NGS Tour of Welfare Square and International Peace Gardens

The National Genealogical Society’s 2020 Family History Conference is offering pre-conference tours to see the area before the conference begins, on Tuesday, 19 May. This tour offers something unique and unexpected. The tour will be worth the trip, the tour, transportation and lunch are $40. Registration is open now and will fill early.

Many people are familiar with Temple Square and the Tabernacle Choir. But, just a few miles away is Welfare Square – a fascinating example of how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helps people in need in the community and throughout the world. The centerpiece of the Church’s Welfare Program, this modern facility includes a landmark 178 foot tall grain elevator, a large storehouse, a bakery, a cannery, a milk-processing plant, a thrift store, and an employment center.

Two ideas are at the core of the Latter-day Saint Charities:

100% of every dollar donated is used to help those in need—without regard to race, religion, or ethnic origin.
Latter-day Saint Charities helps people attain self-sufficiency so they can be self-reliant long after Latter-day Saint Charities departs.

Fostering self-reliance and providing opportunities for work and service while helping care for the poor throughout the world has been the purpose of Welfare Square since its beginnings during the Great Depression, and Church welfare programs are continuing to supply help to people in need, whether through hardship or disaster.

Your tour of Welfare Square will begin with a short bus ride to the square and it will last about one hour. The visit will include the dairy, cannery, bakery, and Bishop’s Storehouse. The tour concludes with tasty samples of cheese, bread, milk, and other items prepared onsite.

After visiting Welfare Square, you will enjoy a box lunch and visit the beautiful International Peace Gardens, located just a few blocks away on the bank of the Jordan River. The park was founded as a citizenship project and as a lesson in peace and understanding between nations. It was initiated in 1939 and dedicated in 1952 as a symbol of hope for a more peaceful world for our children. The park contains twenty-eight individual gardens representing nations of the world, showcasing each unique culture. The Peace Gardens park is a lovely spot that inspires quiet contemplation. It is also perfect for hosting a variety of cultural activities throughout the year such as Norway’s Syttende Mai celebration in May. Wander through the lovely landscape and get a taste of Sweden, Russia, India, Japan, China, Norway, and Denmark, among other countries.