A thousand memories
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Minutes prior to the Saturday afternoon session of general conference when he would rededicate the Tabernacle following a major renovation and refurbishing project, President Gordon B. Hinckley climbed the half-dozen steps to the podium as he has done for so many general conferences during the past half century.
Atop the stairs, he stopped, took a sweeping glance at the familiar surroundings, as if reacquainting himself with an old friend, then briskly strode a few more steps past members of the Quorum of the Twelve toward his chair.
Again he stopped. This time, while he gazed at the choir, as if relishing memories past, an expression of joy illumined his countenance, bespeaking the thrill of "coming home."
Not since President Hinckley said goodbye to the Tabernacle in October 1999, when he called the building "an old friend," has general conference convened in the 140-year-old structure built of pioneer faith and fortitude.
"Sitting here brings back a thousand memories," President Hinckley said in opening comments.
Since January 2005 the Tabernacle has been closed for improvements that included seismic upgrading and general modernizing of the building.
The unique construction of the Tabernacle — visionary in its time with its giant elliptical dome supported by 44 buttresses or pillars — was well engineered to stand the forces of gravity.
The first general conference in the Tabernacle was held in 1867; it was completed and dedicated in 1875. That the structure has served large general conference congregations since then is a testament to its sound pioneer engineering and expert craftsmanship.
The problem, said Bishop H. David Burton in a press conference in 2004 prior to renovation, was that the Tabernacle was engineered to withstand the downward forces of gravity, but not the lateral forces created by earthquakes — a condition of this area unknown to the pioneers at the time.
Seismic upgrading included lining the rough-hewn timbers of the long trusses spanning the dome with steel bar, then fastening the lattice work to the 44 stone pillars surrounding the dome.
Each pillar was drilled with three holes and filled with cement and reinforcement bar. Large footings were poured around each pillar to steady the pillar and attach the structure to the ground.
"We accomplished what we set out to do," said Bishop Burton during a press tour of the Tabernacle a day prior to general conference.
Bishop Burton related the charge he received from President Hinckley to strengthen the building to meet modern building codes, but maintain the building's historic authenticity.
"I think we've done that," he said. "It's beautiful and fitly framed for the next 150 years. Anyone familiar with the building before the renovation will walk in and wonder what is different."
Bishop Burton shared something of his personal joy to have been part of the project, recounting how his great-great-grandfather, Robert Taylor Burton, returned from a mission as a young man in 1870 to learn that he had been called as second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric and was assigned to complete the Tabernacle.
Beyond the seismic upgrading, the Tabernacle has been "cleaned and polished," said Bishop Burton. New ergonomically-designed pine benches were installed. Three rows of the original pioneer benches were preserved at the back of Tabernacle.
Seating capacity was reduced by about 1,000 to now accommodate 3,456 visitors, allowing for more leg space between rows. New stairways were installed for the balcony. Fourteen layers of old paint were removed from the ceiling. Organ pipes received new gold leafing.
As well, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir offices were moved to the basement, replacing the baptismal font. Here the choir has expanded rehearsal facilities and larger areas for wardrobe and a music library.
Bishop Burton praised the work of FFKR Architects, Jacobsen Construction Co., and Church Physical Facilities staff for the quality of workmanship and completing the project on schedule.
Approximately 2,000 workers labored on the project, sometimes working shoulder to shoulder as various subcontractors expedited their schedules.
Many workers, said Bishop Burton, felt the sacredness of their labor and gave their best work.
At the completion of the renovation, the moment of truth came when the pin drop was heard at the back of the hall.
"Sound tests taken after the renovation were essentially identical to sound tests made before the renovation," said David Hall, director of the Project Construction Division for the Church. "Acoustical properties were retained."
The Tabernacle has long stood as one of the very recognizable buildings of the world. Built during times of extreme poverty and limited resources, the pioneers didn't have the luxury of waste and relied on ingenuity to solve structural problems, as evidenced by the use of old ox shoes to help clamp the large roof timbers together.
In his remarks Saturday afternoon, President Hinckley gave an overview of the Tabernacle's history and its role as the centerpiece where the truth of the gospel has been proclaimed to the world.
"Through these many years, this has been a unique and wonderful place of assembly," he said. "Many men and women have spoken here testifying of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. From the time of Brigham Young to the present, every prophet has spoken from this pulpit."
To the delight of the congregation, President Hinckley said, "Some of the old benches have been saved and will continue to be used, but, if you already discovered, the new benches are just as hard as the old benches are."
Continuing, President Hinckley said, "This is a peculiar building, the only one of its kind in all the world. It was built almost a century and a half ago in the days of the poverty of our people. It was literally a Tabernacle built in the wilderness. The temple was far from finished at the time. Those who built the Tabernacle did so with faith, as well as their rudimentary architectural skills. Skeptics, of whom there are always many, predicted that when the scaffolding was removed, the roof would come down with it. This did not happen, and it has remained in place through sunshine and storm through all of these many years."
Prior to President Hinckley's dedicatory prayer, each speaker during the Saturday afternoon session reminisced about the spiritual significance the building played in their lives.
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