SALT LAKE TEMPLE
U.R.I Global Council Members visited Salt
Lake Temple in USA. The Temple is the centerpiece of the 10-acre Temple Square 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 inside the temple as there are for other adjacent buildings on Temple Square.
Experience the peace and tranquility of beautiful Temple Square with a
complimentary tour of Utah’s most visited attraction. Tours of the beautifully
landscaped 10-acre property are available in 40 languages. Reflect on the
majesty and wonder of God's creations as you stand beneath the star-studded
dome in the rotunda of the North Visitors' Center and ponder the invitation of
the outstretched arms of Thorvaldsen's Christus, a magnificent 11-foot statue
of the Savior. The exhibits in the South Visitors' Center focus on the temple
and the importance of families in the Lord's plan for His children.
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, the Temple
is patronized 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 building 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 1999, as the building of LDS temples accelerated, 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 .For temples outside of the U.S. and Canada,
the name of the temple is generally the city name followed by the name of the
country. However, for reasons on which the church did not elaborate, the Salt
Lake Temple was made an exception to the new guidelines and was not renamed the
"Salt Lake City Utah Temple". (The Provo City Center Temple,
currently under construction, is the only other temple that does not follow the
naming convention. The temple also includes some elements thought to evoke
Solomon's Temple 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 Molten Sea in Solomon's Temple (However, the literal interpretation of the
Biblical verses has been disputed.) At the east end of the building, the height
of the center pinnacle to the base of the angel Moroni is 210 feet,or 120
cubits, making this Temple 20 cubits taller than the Temple of Solomon.
The temple
is located in downtown Salt Lake City, with several mountain peaks close by.
Nearby, a shallow stream, City Creek, splits and flows both to the west and to
the south, flowing into the Jordan River. There is a wall around the 10-acre
(4.0 ha) 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 Salt
Lake Temple was the fourth temple built in Utah (though its construction was started
first) and the first built in the Salt Lake Valley.The Salt Lake Temple was the
only temple dedicated by President Wilford Woodruff.
With its
distinctive spires and statue of the angel Moroni, the Salt Lake Temple is an
international symbol of the Church.The Salt Lake Temple is the largest temple
(most square footage) of the Church.Original plans for the Salt Lake Temple
called for two angel Moroni statues—one on the east central spire and one on
the west.The Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build with its highly ornate
interior being completed in just a year.During the construction of the Salt
Lake Temple, the St. George Utah Temple, Logan Utah Temple, and Manti Utah
Temple were all started and completed.The walls of the Salt Lake Temple are nine
feet thick at the base and six feet thick at the top.
The Salt
Lake Temple is the first temple to feature a standing angel Moroni statue,
which is 14-feet tall and attached to a rod that extends 27 feet into the
tower, terminating with a 4,000-pound counterbalance to keep the statue
immovable. The angel was created by Paris-trained sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin and
built in Salem, Ohio.The Salt Lake Temple features beautiful hand-painted
murals on the walls of its progressive-style ordinance rooms: Creation Room,
Garden Room, World Room, Terrestrial Room (no murals), and Celestial Room (no
murals).
The Salt
Lake Temple is one of only seven temples where patrons progress through four
ordinance rooms before passing into the Celestial Room. (The other six temples
are the Manti Utah Temple, the Laie Hawaii Temple, the Cardston Alberta Temple,
the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, the Los Angeles California Temple, and the Nauvoo
Illinois Temple.)The Salt Lake Temple is one of two temples that still employs
live acting for presentation of the endowment. (The other is the Manti Utah
Temple.)
The Salt
Lake Temple was completed the afternoon before the dedication. That evening,
invited non-Mormon government officials, businessmen and their wives were given
a complete tour of the temple. It was the first time that a temple had been
opened to the public prior to its dedication.The Salt Lake Temple was dedicated
on April 6, 1893—three years before Utah became a state in 1896.
The Salt
Lake Temple was closed on July 29, 1962 for extensive renovation that included
demolition of the old annex; cleaning of the exterior stone; replacement or
upgrade of all mechanical systems, plumbing, wiring, carpeting, and light
fixtures; reupholstering of furniture; and redecoration of the entire building.
The temple reopened on May 21, 1963.The dedication of a temporary annex was
held on March 7, 1963. This building would later become the North Visitors'
Center.The new annex opened on March 19, 1966. It was built to house seven new
sealing rooms, a children's waiting room, mechanical systems, two new locker
rooms, new initiatory areas, and a new chapel seating 450 patrons. The annex
was formally dedicated on October 23, 1967.On August 13, 1993, the contents of
the Salt Lake Temple record stone—a hollow stone in the foundation—were removed
136 years after they were originally placed there by Brigham Young and other
leaders. Items placed in the stone included books, pamphlets, periodicals, and
a set of Deseret gold coins. Because the stone had cracked, the paper items
were severely damaged by moisture. Salvaged materials are now housed in the
Church History Library.
Rich
symbolism adorns the exterior of the Salt Lake Temple, depicting mankind's
journey from mortality into the eternal realms. Perhaps Elder J. Golden Kimball
expressed it best when he stated: "When I think about that building, every
stone in it is a sermon to me."1 Following is a summary of some of the
major symbolism of the Salt Lake Temple:
Angel
Moroni. The angel Moroni depicts both a
messenger of the restoration of the gospel and a herald of the Second Coming:
"for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him
with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder
of his elect from the four winds" Towers.
The three towers on the east side represent the First Presidency of the
Church and the Melchizedek Priesthood; the twelve pinnacles rising from the
towers represent the Twelve Apostles. The three towers on the west side
represent the Presiding Bishopric and the Aaronic Priesthood; the twelve
pinnacles rising from the towers represent the High Council.
Battlements. The castle-like battlements that surround the
temple symbolize a separation from the world as well as a protection of the
holy ordinances practiced within its walls. Earthstones. The earthstones, located at the base of each
buttress, represent the earth—the "footstool of God." Although the
earth is currently a telestial kingdom, it will transition to a terrestrial
kingdom at the coming of the Millennium; and at the end of one thousand years,
it is destined to become a celestial kingdom.Moonstones. Located directly above the earthstones, the
moon is depicted in its various phases around the temple. The changing moon can
represent the stages of human progression from birth to resurrection or
represent the patron's journey from darkness to light.
Sunstones. Located directly above the moonstones, the sun stones depict the sun—a symbol of the glory of the celestial kingdom.Cloudstones. High above the sunstones on the east center
tower are two clouds with descending rays of light (originally planned to be
one white and one black with descending trumpets.) The parallel of this
symbolism is found in the Old Testament. Once temples were dedicated in ancient
Israel, they were filled with the "cloud of the Lord." At Mount
Sinai, the children of Israel saw this cloud as both dark and bright
accompanied by the blasting of a trumpet.
Star stones. Six-pointed stars represent the actual stars
in the heaven. Upside-down five-pointed stars represent morning stars, compared
to the "sons of God" in the scriptures. The large upright five-pointed
stars
ay represent the governing power of the priesthood while the small
upright five-pointed stars may represent the saving power of the priesthood for
those who attach themselves to it.
Big
Dipper. High on the west center tower is
a depiction of the Big Dipper, a constellation used by travelers for thousands
of years to find the North Star. It is an appropriate symbol for the temple
where patrons come to get their bearings on the journey home.
Handclasp. Each of the center towers features a pair of
clasped right hands identified as the "right hands of fellowship"
cited in Galatians 2:9. In Jeremiah 31:32, the Lord uses the handclasp to
denote covenant making—an act at the very heart of temple worship.All-Seeing
Eye. Located atop each of the center
towers of the temple is the all-seeing eye of God, which represents God's
ability to see all things.
Prof. John Kurakar
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