New Church Headquarters Meeting Hall Announced

Twice during general conference sessions President Gordon B. Hinckley referred to the construction of a new meeting place currently being considered by Church leaders.

“I am pleased to announce that we have had our architects and engineers working on the design of a hall which will seat three or four times as many for conference and which will serve other Church purposes as well as possibly some community cultural events,” said President Hinckley during the Saturday morning, 6 April session.

On Sunday morning, 7 April, President Hinckley said: “My heart reaches out to those who wish to get in [to general conference] and could not be accommodated. About a year ago I suggested to the Brethren that perhaps the time has come when we should study the feasibility of constructing another dedicated house of worship on a much larger scale that would accommodate three or four times the number who can be seated in this building. …

“The structure we envision will not be a sports arena. It will be a dedicated house of worship, and that will be its primary purpose. It will be fashioned in such a way that only a portion or the entire hall may be used, according to need. It will accommodate not only religious services, but will serve other Church purposes, such as the presentation of sacred pageants and things of that kind. It will also accommodate some community cultural events that will be in harmony with its purpose.

“The architectural and engineering studies have not gone far enough for us to make a detailed announcement, but the results thus far are encouraging.”