DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

 

The City and Reliquary: The Salt Lake Temple

 

God has commanded his people to build temples since the days in the Old Testament. Temples are sacred spaces where members are taught, blessed, and participate in sacred ordinances. The LDS church builds temples all over the world today after the example of the faithful followers who built the Temple of Solomon, the Temple of Herod and others. 

 

Construction of the Salt Lake Temple began in 1853.  Granite was transported from Little Cottonwood Canyon 20 miles away, a four-day journey by oxen until the railroad was constructed. It could take weeks to carve one granite block, some as heavy as 5,600 pounds, and each were carved and smoothed on site. The walls measure nine feet thick at the base, and the highest spire rises 210 feet into the sky. All members sacrificed their time and effort to complete the temple. These skilled craftsmen and artisans prepared the draperies, furniture, and floors within the 170 room structure. The temple was completed in 1893, more than 40 years after the groundbreaking.

 

There are no literal relics contained within this temple, but the temple is a relic in and of its self. It harkens back to the traditions of antiquity and stands as a symbol of the sacrifices of the church members and their faith in God. The usage is rooted deeply in tradition and its construction and design is laced with symbolism. There are now 150 working LDS temples across the world. Beginning with the Salt Lake Temple and other early temples, a "mormon" architectural style has been established, and new temples are constructed following many of the same traditions. As mentioned before, the location of this temple in the urban plan was essential to the layout of the rest of the city. It was planned as the center from which the all else radiated. Just as the tribes of Israel pitched their tents facing the tabernacle, the lives of all the members faced their homes towards the temple and God. 

 

https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/salt-lake-city/4-design-construction-and-role-salt-lake-temple

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/additional-resource/granite-and-faith-the-story-of-the-salt-lake-temple

http://lds.about.com/od/temples/a/saltlake_temple_2.htm

 

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.