The Salt Lake Temple

of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

THE Temple. The Salt Lake Temple is the most recognized symbol of the Church. It is the Church's spiritual heart, and is designed for administration as well as worship. In its role as an administrative headquarters, the Salt Lake Temple has an entire floor dedicated to offices and meeting rooms for the leaders of the Church. In addition it is the only temple to have a Holy of Holies.

More weddings take place in the Salt Lake Temple than in any other. To cope with the demand an annex, full of Sealing rooms, was added to the north side of the temple. With its annex, offices and additions the Salt Lake Temple is the largest in the Church.

The Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build. The original foundation was removed and rebuilt to make it stronger. Construction was interrupted on several occasions, once because of the "invasion" of Johnson's Army, and again to complete the transcontinental Rail Road.

While the exterior took 39 years to build, the interior of the temple was completed in just one year. The murals in the Garden and World Rooms were begun in January 1893 and completed in time for the dedication on April 6. The Artists were all part of a unique program of the Church known as the Paris Art Mission. Five Utah Mormon artists, Edwin Evans, John B. Fairbanks, John Hafen, Lorus Pratt and Dan Weggeland, were sent to Paris to study art for the express purpose of returning to paint the Salt Lake Temple Murals. All five collaborated on the Garden Room mural, while Edwin Evans, John B. Fairbanks and Dan Weggeland worked together on the World Room. The Creation Room mural was painted at a later date.

The temple is built from granite quarried in Little Cottonwood Canyon, the quarry has been reopened to supply stone for the new Assembly Hall.

The temple in 1912 was quite different from how it apeares now.

The temple was announced in July 1847, when Brigham Young stuck his cane into the ground and said "hear we will build a temple to our God".
Ground was broken and construction begun on 14 February 1853.
The cornerstone was laid in April 1853.
The temple was dedicated on 6-24 April 1893.
There are 14 Sealing rooms in the temple.
The Endowment Ceremony is presented live in the traditional 4 Ordinance rooms.
There are 253,015 square feet in the temple, including the annex.
The tallest (east center) tower is 210 feet.
The Salt Lake Temple serves stakes in part of Salt Lake and Summit counties, Utah.

Pictures of the Interior:

The Baptistry.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


One of the sealing rooms in the annex.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


One of the two original Sealing rooms, which open off of the Celestial Room. This one was designed for proxy sealings.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The other of the original Sealing rooms, this one was designed for live sealings. The door in the back led to a waiting room for members of the wedding party.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The Creation Room.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The Garden Room, the mural was painted by the five Paris Mission Artists.
Source: Ensign Magazine.

The Main Hall, the Creation Room and Garden Room are on the left.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The Upstairs Hall, the World Room, Terrestrial Room and Celestial Room open off this hallway.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The World Room, the mural was painted by three of the Paris Mission Artists.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The Terrestrial Room.
Source: Ensign Magazine.

The Celestial Room.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The stained glass window in the Holy of Holies.
Source: Wadsworth.


The Council Room of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The Council Room of the Presidency of the Seventy.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The Council Room of the Quorum of the Twelve.
Source: Ensign Magazine.


The Assembly Hall.
Source: Ensign Magazine.

Rooms not Pictured:
11 Sealing Rooms

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