Olympic visitors in Salt Lake City in February for the 2002 Winter Games will be introduced to the Church's rich sports history.
An entry-way exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art chronicles the athletic endeavors of the Church and many of its members. The display includes sports memorabilia ranging from LDS gridder Steve Young's National Football League MVP trophy to ward basketball uniforms from the 1930s. Museum visitors can also view uniforms once worn by Church members such as Danny Ainge, Dale Murphy and Olympic medalist Jean Saubert.
"There is a lot of fun stuff," said museum director Glen Leonard, adding the sports exhibit "gives our foyer the spirit of the Games."
The display focuses on a trio of athletic areas: Church sports, LDS collegiate and professional athletes, and LDS Olympians. Many notable athletes loaned the museum personal items such as uniforms and clothing. BYU's national champion football trophy shares space in one display case with Merlin Olson's Outland Trophy recognizing Brother Olson as college football's finest lineman.
Other elements of the exhibit teach the tenets of the Word of Wisdom and the Church's code of healthy living. One large black and white poster captures an LDS basketball team in England tipping back tall glasses of milk inside a crowded diner.
Tens of thousands of people will be wandering through Salt Lake City during the Games. Many of those visitors will likely step into the museum to escape the weather and learn more about the Church.
The museum has enlisted additional volunteers to handle the expected visitor spike. "We're prepared for a house full and can handle as many as want to come," Brother Leonard said.
Besides the sports-themed display, visitors can view the museum's ongoing "The Living Christ" and "Families in Faith" exhibit, along with a collection of artwork from LDS artists from around the globe.
The museum's permanent exhibit on the history of the Church will introduce many to the faith, its art and its culture.
"[Visitors] should become acquainted with our past which, helps define who we are as a people today," Brother Leonard said.
The museum is located west of Temple Square at 45 N. West Temple.
E-mail: jswensen@desnews.com