SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Emma Lou Thayne and F. Enzio Busche will be the featured speakers at the Church History Museum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, June 26, 2010, as part of the Evenings at the Museum series.
The theme of the event, “The Story of My Life,” focuses on the importance of preserving and sharing personal histories. It complements a popular exhibit currently on display in the museum titled Mi vida, mi historia: Stories of Faith and Inspiration from Latin American Saints, which focuses on preserving oral histories through video recordings.
Emma Lou Thayne is an accomplished Latter-day Saint author and poet, who has spent a lifetime sharing and publishing stories, many about or based on her own life experiences. Her works include poems, novels, personal essays, short stories, lyrics, memoirs, and a biography.
Her long life has been filled with university teaching, service to friends, raising five daughters, playing and coaching tennis, and writing. In addition, she has worked to bring attention to mental health issues, the advancement of women, and the importance of community service. In her lecture, she will share insights about the process of documenting and preserving personal history.
F. Enzio Busche is an emeritus member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born and raised in Germany, Elder Busche was a teenager during World War II and remembers the hardships of postwar life. His search for spiritual understanding in the face of great disillusionment after the war led to his conversion to the Church.
After studying at universities in Bonn and Freiberg, he began work in the family-owned printing business that eventually became one of the largest and most successful printing businesses in Germany. Elder Busche will share highlights of his life story, with an emphasis on the importance of preserving memories.
In addition to these talks, the museum will offer introductory tours of the Mi vida, mi historia exhibit. Tours will be available throughout the evening.
Guests will learn about the importance of video documentation of oral histories at a special computer recording station and will be able to videotape a short story about their lives. The story will be emailed to download at home to save in the guest’s family history.
The evening’s events begin at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, and are free of charge and open to the public. Emma Lou Thayne will speak at 6:30 p.m., and Elder Busche will speak at 7:45 p.m. in the museum auditorium. The lectures are free, but because of limited seating, tickets are required. To order tickets, visit lds.org/events or call 801-570-0080 or toll free 866-537-8457. A stand-by line will form for those who are unable to obtain tickets.
The museum is located at 45 West Temple Street in Salt Lake City, and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The museum will be open until 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 26. Admission is free.