The earth has been moved to make way for the construction of the Church's new assembly building in downtown Salt Lake City, directly north of Temple Square. Now, two stationary cranes and as many as six or more smaller cranes hover over the site as the structure rises below.

Since ground was broken last July 24, half a million cubic yards of material has been removed from the block, reported project manager Thomas Hanson of the Church's physical facilities department. Virtually the entire city block was excavated in preparation for the construction of the building, which will include a 21,000-seat auditorium and a 900-seat theater. A four-level underground parking structure will be built below most of the rest of the block.Since November, concrete has been poured for much of the parking terrace as well as for some of the exterior walls for the assembly building itself. Brother Hanson said the walls have been raised up above ground level on a part of the block where excavation went down 30 feet.

"We are pleased to be making some serious progress on the building," Brother Hanson said.

He also commented on the work ahead. Structural steel is being ordered so that part of the work can commence in July. Some of the heavy steel bridging trusses are being ordered from Belgium, he noted, because the particular shapes needed are not manufactured in the United States. Steel work is scheduled to continue into autumn.

"We hope to get a roof on the building before the bad weather begins so we can continue with inside work as well as outside construction," he said. "That is dependent on the erection of structural steel this summer. We're confident we can accomplish what we've set out to do."

He said many other projects related to the building are ongoing such as the selection of an organ builder who will construct a pipe organ for the auditorium.

The new building will include a plaza on the terraced roof, complete with trees, shrubbery and other decorative vegetation.

Plans to construct a new meeting hall were announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley during the April 1996 general conference. Last Pioneer Day, he was joined by his counselors - President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust - in groundbreaking ceremonies as part of the Pioneer Sesqucientennial celebration.

Brother Hanson said the building will be "world class, . . . unlike any other in the world." With its seating capacity in the auditorium for general conference sessions and other gatherings, it will be unique as the largest building of its kind ever constructed.