The Department of Homeland Security is lending its expertise to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ahead of two big gatherings planned for the faith’s Salt Lake City headquarters.

The department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced in a Sept. 28 social media post that its “explosive blast modeling team” had met with church security “to secure physical infrastructure and support upcoming major events.”

Accompanying the brief message was a photo of the exterior of the Salt Lake Temple.

The announcement did not identify specific events. This weekend, however, tens of thousands will gather in the church’s Conference Center for the global faith’s biannual General Conference, featuring a lineup of speakers plucked from the highest levels of leadership.

Foot, car and transit traffic alike will swell as part of what city dwellers have long come to expect for these conferences the first weekends of October and April.

Church spokesperson Doug Andersen said Thursday that the faith “coordinates extensively with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, alongside our internal security teams, to maintain a comprehensive and robust safety plan.”

“Temple Square is a place of worship, reflection, and community. We take the responsibility of protecting our guests, members, and neighbors very seriously,” he wrote in a statement. “In preparation for General Conference, the church coordinates extensively with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, alongside our internal security teams, to maintain a comprehensive and robust safety plan. We are grateful for the dedication of community partners and security personnel who help us cultivate a secure environment.”

Temple tours

Looming even larger and longer is next year’s extended open house celebrating the reopening of the renovated and seismically retrofitted Salt Lake Temple. The public tours have been forecast to draw 22,000 to 29,000 visitors every day from April 5 to Oct. 1.

The Utah-based faith is advertising heavily for this event, putting up billboards and running television spots, promoting the opportunity for millions of guests from around the world to see inside the faith’s most iconic building, one that hasn’t been open to outsiders since just before its initial dedication in 1893.

With bigger crowds come greater security risks, noted former Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank.

But what, exactly, to make of the involvement of an “explosive blast modeling team” he could not say.

“I don’t know for sure what they’re talking about,” said Burbank, who worked alongside federal agents on multiple occasions during his time working for Salt Lake City.

Neither was he impressed with the post itself, calling it “irresponsible” on behalf of the federal agency.

“You usually don’t tweet out what the security concerns are,” he said, adding that, while he maintains great faith in the rank and file of DHS, events over the past few years have left him with “no confidence” in the heads of federal law enforcement.

‘Don’t be worried’

Not so for the people at the police department he once helmed and the church’s own security, which he described as “a pretty crack unit that takes care of business.”

By far, he said, the points of greatest friction are most likely to revolve around the movement of crowds.

Salt Lake City has agreed to block off all or parts of North, South and West Temple streets to vehicular traffic immediately adjacent to the pioneer-era landmark during the monthslong event. City officials have said the closures will help keep downtown visitors safe and manage entry to the square.

To ease bottlenecks and tensions, Burbank recommended ensuring that attendees enter and exit in separate places.

The church has said it envisions a secure fenced perimeter around a 3½-block area centered on Temple Square. Once past security monitors, visitors would be able to roam the enclosed area without subsequent screening at individual buildings.

Protesters are also all but certain, Burbank added, suggesting planners carve out a designated free speech area for them.

All in all, Burbank said he trusted the event would be a safe one.

“Don’t be worried,” he told those considering attending.

Nonetheless, as in any crowded place, he recommended eventgoers remain aware and notify authorities if anything seems out of place.

“When you pay attention and participate,” he said, “that’s when things are safe and fine.”

Free tickets, required for temple entry, are currently available on the church’s website. Additional reservations went online Thursday evening.