Salt Lake Temple
Encyclopedia
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temple
s of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois
.
in Salt Lake City, Utah
. Like other LDS temples it is considered sacred by the church and its members and a temple recommend is required to enter, so there are no public tours. The church permitted Life to publish the first public photographs of the building's interior in 1938. The temple grounds are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction. Due to its location at LDS Church headquarters and its historical significance, it is patronized much by Latter-day Saints from many parts of the world.
The Salt Lake Temple is also the location of the weekly meetings of the First Presidency
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
. As such, there are special meeting rooms in the Salt Lake Temple for these purposes, including the Holy of Holies
, which are not present in other temples.
The official name of the Salt Lake Temple is also unique. In the early 2000s, as the building of LDS temples accelerated dramatically, the Church announced a formal naming convention for all existing and future temples. For temples located in the United States
and Canada
, the name of the temple is generally the city or town in which the temple is located, followed by the name of the applicable state or province (with no comma). For temples outside of the U.S. and Canada, the name of the temple is generally the city name (as above) followed by the name of the country. However, for reasons on which the Church did not elaborate (possibly due to the historical significance and worldwide prominence of the temple), the Salt Lake Temple was granted an exception to the new rule and thus avoided being renamed the Salt Lake City Utah Temple.
Some think the Temple is intended to evoke the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem. It is oriented towards Jerusalem and the large basin used as a baptismal font is mounted on the backs of twelve oxen as was the brazen sea in Solomon's Temple. However this is only conjecture. At east end of the building, the height of the center pinnacle is 210 feet, or 120 cubits, making this Temple 20 cubits taller than the Temple of Solomon.
The location of the Temple is in downtown Salt Lake City, with several mountain peaks close by. Very nearby, a shallow stream, City Creek, splits and flows both to the west and to the south, flowing into the deeper Jordan River
, which flows northward into the large Great Salt Lake
. There is a wall around the 10 acre Temple site. The surrounding wall became the first permanent structure on what has become known as Temple Square. The wall is a uniform 15 feet high but varies in appearance because of the southwest slope of the site.
The location for the temple was first marked by Brigham Young
, the prophet and second president of the church, on July 28, 1847, just four days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley
. The temple site was dedicated on February 14, 1853. Groundbreaking ceremonies were presided over by Brigham Young, who laid the cornerstone
on April 6 of that year.
Sandstone
was originally used for the foundation. During the Utah War
the foundation was buried and the lot made to look like a plowed field to prevent unwanted attention from federal troops. After tensions had eased in 1858 and work on the temple resumed, it was discovered that many of the foundation stones had cracked, making them unsuitable for use. Although not all of the sandstone was replaced, the inadequate sandstone was replaced by quartz monzonite
(which has the appearance of granite
) from Little Cottonwood Canyon
, located twenty miles (32 km) southeast of the temple site. Oxen transported the granite initially, but as the Transcontinental Railroad
neared completion in 1869 the remaining stones were carried by rail at a much faster rate.
The capstone
—the granite sphere which holds the statue of the Angel Moroni—was laid on April 6, 1892 by means of an electric motor and switch operated personally by Wilford Woodruff
, the church's fourth President, thus completing work on the temple's exterior. The Angel Moroni statue, standing 12.5 feet (3.8 m) tall, was placed on top of the capstone later the same day. At the capstone ceremony it was proposed by President Woodruff that the interior of the building be finished within one year, thus allowing the temple to be dedicated forty years to the day of its commencement. John R. Winder
was instrumental in overseeing the completion of the interior on schedule; he would serve as a member of the temple presidency until his death in 1910. President Woodruff dedicated the temple on April 6, 1893, exactly forty years after the cornerstone was laid.
The golden Angel Moroni placed on the capstone of the temple symbolizes the angel mentioned in that will come to welcome in the Second Coming of Christ. The six spires of the temple represent the power of the priesthood. The three spires on the east side are little higher than those on the west: they represent the Melchizedek
or "higher priesthood" and the Aaronic or "preparatory priesthood" respectively. The three spires on the east side represent the First Presidency of the Church
and the twelve smaller spires on those three represent the Twelve Apostles. On the west side of the temple the Big Dipper
appears, which represents how the constellation was used to help travelers find the North Star
and help them on their way, in the same way the Temple is viewed as a symbol to help people find their way back to Heaven. On the east side of the Temple are "clouds raining down" representing the way God has continued revelation
and still speaks to man "like the rains out of Heaven". Above each door appears the "hand clasp
," which is a representation of covenants that are made within temples—a central point of the LDS religion. Around the temple there are several carved stones known as "sunstones" which represent Heaven, "moonstones" in different phases representing this life in its different phases, and "starstones" representing Jesus Christ. The center tower on each side contains a depiction of the All-Seeing Eye of God
representing how God sees all things.
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
s of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
.
Details
The Salt Lake Temple is the centerpiece of the 10 acres (4 ha) Temple SquareTemple Square
Temple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. Like other LDS temples it is considered sacred by the church and its members and a temple recommend is required to enter, so there are no public tours. The church permitted Life to publish the first public photographs of the building's interior in 1938. The temple grounds are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction. Due to its location at LDS Church headquarters and its historical significance, it is patronized much by Latter-day Saints from many parts of the world.
The Salt Lake Temple is also the location of the weekly meetings of the First Presidency
First Presidency
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations...
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy...
. As such, there are special meeting rooms in the Salt Lake Temple for these purposes, including the Holy of Holies
Holy of Holies (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the Holy of Holies is a room in the Salt Lake Temple wherein the church's president — acting as the Presiding High Priest of the church — enters to act as High Priest of Israel in direct relationship with God, in accordance with the...
, which are not present in other temples.
The official name of the Salt Lake Temple is also unique. In the early 2000s, as the building of LDS temples accelerated dramatically, the Church announced a formal naming convention for all existing and future temples. For temples located in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the name of the temple is generally the city or town in which the temple is located, followed by the name of the applicable state or province (with no comma). For temples outside of the U.S. and Canada, the name of the temple is generally the city name (as above) followed by the name of the country. However, for reasons on which the Church did not elaborate (possibly due to the historical significance and worldwide prominence of the temple), the Salt Lake Temple was granted an exception to the new rule and thus avoided being renamed the Salt Lake City Utah Temple.
Some think the Temple is intended to evoke the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem. It is oriented towards Jerusalem and the large basin used as a baptismal font is mounted on the backs of twelve oxen as was the brazen sea in Solomon's Temple. However this is only conjecture. At east end of the building, the height of the center pinnacle is 210 feet, or 120 cubits, making this Temple 20 cubits taller than the Temple of Solomon.
The location of the Temple is in downtown Salt Lake City, with several mountain peaks close by. Very nearby, a shallow stream, City Creek, splits and flows both to the west and to the south, flowing into the deeper Jordan River
Jordan River (Utah)
The Jordan River in the U.S. state of Utah is a river about long. Regulated by pumps at its headwaters at Utah Lake, it flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. Four of Utah's five largest cities—Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan and...
, which flows northward into the large Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
. There is a wall around the 10 acre Temple site. The surrounding wall became the first permanent structure on what has become known as Temple Square. The wall is a uniform 15 feet high but varies in appearance because of the southwest slope of the site.
Temple construction and dedication
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
, the prophet and second president of the church, on July 28, 1847, just four days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
. The temple site was dedicated on February 14, 1853. Groundbreaking ceremonies were presided over by Brigham Young, who laid the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
on April 6 of that year.
Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
was originally used for the foundation. During the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
the foundation was buried and the lot made to look like a plowed field to prevent unwanted attention from federal troops. After tensions had eased in 1858 and work on the temple resumed, it was discovered that many of the foundation stones had cracked, making them unsuitable for use. Although not all of the sandstone was replaced, the inadequate sandstone was replaced by quartz monzonite
Quartz monzonite
Quartz monzonite is an intrusive igneous rock that has an approximately equal proportion of orthoclase and plagioclase feldspars. The plagioclase is typically intermediate to sodic in composition, andesine to oligoclase. Quartz is present in significant amounts. Biotite and/or hornblende...
(which has the appearance of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
) from Little Cottonwood Canyon
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Little Cottonwood Canyon lies within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest along the eastern side of the Salt Lake Valley, roughly 15 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah. The canyon is part of Granite, a CDP and “Community Council” designated by Salt Lake County. The canyon is a glacial trough , carved by...
, located twenty miles (32 km) southeast of the temple site. Oxen transported the granite initially, but as the Transcontinental Railroad
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
neared completion in 1869 the remaining stones were carried by rail at a much faster rate.
The capstone
Capstone
Capstone may refer to:* Coping , one of the finishing or protective stones that form the top of an exterior masonry wall or building* Capstone , a US government project about cryptographic standards...
—the granite sphere which holds the statue of the Angel Moroni—was laid on April 6, 1892 by means of an electric motor and switch operated personally by Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, the church's fourth President, thus completing work on the temple's exterior. The Angel Moroni statue, standing 12.5 feet (3.8 m) tall, was placed on top of the capstone later the same day. At the capstone ceremony it was proposed by President Woodruff that the interior of the building be finished within one year, thus allowing the temple to be dedicated forty years to the day of its commencement. John R. Winder
John R. Winder
John Rex Winder was a leader and general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from 1887 to 1901, and First Counselor in the First Presidency to Church President Joseph F. Smith from 1901 until his death. He was well-known...
was instrumental in overseeing the completion of the interior on schedule; he would serve as a member of the temple presidency until his death in 1910. President Woodruff dedicated the temple on April 6, 1893, exactly forty years after the cornerstone was laid.
Symbolism
The Salt Lake Temple incorporates many symbolic adornments, similar to other LDS temples around the world. Symbolism is an important subject in the LDS faith.The golden Angel Moroni placed on the capstone of the temple symbolizes the angel mentioned in that will come to welcome in the Second Coming of Christ. The six spires of the temple represent the power of the priesthood. The three spires on the east side are little higher than those on the west: they represent the Melchizedek
Melchizedek priesthood
The Melchizedek priesthood is the greater of the two orders of priesthood recognized in Mormonism. The others are the Aaronic priesthood and the rarely recognized Patriarchal priesthood...
or "higher priesthood" and the Aaronic or "preparatory priesthood" respectively. The three spires on the east side represent the First Presidency of the Church
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
and the twelve smaller spires on those three represent the Twelve Apostles. On the west side of the temple the Big Dipper
Big Dipper
The Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...
appears, which represents how the constellation was used to help travelers find the North Star
Polaris
Polaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....
and help them on their way, in the same way the Temple is viewed as a symbol to help people find their way back to Heaven. On the east side of the Temple are "clouds raining down" representing the way God has continued revelation
Revelation (Latter Day Saints)
Latter Day Saints teach that the Latter Day Saint movement began with a Revelation from God . They also teach that revelation is the foundation of the church established by Jesus Christ and that it remains an essential element of His true church today...
and still speaks to man "like the rains out of Heaven". Above each door appears the "hand clasp
Handshake
A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp one of each other's like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands.-History:...
," which is a representation of covenants that are made within temples—a central point of the LDS religion. Around the temple there are several carved stones known as "sunstones" which represent Heaven, "moonstones" in different phases representing this life in its different phases, and "starstones" representing Jesus Christ. The center tower on each side contains a depiction of the All-Seeing Eye of God
Eye of Providence
The Eye of Providence is a symbol showing an eye often surrounded by rays of light or a glory and usually enclosed by a triangle...
representing how God sees all things.
Temple Presidents
- Lorenzo SnowLorenzo SnowLorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
, 1893–1898 - Joseph F. SmithJoseph F. SmithJoseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, 1898–1911 - Anthon H. LundAnthon H. LundAnthon Henrik Lund was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a prominent Utah leader.-History:...
, 1911–1921 - George F. RichardsGeorge F. RichardsGeorge Franklin Richards was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from April 9, 1906 until his death...
, 1921–1938 - Stephen L. ChipmanStephen L. ChipmanStephen L. Chipman was a member of the Utah State Legislature in 1903 and a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah County. He was also the first president of the Salt Lake Temple who was not also an apostle in the LDS Church.Chipman studied at Brigham Young Academy as...
, 1938–1945 - Joseph Fielding SmithJoseph Fielding SmithJoseph Fielding Smith, Jr. was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death. He was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the sixth president of the LDS Church...
, 1945–1949 - Robert D. YoungRobert D. YoungRobert Dixon Young was a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Young was born in Kirkentollock, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. In 1872 he immigrated to the United States with his parents, who as Latter-day Saints wanted to join with the body of the Church. They lived in Salt Lake...
, 1949–1953 - ElRay L. ChristiansenElRay L. ChristiansenElRay LaVar Christiansen was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1951 until his death....
, 1953–1961 - Willard E. Smith, 1961–1964
- Howard S. McDonald, 1964–1968
- O. Leslie StoneO. Leslie StoneOscar Leslie Stone was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972 until his death. He was also the president of the LDS Church's Salt Lake Temple from 1968 to 1972....
, 1968–1972 - John K. EdmundsJohn K. EdmundsJohn Kaestli Edmunds was a Chicago area lawyer and a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Chicago area....
, 1972–1977 - A. Ray Curtis, 1977–1982
- Marion D. HanksMarion D. HanksMarion Duff Hanks was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1953 until his death.-Early life:...
, 1982–1985 - Victor L. BrownVictor L. BrownVictor Lee Brown was the tenth Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1972 and 1985. He was a general authority of the LDS Church from 1961 until his death....
, 1985–1987 - Edgar M. Denney, 1987–1990
- Spencer H. OsbornSpencer H. OsbornSpencer Hamlin Osborn was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1984 to 1989. He was a member of both the First Quorum of the Seventy and the Second Quorum of the Seventy....
, 1990–1993 - George I. CannonGeorge I. CannonGeorge Ivins Cannon was a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was a general authority of the church from 1986 to 1991....
, 1993–1996 - Carlos E. AsayCarlos E. AsayCarlos Egan Asay was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1976 until his death....
, 1996–1999 - Derrill H. Richards, 1999
- W. Eugene HansenW. Eugene HansenWarren Eugene Hansen has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1989. He became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1989 and was a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from 1993 to 1998...
, 1999–2002 - L. Aldin PorterL. Aldin PorterLloyd Aldin Porter has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1987. Porter was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. From 1950 to 1952, he served as a LDS Church missionary in the West Central States Mission of the church.Porter...
, 2002–2005 - M. Richard Walker, 2005–2008
- Sheldon F. ChildSheldon F. ChildSheldon Fay Child has been general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1996.Child was born in Ogden but raised on a farm in Syracuse, Utah. He married Joan Haacke in 1957. Shortly after that, he began working at RC Willey Home Furnishings, which then had under five...
, 2008–2011 - Oren Claron Alldredge Jr., 2011–present
See also
- Most holy placeMost Holy PlaceThis article provides a comprehensive list of significant religious sites and places of spiritual importance throughout the world.-Bahá'í faith:...
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
- Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsComparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsBelow is a chronological list of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth...
- Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in UtahThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in UtahAs of year-end 2007, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 1,823,613 members in 523 stakes, 1 district, 4,666 Congregations , and 5 missions...
External links
- Official LDS Salt Lake Temple Page
- House of the Lord: Historical and Descriptive Sketch of the Salt Lake Temple by George Q Cannon, published in 1893
- A pictorial tour of the temple interior