If you go to LDS.org (web site of the Mormon church) and click 'Places to Visit', you can find this statement: "Whether you're taking a break on a business trip or vacationing with family and friends, there are many opportunities to learn about the rich history and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
Yeah, right you say. Who would possibly want to do that?
Er, well...
This requires two points of explanation:
1. The Mormons and I go way back. I dated a Mormon girl for a time in high school. Whenever I met anyone whose faith was different from mine and it had some sort of behavioral manifestation (for example, my Muslim friends would fast during Ramadan; my Baha'i friend was nice to everyone, which I found suspicious), I would try to learn as much about their religion as possible so I'd understand the root causes. Given that I was actually dating a Mormon, I read voraciously on their history, beliefs, and criticisms thereof.
2. I'm a big fan of religious architecture. You could look at my time in Europe as hopping from one really old church to another. In Turkey, I loved gettin' my mosque on. But for my money, the Mormons are putting out some of the best new religious architecture out there. Like any faith, they have their share of stinkers (check out pics of the Dallas, Texas temple) but they also have some great ones, old (like in Logan, Utah) as well as new (one under construction in Rexburg, Idaho).
There is a catch to religious tourism with Mormon temples... most people can't go inside. Even if you're a Mormon in good standing, you need to have a special pass, wear special clothes, and make an appointment to go inside. So, besides looking at pretty pictures online, you may ask what's the point of stopping by.
Well, the Los Angeles temple is one of the few that has an accompanying visitor's center. Anyone can stop by one of those. And, it's on the temple grounds, so you get a nice feel for the landscaping and general ambiance.
I took this picture of the temple from the visitor's center parking lot. The temple is located on Santa Monica Blvd in the most Los Angeles-y part of Los Angeles. It's a stone's throw from UCLA. The architecture fits in very well with the rest of the neighborhood, and you can see the steeple as part of the area's skyline.
The visitor's center itself is somewhat less inspired, style-wise:
It does, however, have a very nice group of bronzes out front, with accompanying quotes from the Book of Mormon. There are two themed areas, one about women, and one about the family.
What can you expect to see and do at the visitor's center? Per the LDS.org web site: "A place free from life's cares, the Los Angeles California Temple Visitors' Center showcases a representation of Thorvaldsen's Christus amidst beautiful surroundings. Guides are available to give you a free tour of the visitors' center. Interactive exhibits will help you learn about Jesus Christ, the importance of temples, and the purpose of life."
Well, this description is partially true. The picture of me above is with the replica of the Christus statue. Apparently all the LDS church has is replicas; the original is in the Lutheran Cathedral in Copenhagen, but the Mormons have really taken a shine to it.
A very nice young lady was available to give me a tour of the visitor's center. In fact, wherever you happen to go to an LDS visitor's center, you will find them almost exclusively staffed by nice young ladies. When young Mormon men do their "missions", they're typically sent overseas. Young ladies tend to be assigned to shorter and inside-U.S. duties. My guide (Sister Reed) would spend part of her day at the visitor's center, and the rest doing door-to-door work in Inglewood.
I have to say, however, as far as exhibits, interactive or not, the center fell very far short. They did have two videos I could watch (a 20-minute one and a newer hour and 10 minute one) but I decided to save that for another time. Beyond that, the only other informative thing was an illustrated timeline of Joseph Smith's life.
I'm no fool, and I knew a big purpose of the visitor's center would be recruiting. After all, if a non-Mormon makes a special effort to come there, they're pretty well ripe for the plucking, aren't they? My guide started early with the preliminary questions: was I married (yes), did I have kids (no), did I believe in the Jesus (Methodist, so draw your own conclusions), did I have a book of Mormon (yes, thanks to a motel room in Utah). I let a couple of things slip, though, that let her know she was dealing with someone who's done some homework. Eventually she asked "Uh, well... do you have any questions for me?" I didn't want to upset her with anything too complicated or controversial, so I said no.
Sadly, due to the overall lack of content, I have to give the Los Angeles LDS Temple Visitor's Center a thumbs down. My travels will likely take me to Oakland at some point, so I can check out the visitor's center there - it looks more substantial. Ultimately, to get the real experience, I will need to spend some time in Salt Lake. They've got some kick-ass architecture, and that's where the wholesome Mormon action is. Jello, anyone?
And by the way, memo to other American religions: if you put up some interesting attractions, I'll come visit you too.
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