{"id":419,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:32:08","latitude":40.77040000000000219415596802718937397003173828125,"longitude":-111.8919000000000067984728957526385784149169921875,"title":"The Salt Lake Temple","subtitle":"","fullsize":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/8d309b70f3e051fbd9d2babd65be04c1.jpg","address":"","all_locations":[],"zoom":19,"creator":["Ryan J. Hallstrom, Brigham Young University"],"description":"The site of the Salt Lake Temple was identified just days after Brigham Young and the first group of Latter-day Saint pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th, 1847. While Young claimed to have received the basic design of the building from God, the plans for the temple evolved throughout the forty years of its construction (1853-1893). Young invited all to contribute, stating that,“[if] any good man on earth will suggest any improvements, we will receive them and adopt them.”
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\r\nInitially, the interior was planned to feature two large assembly rooms, patterned after previously built temples. However, after the construction of the Endowment House and the St. George Temple, it was clear that more space needed to be allotted for rituals. Consequently, the original plan was adapted to include several large ordinance rooms in place of a lower assembly hall.
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\r\nWhile work on the temple began in 1853, construction was slow as the Saints tried to eke out an existence in their new territory. Resources and manpower were constantly diverted to other more urgent projects such as the Transcontinental Railroad. It took 14 years until the temple walls reached above ground level. Stones for the temple were pulled out of nearby canyons by wagon teams until the 1870’s when blocks began to be transported by rail, speeding up the building process. Finally, in 1892, a large celebration was held as the final stone of the temple was put into place. A few hours after the capstone was fastened, the golden statue of the Book of Mormon prophet Moroni was placed on top of the capstone. At this capstone ceremony, President Woodruff requested that the interior work be completed in just one year, bringing the total period of construction to forty years.
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\r\n April 6, 1893 marked the first of 31 dedication sessions. The President of the Church, Wilford Woodruff, offered the dedicatory prayer. The completion of this massive granite structure captivated the nation. As dignitaries and reporters flocked to Salt Lake City to witness the celebrations, they sent back favorable reports of the “Mormons.” The Ohio Democrat touted, “The architecture of the building is without a known parallel in ancient or modern times” and credited the structure to the “courage and determination” of the “Mormons”. H. R. Harper, editor of The Chattanooga, Tennessee News, later recalled that because of his warm reception during the dedication by “honest, industrious and God-fearing people, who have done great things for the amelioration [improvement] of mankind...” he decided to stay longer than he had planned in Salt Lake City. The positive publicity surrounding the temple dedication undoubtedly contributed to helping Utah achieve statehood in 1896.
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\r\nThe Salt Lake Temple features rich religious symbolism, pointing to the importance of the building to members of the faith. Some of the symbols incorporated into the building include: the all-seeing eye, angels, the big dipper constellation, beehives, and stars. These symbols are meant to enhance the religious experience of worshipers. In 1915, one Salt Lake City resident noted, “Every stone [of the temple] is a sermon to me.”
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\r\nAlthough periodic renovations have been necessary to allow the building to accommodate the needs of worshipers, overall, the original pioneer craftsmanship has been preserved. With its iconic spires being featured in media across the globe, the Salt Lake Temple is recognized world-wide as a symbol of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":"The Salt Lake Temple has become one of America’s most recognizable religious buildings. Hewn out of local granite, it prominently stands at the center of Utah’s capital city","website":"","related_resources":["Brown, Matthew B., and Paul Thomas Smith. Symbols in Stone: Symbolism on the Early Temples of the Restoration. American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 1997.","Cowan, Richard O. “The Design, Construction, and Role of the Salt Lake Temple,” in Salt Lake City: The Place Which God Prepared, ed. Scott C. Esplin and Kenneth L. Alford (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, 2011), 47–68.","Eyre, Aubrey. “Lesser-Known Facts about Salt Lake Temple's Construction Illustrate Pioneers' Commitment, Sacrifice.” Church News. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , May 17, 2019. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/lesser-known-facts-about-salt-lake-temples-construction-illustrate-pioneers-commitment-sacrifice?lang=eng.","Holzapfel, Richard Neitzel. “Every Window, Every Spire 'Speaks of the Things of God'.” Every Window, Every Spire 'Speaks of the Things of God'. Ensign March 1993. Accessed March 9, 2020. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1993/03/every-window-every-spire-speaks-of-the-things-of-god?lang=eng.","“In Mormondom: The Great Temple at Salt Lake City Dedicated .” The Ohio Democrat , April 15, 1893. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87075048/1893-04-15/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1789&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=Dedicated Lake Salt Temple&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=12&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=Salt Lake Temple Dedicated&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2.","http://3dtemples.photogent.com/3d-lds-temples/salt-lake-temple/.Olson, Brian. “Salt Lake Temple: 3D LDS Temples: Photogent.com.” 3D Church of Jesus Christ Temples. Accessed March 9, 2020. http://3dtemples.photogent.com/3d-lds-temples/salt-lake-temple/.","Raynor, Wallace Alan, \"History of the Construction of the Salt Lake Temple\". BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations. 5061. 1961. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/506","https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/salt-lake-temple?lang=eng.“Salt Lake Temple.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Accessed March 9, 2020. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/salt-lake-temple?lang=eng.","https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1993/03/a-magnificent-and-enduring-monument?lang=eng.Searle, Don L.. “A 'Magnificent and Enduring Monument'.” A 'Magnificent and Enduring Monument'. Ensign March 1993. Accessed March 9, 2020. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1993/03/a-magnificent-and-enduring-monument?lang=eng."],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/8d309b70f3e051fbd9d2babd65be04c1.jpg":{"id":1738,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"The Salt Lake Temple ornate granite exterior.","description":"The Salt Lake Temple stands in the very heart of Salt Lake City. | The Salt Lake Temple. n.d. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/details/salt-lake-temple?lang=eng.
\r\nhttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/details/salt-lake-temple?lang=eng
\r\n","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/8d309b70f3e051fbd9d2babd65be04c1.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/4ecf5755716b9b43be3878072a4bed83.jpg":{"id":1739,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Cross section showing the original proposed floor plan of the temple on the left and the final plan on the right.","description":" Architects, recognizing the need for large ordinance rooms, decided to construct only one main assembly room in the Salt Lake Temple. | Salt Lake Temple Cross Section. Fig. 2 (Image previously published in Temples to Dot the Earth). Used with permission. Cowan, Richard O. “The Design, Construction, and Role of the Salt Lake Temple,” in Salt Lake City: The Place Which God Prepared, ed. Scott C. Esplin and Kenneth L. Alford (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, 2011), 47–68. ","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/4ecf5755716b9b43be3878072a4bed83.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/ea6bf9d286408c323cd44b49462b1774.jpg":{"id":1740,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Groundbreaking of the Salt Lake Temple","description":"A photograph of the groundbreaking of the Salt Lake Temple on February 14, 1853. | Groundbreaking of the Salt Lake Temple, February 14, 1853. Photo courtesy of the Church History Library.
\r\nhttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/lesser-known-facts-about-salt-lake-temples-construction-illustrate-pioneers-commitment-sacrifice?lang=eng | February 14, 1853.","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/ea6bf9d286408c323cd44b49462b1774.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/4aef288b82ea25cd2597b8ab8ebca68d.jpg":{"id":1741,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Salt Lake Temple Celestial Room","description":"The Celestial Room of the Salt Lake Temple as it appeared in the early 20th century. This room is meant to represent the glory of heaven. | Source: PLATE 22.—The Celestial Room, Looking West Toward the Veil. Talmage , James E. The House of the Lord. 1912. Published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Accessed on Gutenberg Press.
\r\nhttp://www.gutenberg.org/files/45149/45149-h/45149-h.htm#chap06fn1 | 1912.","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/4aef288b82ea25cd2597b8ab8ebca68d.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/80f1efcf16be60815f6d829111442849.jpg":{"id":1742,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Salt Lake Temple Telestial Room","description":" The Telestial Room of the Salt Lake Temple. This room is one of several in which members of the Church participate in the endowment ceremony. | “World room (instruction room) of the Salt Lake Temple.” Salt Lake Temple Photo Gallery. Photo courtesy of the Church History Library. https://content.churchofjesuschrist.org/templesldsorg/bc/Temples/photo-galleries/salt-lake-city-utah/2019/800x500/17-Salt-Lake-Temple-2142888.jpg ","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/80f1efcf16be60815f6d829111442849.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/a6d597ef76fbefe9d68a34318564c1a8.jpg":{"id":1743,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Workers mining stone for the Temple.","description":"Contrary to common belief, there was no quarry for the temple stones. The stones were pulled out of Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon and shaped by skilled masons into blocks for temple construction. | “Quarrying granite for the Salt Lake City Mormon Temple” Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USAt. Photo by W. H. LOT 8772 [item] [P&P]Jackson.https://www.loc.gov/item/2016651814/","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/a6d597ef76fbefe9d68a34318564c1a8.jpg"}}}