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Mormon Church In Salt Lake City

The Salt Lake Temple Is Decommissioned

Salt Lake City Mormon Temple LDS Church Construction Renovation Update

On Sunday, 5 January 2020, the Salt Lake Temple officially closed for extensive renovations. The temple will be closed for the next four years. Within hours of the closure, workers got busy transitioning the sacred structure from a working temple to a construction site. The process, known as , takes several weeks. It is an important first step in the years-long project that will restore and refresh the historic temple and help strengthen it against earthquakes.

Rich Sutton, temple area director, said, “Each time we renovate a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, decommissioning occurs to remove sacred items and turn the building into a construction site. We have been preparing for months for this process, which began almost immediately after the temple closed to patrons on December 29.”

Emily Utt, a curator in the Church History Department, added, “The Salt Lake Temple is somewhat unique due to its size and the years of history dating back to 1893. This building has been carefully cared for and preserved for a long time, and its a sacred experience to be involved in preparing it for this next important step.”

Historic Salt Lake Temple To Close For 4 Years For Renovations

Salt Lake Temple will shut its doors by the end of the year and remain closed for the next four years as major renovations are underway, church officials said Friday.

The temple in downtown Salt Lake City, where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is headquartered, will close on December 29 to address safety and seismic concerns.

This project will enhance, refresh, and beautify the temple and its surrounding grounds, Church President Russell M. Nelson said in a statement. Obsolete systems within the building will be replaced. Safety and seismic concerns will be addressed. Accessibility will be enhanced so that members with limited mobility can be better accommodated.

The temple is expected to reopen by 2024 with a public open house, officials said.

Only church members in good standing are allowed inside the temple. Unlike The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meeting houses, temples are only used for special ordinances such as marriage and baptism of deceased ancestors.

We promise that you will love the results, Nelson said. They will emphasize and highlight the life, ministry, and mission of Jesus Christ in His desire to bless every nation, kindred, tongue and people.

Nelson added that every reasonable effort will be made to honor and maintain the Temples historic beauty.

Teachings By Lds Church Leaders

Boyd K. Packer, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has stated that “hidden away in the central part of the temple is the Holy of Holies, where the President of the Church may retire when burdened down with heavy decisions to seek an interview with Him whose Church it is. The prophet holds the keys, the spiritual keys and the very literal key to this one door in that sacred edifice”.

Apostle James E. Talmage stated that “this room is reserved for the higher ordinances in the Priesthood relating to the exaltation of both living and dead”.

Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, stated that “no one can truly say he knows God until he has handled something, and this can only be done in the Holiest of Holies”.

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Brigham Young Historic Park

Traveling east across State Street you will enter Brigham Young Historic Park. This small park was once part of pioneer and Mormon leader Brigham Young’s farm. During the summer, the park hosts concerts each Tuesday and Friday evening as well as Garden Talks on Wednesday evenings . Seating is provided, but you can also bring blankets or chairs.

Major Cities And Towns

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Utah’s population is concentrated in two areas, the in the north-central part of the state, with over 2.6 million residents and , in southwestern Utah, locally known as “”, with more than 175,000 residents in the metropolitan area.

According to the 2010 Census, Utah was the second fastest-growing state in the United States between 2000 and 2010 . , in the southwest, is the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, trailing .

The three fastest-growing counties from 2000 to 2010 were , , and . However, added the most people . Between 2000 and 2010, , , , , , , , , , , and all at least doubled in population. , Lehi , , , , and Herriman all added at least 20,000 people.

Utah

Utah is the second-least populous U.S. state to have a franchise, after the joined the in 2017. The of the play at in . The team moved to the city from New Orleans in 1979 and has been one of the most consistently successful teams in the league . Salt Lake City was previously host to the , who competed in the from 1970 to 1976 and won one championship, and to the of the from 1997 to 2003.

Utah’s highest level team is the , who play at in Salt Lake City as a part of the . Utah also has one minor league team, the , who play at the Maverik Center and compete in the .

Utah has hosted professional golf tournaments such as the and currently the .

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Indigenous Peoples And Pre

It is generally accepted that the migrated from by way of the and arrived at least 12,000 years ago however, some evidence suggests an even earlier date of arrival. The , which appeared around 11,000 BC, is believed to represent the first wave of human settlement of the Americas. This was likely the first of three major waves of migration into North America later waves brought the ancestors of present-day , , and .

Over time, indigenous cultures in North America grew increasingly complex, and some, such as the pre-Columbian in the southeast, developed advanced , , and complex societies. The city-state of is the largest, most complex pre-Columbian in the modern-day United States. In the region, culture developed from centuries of agricultural experimentation. The , located in the southern region, was established at some point between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. Most prominent along the Atlantic coast were the tribes, who practiced hunting and trapping, along with limited .

Estimating the native population of North America during European contact is difficult. of the estimated a population of 93 thousand in the and a population of 473 thousand in the Gulf states, but most academics regard this figure as too low. Anthropologist believed the populations were much higher, suggesting around 1.1 million along the shores of the , 2.2 million people living between and , 5.2 million in the and tributaries, and around 700,000 people in the .

Latter Day Saint Settlement

Following the in 1844, , as president of the , became the leader of the LDS Church in . To address the growing conflicts between his people and their neighbors, Young agreed with Illinois Governor in October 1845 that the Mormons would leave by the following year.

Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers reached the on July 24, 1847. Over the next 22 years, more than 70,000 pioneers crossed the plains and settled in Utah. For the first few years, Brigham Young and the thousands of early settlers of Salt Lake City struggled to survive. The arid desert land was deemed by the Mormons as desirable as a place where they could practice their religion without harassment.

Settlers buried thirty-six Native Americans in one grave after an outbreak of measles occurred during the winter of 1847.

The first group of settlers brought African slaves with them, making Utah the only place in the western United States to have African slavery. Three slaves, Green Flake, Hark Lay, and Oscar Crosby, came west with the first group of settlers in 1847. The settlers also began to purchase Indian slaves in the well-established Indian slave trade, as well as enslaving Indian prisoners of war.

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Millennialist Beliefs And Apocalyptic Prophecies

Throughout his life, Woodruff believed that the of Jesus and a cataclysmic end of the world was imminent. On August 23, 1868, Woodruff preached a sermon in which he famously prophesied that New York City would be “destroyed by an earthquake” would be “swept into the sea, by the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds” and , would be “destroyed by fire”. Speaking afterwards, church president stated that “what Brother Woodruff has said is revelation and will be fulfilled.” Woodruff believed that the United States would disassemble by 1890. In January 1880, he received a revelation referred to as the “Wilderness Prophecy”, which stated that enemies of the church would be destroyed before Christ’s , and reaffirmed the importance of temples.

Salt Lake City Tornado

Mormon Church headquarters

The temple suffered damage in 1999 when a tornado rated F2 on the Fujita Scale struck Salt Lake City. A wedding taking place at the time allowed a photographer to record video of the tornado as it passed near the temple, forcing the wedding party to shelter against the temple doors and pillars for protection from the wind and debris. They were not allowed inside to take shelter as the temple doors were locked. After being pelted with rain and hail, members of the wedding party surveyed the damage to the trees and surrounding buildings before resuming the ceremony.

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Th Century To Present

Beginning in the early 20th century, with the establishment of such national parks as and , Utah became known for its natural beauty. Southern Utah became a popular filming spot for arid, rugged scenes featured in the popular mid-century western film genre. From such films, most US residents recognize such natural landmarks as and “the Mittens” of . During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with the construction of the system, accessibility to the southern scenic areas was made easier.

Since the establishment of in 1939 and the subsequent in the state’s mountains, Utah’s skiing has become world-renowned. The dry, powdery snow of the is considered some of the best skiing in the world . Salt Lake City won the bid for the , and this served as a great boost to the economy. The ski resorts have increased in popularity, and many of the Olympic venues built along the continue to be used for sporting events. Preparation for the Olympics spurred the development of the light-rail system in the , known as , and the re-construction of the freeway system around the city.

Historic Salt Lake Temple To Be Renovated

Details and project renderings have been released regarding the upcoming closure and renovation of the historic Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

During a morning press conference held on Friday, 19 April 2019, Russell M. Nelson, President of the Church, announced the pioneer-era temple will close 29 December 2019 and will remain closed for approximately four years while undergoing a major structural and seismic renovation. The temple is expected to reopen in 2024 with a public open house.

Bishop Dean M. Davies, then first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, commented, “This will be an incredible opportunity. For generations, only faithful members have been able to enter the Salt Lake Temple. Now everyone people of our faith, other faiths or no faith will be able to come to the temple.” He added that open-house visitors will see more than beautiful architecture and interior design. He said, “They will also feel the ‘sense of the sacred’ in the temple. I cant think of a more wonderful opportunity. It may take more than two months to get everyone through. . . .We want everyone to know they are welcome. We want them to come and see and feel why this temple is so beautiful to us. We want it to be their temple too. The temple is part of the community.”

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Salt Lake City Earthquake

On the morning of March 18, 2020, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck just outside Salt Lake City. Though most of the damage was outside the city, minor damage was inflicted on the temple. The trumpet of the Angel Moroni on top of the temple’s tallest spire was dislodged from the statue, and some stones from the smaller spires were displaced. No other damage to the temple was reported.

Below are several photographs from the interior of the temple. In response to a member obtaining unauthorized images of the interior of the temple, church leaders decided to release the book The House of the Lord in 1912, which contained authorized black-and-white photographs of the interior, some of which are shown below.:240316:6:365369,374 The unauthorized photographs had been taken over several months the year before by a man who was repeatedly allowed to enter with his camera while the temple was closed by a temple gardener friend.:358,362

  • Main floor corridor

Nauvoo And Winter Quarters

Mormon Temple Salt Lake City (Best Honeymoon Destinations In USA)

In Nauvoo, the Twelve Apostles assigned Woodruff to assist with the church’s temporal matters in Nauvoo. He became co-manager of in February 1842. Woodruff supervised the physical printing of the paper, and he and John Taylor also published a general interest newspaper called Nauvoo Neighbor starting in May 1843. He bought and sold real estate, helped clerk in a provision store, and farmed. He became a member of the Nauvoo city council and served as chaplain for the , a local militia. He also helped to organize the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge and the Nauvoo Agricultural and Manufacturing Society. As one of the church’s apostles, he was also a member of the . He took detailed notes on the . He joined the other apostles in a trip to the east coast to raise funds for a temple and hotel under construction in Nauvoo, setting out in July 1843 and returning in November 1843. Woodruff and his wife, Phebe, received their in Nauvoo in 1844, making them members of the . In May 1844, Woodruff left on another trip to preach and promote Joseph Smith’s presidential campaign. News of Smith’s death reached Woodruff on July 9, and fellow apostles returned to Nauvoo in August.

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Temple Changes And Church Economic Stimulus Efforts

Starting in 1847, members of the church sealed their relatives to a family member or friend who held the priesthood, since Brigham Young said that all marriages before the restoration were illegitimate. Brigham Young also stated that children born outside of marriage should be sealed to the parent who lived the Gospel, and to a faithful priesthood holder. Woodruff and other members disagreed with the law of adoption. Woodruff and Heber C. Kimball discussed the law of adoption together in 1857, agreeing that they did not believe in the “custom of adoption,” and that sons ought to be sealed to the fathers in their lineage when possible. In a conference address from April 1894, Woodruff announced a specific policy of sealing individuals only to their direct ancestors. He also encouraged members to “trace their genealogies as far as they can.” Woodruff helped found the to help church members complete generational sealings. In Wilford’s 1894 address, he also stated that widows could be sealed to their deceased husbands, even if their husbands had never heard the gospel. Woodruff stated that this change in practice was not a change in doctrine, since Joseph Smith had referred to a welding link between fathers and their children. Woodruff also encouraged presidents of the four temples in the Utah Territory to coordinate their temple procedures in 1893.

Temple Construction And Dedication

The temple’s location was first marked by Brigham Young, the church’s second president, on July 28, 1847, just four days after he arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. In 1901, church apostle Anthon H. Lund recorded in his journal that “it is said” that Oliver Cowdery‘s divining rod was used to locate the temple site. The temple site was dedicated on February 14, 1853, by Heber C. Kimball. Groundbreaking ceremonies were presided over by Young, who laid the cornerstone on April 6 of that year. The architect was Truman O. Angell, and the temple features both Gothic and Romanesque elements.

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 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. The walls are quartz monzonite from Little Cottonwood Canyon, twenty miles southeast of the temple site. Oxen transported the quarried rock initially, but as the Transcontinental Railroad neared completion in 1869 the remaining stones were carried by rail at a much faster rate.

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Cold War And Late 20th Century

After World War II, the United States financed and implemented the to help rebuild western Europe disbursements paid between 1948 and 1952 would total $13 billion . Also at this time, tensions between the United States and led to the , driven by an ideological divide between and . They dominated the military affairs of Europe, with the U.S. and its allies on one side and the Soviet Union and its allies on the other. The U.S. often opposed movements that it viewed as Soviet-sponsored, sometimes pursuing direct action for against governments. American troops fought the communist forces in the of 19501953, and the U.S. became increasingly involved in the , introducing combat forces in 1965. Their competition to achieve superior capability led to the , which culminated in the U.S. becoming the first nation to in 1969. While both countries engaged in and developed powerful , they avoided direct military conflict.

At home, the U.S. had experienced , , and a and following World War II. After a surge in female labor participation around the 1970s, by 1985, the majority of women aged 16 and over were employed, and construction of an transformed the nation’s transportation infrastructure in decades to come. In 1959, the United States admitted and to become the 49th and 50th states, formally expanding beyond the .

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