pipe, 130-rank organ, which sits in a strikingly beautiful case at the rear of the stage. For one of the hymns, harp and oboe were also used. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang traditional hymns but I did not recognize any of them, with one exception that I'll mention presently. It was announced that President Hinckley had written the words to several of the hymns. The women of the choir were dressed in red gowns; the men wore dark suits with grey ties. Did anything distract you? I was distracted in a positive way by how good the choir sounded. If only every church choir could sound like that! It was all the more remarkable when you keep in mind that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a volunteer amateur group. I also thought that Counselor Monson bore a physical resemblance both to Richard Nixon and comedian Jack Benny. Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what? Very solemn and dignified, but not liturgical. All of the church elders wore dark business suits. There was no congregational participation. President Hinckley's casket, covered with a beautiful spray of roses and other flowers, was brought in on a walnut catafalque and placed in the center of the stage. Counselor Monson opened the service with welcoming remarks, including a letter from President and Mrs Bush. The choir then sang a hymn, followed by one of the members of the Hinckley family reciting a prayer. The remainder of the service was pretty much a hymn sandwich – selections by the choir interspersed with testimonies, remembrances and remarks from various people. The service concluded with a benediction. Exactly how long was the sermon? There was no sermon per se; the various speakers spoke at varying lengths. Which part of the service was like being in heaven? I was struck by how beautifully the stage had been festooned with flowers, and how perfectly President Hinckley's casket blended in with the overall appearance of the stage. I was also moved by the one hymn that I recognized: "The Lord to me a shepherd is," sung to the traditional Southern Harmony melody whose name I don't know. During the singing of this hymn, video clips of President Hinckley were shown, in which the president walked with a cane that bore a striking resemblance to a bishop's crosier. And which part was like being in... er... the other place? I wouldn't exactly call this hellish, but to a non-Mormon several remarks sounded strange. Among these were use of the expression "restored gospel of Jesus Christ" and references to "an unbroken line of apostles and prophets back to Joseph Smith." What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost? As mentioned, I was not present personally. After the church elders had left the stage, followed by President Hinckley's casket, the congregation began to file out. How would you describe the after-service coffee? I don't think any was on offer. How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)? 3 – It is impossible to get a feeling for what Mormon worship is like based on this memorial service. But I was impressed by the dignity and prayerfulness of the proceedings. Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian? Surprisingly, yes. With the exception of the Mormon-specific references mentioned above, everything sounded very orthodox and very Christian. What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time? The beautiful music and the overall dignity of the service. |
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