Manti Utah Temple

Manti

UTAH TEMPLE

OPEN HOUSE

The temple doors opening for public tours

TEMPLE MEMORIES

A look at how this historic structure has affected residents’ lives

UTAH TEMPLES RISING

Construction, renovation of temples continues throughout the state

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Manti Temple View Estates

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Humbled and grateful for our Pioneer grandfathers John Lowry Sr. & John Lowry Jr. who crossed the plains with Brigham Young, enduring the heartache of John Sr. burying several children along the trail. Finally reaching the Salt Lake Valley, both father and son were called by Brigham Young in 1849 to once again leave Salt Lake and go south in the first dispatched company of settlers consisting of several families, to the Sanpitch (now Sanpete) Valley. John Lowry Sr. was the Indian Interpreter between the saints and the local Indians. This community would be called Manti.

“Making

John Lowry Sr.

John Lowry Jr.

Charlotte L. Christiansen Associate Broker/Owner

Manti Utah Temple

TEMPLE BY THE NUMBERS

520 N. 200 E • MANTI, UTAH

RENOVATION

Began October 1, 2021

OPEN HOUSE March 14 - April 5, 2024

TOTAL FLOOR AREA

74,792 sq. ft.

ORDINANCE ROOMS

4 Instruction Rooms

8 Sealing Rooms

1 Baptistry

THIRD Temple completed in Utah

2 ATTACHED TOWERS

REDEDICATION

April 21, 2024

ELEVATION 5,657 ft.

HEIGHT

179 ft.

SITE

27 Acres

“We now have 162 dedicated temples. The earliest ones stand as monuments to the faith and vision of our beloved pioneers. Each temple constructed by them resulted from their great personal sacrifice and effort. Each one stands as a stunning jewel in the crown of pioneer achievement.

“Ours is a sacred responsibility to care for them. Therefore, these pioneer temples will soon undergo a period of renewal and refreshing and, for some, a major restoration. Efforts will be made to preserve the unique historicity of each temple wherever possible, preserving the inspiring beauty and unique craftsmanship of generations longsince passed.”

President Russell M. Nelson, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during the Church’s April 2019 General Conference

Manti Temple workers, June 5, 1924. Courtesy of the Osmond Staker Olsen family.

HISTORY MEETS FUTURE

By Christi C. Babbitt Editor

When I was a young child, my family would occasionally drive from our home in Springville to Manti to visit my great-grandmother Dorothy Aileen Madsen Voorhees. She lived in a pioneer home on south Main Street. I remember I loved jumping off her porch and landing on the front lawn.

To me, that drive from Utah County to Manti seemed long and arduous. However, I kept an eye out for the Manti Temple. I knew when I spotted that temple on a hill far ahead of us, our journey to see Grandma was nearly complete.

Today, all of Sanpete County is nearing the end of another difficult journey. For more than two years, the beloved Manti Temple had been closed for a major renovation, meaning members of the Church who wanted to participate in temple ordinances had to travel more than 60 miles to reach the nearest alternative: the Payson Utah Temple.

However, the waiting involved enduring more than just a longer drive. To many in the Sanpete Valley, the Manti Temple is an integral part of their history; it was built, run and cared for by their ancestors. It was like a family home had been shuttered, like the beating heart of the community had been stilled.

The wait is now over. The doors to the temple are opening — and not just to Church members. The renovation is

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Dorothy Aileen Madsen Voorhees at her Manti Home.

complete, and the public is invited to view the interior of the Manti Temple before it is rededicated on Sunday, April 21.

Open houses will be conducted at several new temples in Utah this year, but the Manti Temple open house will offer a unique opportunity to view the art and craftsmanship found inside one of Utah’s four pioneer-era temples. Private tour sessions for invited guests will be conducted on March 11, 12 and 13; tours for the general public will be conducted daily from Thursday, March 14, through Friday, April 5 (excluding Sundays).

After the open house and dedication, the temple will again be open only to church members.

Reserve some time now to enter this magnificent Sanpete County landmark and personally view the work that has been done to ensure this temple is able to operate for many generations to come.

Photo by Tawny Ivie

TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE

On Thursday, March 14, a unique opportunity begins for the public: the Manti Utah Temple will open to visitors.

Temples are sacred buildings designed to help God’s children feel close to Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. Open houses are held prior to a formal dedication for the purpose of sharing this sacred space with the community.

During the open house, all are welcome to enjoy the beautiful grounds and this sacred house of the Lord. Once the temple is dedicated, en-

trance is reserved for members of the Church.

The open house for the Manti Temple will begin Thursday, March 14, and continue daily (excluding Sundays) through Friday, April 5. Private tour sessions for invited guests, including the media, will be conducted March 11, 12 and 13.

HOW TO ATTEND

DATES

Daily beginning Thursday, March 14, and continuing through Friday, April 5 (excluding Sundays)

TIMES

Times vary depending on the date. Check the online schedule for available times.

ADDRESS

510 N. 200 East, Manti

TOUR DURATION

The walking tour will last approximately 1 hour.

ADMISSION

Admission is free; making reservations online is highly recommended. The open house event includes a short walking tour through the temple.

RESERVATIONS

To make a tour reservation, visit this website or scan the accompanying QR code:

The public is invited to take advantage of this open house opportunity and view the inside of the building and learn more about what happens inside its doors.

The Manti Utah Temple will be rededicated on Sunday, April 21, and will be broadcast to all units in the Manti Utah Temple district.

WHAT TO EXPECT

This is a historic temple. A full tour requires navigating many stairs. For those who may have difficulty climbing stairs, a very limited main floor tour is available. Comfortable shoes and modest dress are recommended. The tour is wheelchair accessible. Service animals are not permitted in the temple. Please refrain from smoking on temple grounds.

Manti Temple Celestial Room. Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

UTAH TEMPLE OPEN HOUSES

The Manti Utah Temple open house is the fifth in an unprecedented series of seven open houses being held at temples within the state of Utah over the course of approximately 13 and a half months.

Prior to 2023-24, the Utah temple open houses closest together by date were the Ogden Utah Temple (Dec. 16-30, 1971) and the Provo Utah

Temple (Jan. 10-29, 1972).

This latest series began with the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple open house, which was held from April 15 to July 8, 2023. At 85 days, it was the longest open house held for any Utah temple.

When the Saratoga Springs temple was dedicated in Aug. 13, 2023, it had been nearly six years since a temple opened in Utah. Before its opening, the Cedar City Utah Temple was the newest in the state, having been dedicated on Dec. 10, 2017.

Two months after the opening of the Saratoga Springs temple, an open house for the St. George Utah Temple began on Sept. 15, 2023, following a renovation of that historic structure. That open house continued through Nov. 11.

While the St. George temple open house was underway, another temple open house began on Oct. 27, 2023, at the new Orem Utah Temple. It continued through Dec. 16. This was the first time two temple open houses were held concurrently in Utah.

The open house for the new Red Cliffs Utah Temple, located in St. George, began Feb. 1 and continued through March 2. It will be dedicated on March 24.

Two more temple open houses will

occur in Utah after the Manti Temple open house. They are:

Taylorsville Utah Temple Open House

April 13 through May 18, 2024

Layton Utah Temple Open House

April 19 through June 1, 2024

With six more temples currently under construction in Utah and two more with renovation work underway (the Provo Utah Temple and the Salt

Members of the public walk toward the St. George Utah Temple as part of an open house for the temple held in late 2023.

From left, Tom and Sarah Caswell and Louise Spendlove tour the Orem Utah Temple as part of the structure’s open house held Oct. 27-Dec. 16, 2023

Lake Temple), opportunities to view the inside of temples will continue in the near future. The Deseret Peak Utah Temple (located in Tooele) is expected to be completed in mid-2024, and the Syracuse Utah Temple is anticipated to be completed in late 2024.

The Lindon Utah Temple is anticipated to be completed in mid-2025, while the Smithfield Utah Temple and Ephraim Utah Temple are expected to be completed in mid- to late 2025.

The Heber Valley Utah Temple is estimated to be completed sometime in 2027.

COME AND SEE

A TEMPLE TIMELINE

DEC. 4, 1873

SANPETE TEMPLE ANNOUNCED

Church President Brigham Young told Sanpete Valley residents on Dec. 4, 1873, during a conference held in Ephraim that a temple would be built in their area.

JUNE 25, 1875

TEMPLE SITE ANNOUNCED

During another conference held in Ephraim on June 25, 1875, President Brigham Young said the temple should be built on the Manti stone quarry.

APRIL 25, 1877

TEMPLE SITE DEDICATED

On this date, President Brigham Young dedicated the site for the Manti Temple, then said men should bring plows, shovels and wagons to the site as soon as possible to prepare it for the masonry work.

APRIL 30, 1877

EXCAVATION WORK BEGINS

Excavation efforts began on the temple site. Also on this day, the first accident occurred in connection with the building of the temple. A large rock fell on the foot of Daniel Williams of Wales, Utah. No bones were broken.

APRIL 14, 1879

CORNERSTONE LAID

Thousands of people climbed to the southeast corner of the temple site for a ceremony marking the laying of the temple’s main cornerstone.

MAY 17, 1888

PRIVATE DEDICATION

After 11 years, the temple was complete, although a lot of work still needed to be done on the grounds around the structure. Church President Wilford Woodruff offered a dedicatory prayer at the temple during a private service attended by various church leaders.

MAY 21-23, 1888

PUBLIC DEDICATION

To provide church members with an opportunity to witness the temple dedication, public services were held in the main assembly room on the upper floor of the temple. Lorenzo Snow, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave the dedicatory prayer. The services were repeated over the next couple of days to accommodate the thousands of people who wanted to attend.

Brigham Young, used by permission Utah State Historical Society

Photo courtesy of Ruby Stull Wood for the temple was prepared at this saw mill in Manti. Photo courtesy of Lowell Draper.

MARCH 28, 1924

ANNEX RENOVATION

Major renovation work on the temple annex began. The boiler room was lowered, allowing the annex’s main floor to be extended over the new boiler room area. A new kitchen and dining room were created as well as a nursery area for the children of patrons attending the temple.

AUG. 26, 1928 FIRE AT THE TEMPLE

Lightning struck the temple’s east tower at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning, causing a fire that burned for over an hour. Both Manti and Ephraim fire departments battled the blaze.

JULY 15, 1935

TEMPLE LIGHTING

On this date, the Manti Temple was fully lit at night for the first time.

JUNE 14-18, 1938

GOLDEN JUBILEE

People from throughout Utah gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Manti Temple. The weeklong Golden Jubilee began with an outdoor devotional service held under the direction of the Church’s First Presidency. President Heber J. Grant served as one of the speakers. Each evening throughout the celebration, choirs presented musical performances, which were followed by a pageant titled “The Hearts of the Children” that was written especially for the Golden Jubilee.

Instruction room inside the Manti Temple. Used by permission Utah State Historical Society

MARCH 1940

STAIRS REMOVED

Work began to remove stone stairs leading up the hill to the temple along with beautification of the grounds.

1940S

TEMPLE WALL MURALS REPAINTED

Plaster on the walls of the temple’s garden and world rooms had deteriorated greatly by the 1940s. Efforts to save murals painted on those walls by artists Danquart Weggeland and C.C.A. Christensen were unsuccessful. The walls were re-plastered and covered in sail canvas. Salt Lake City artist Robert L. Shepherd painted new murals in the Garden Room in 1945. Minerva Teichert, an artist from Cokeville, Wyoming, painted murals in the World Room in 1947.

JULY 31, 1956

NEW ANNEX ENTRANCE

Work began on this date to add a new entrance to the temple annex, extending the annex 25 feet to the north.

MAY 26, 1963

75TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT

A solemn assembly held under the direction of the First Presidency and General Authorities of the Church was held inside the Manti Temple in commemoration of the temple’s 75th anniversary. About 1,500 priesthood leaders from 26 stakes within the Manti Temple District attended the event, which lasted 4 hours and 45 minutes. Speakers included Church President David O. McKay.

1964

TUNNEL CLOSED

A tunnel that ran beneath the temple’s east tower, which was big enough to accommodate cars and wagons, was closed as part of other renovation work.

JULY 23, 1967

FIRST MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT

The first Mormon Miracle Pageant was held, with spectators seated on grandstands located at the Sanpete County Fairgrounds across the street from the temple.

SUMMER 1968

PAGEANT MOVES TO TEMPLE GROUNDS

For its second year, the Mormon Miracle Pageant is moved to the southwest slope of Temple Hill and presented for two nights.

OCT. 1, 1981

MAJOR TEMPLE RENOVATION BEGINS

The temple closed on this date for a multi-year renovation. Because no complete building plans existed from the original construction of the temple, a year was spent at this time surveying the structure and drawing up a set of plans for the existing building that were then used to draw up plans for the renovation work.

JUNE 6-8, 1985 OPEN HOUSE

An unexpectedly large crowd of more than 40,000 visitors tour the newly renovated Manti Temple during a three-day open house prior to its rededication. On the final day, a Saturday, visitors lined up down the highway and waited about four hours in 90-degree weather to tour the building.

The Manti Temple in 1938. Used by permission Utah State Historical Society

Manti Temple stairs. Photo courtesy of Ruby Stull

Manti Temple tunnel. Used by permission Utah State Historical Society

Mormon Miracle Pageant. Photo courtesy of NoraAnn Petersen

JUNE 14-16, 1985 REDEDICATION

About 20,000 people attended nine rededication services for the temple conducted over three days. The services were held under the direction of President Gordon B. Hinckley, then second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

MAY 21, 1988

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

An event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Manti temple was held on the south lawn of the temple. The event included guest speakers, a 350-voice choir and a dance extravaganza with 2,500 participants representing all stakes within the temple district.

1995

EXTERIOR PRESERVATION WORK

In June 1995, the Church announced major exterior renovation work would be conducted on the Manti Temple. Limestone blocks in bad condition were replaced with stone from the nearby quarry.

JUNE 2019

MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT ENDS

After 52 years, the last performances of the Mormon Miracle Pageant are held in June of 2019. During its history, the event grew to where it attracted more than 15,000 people per night and as many as 100,000 visitors each summer to the grounds of the Manti Temple.

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Adrie Ashton, center, and her daughters TyAnn and Italia play angels in the last performances of the Mormon Miracle Pageant in 2019. Photo courtesy of NoraAnn Petersen

OCT. 1, 2021

MAJOR RENOVATION BEGINS

A multi-year renovation effort begins, with the work to include evaluation, renewal and replacement of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; elimination and control of water infiltration into the temple; and cleaning and restoration of murals on interior temple walls.

OCT. 1, 2021

LIVE ENDOWMENT SESSIONS END

For 133 years, endowment sessions in the Manti Temple were presented by live acting. That practice was ended when the temple was closed Oct. 1, 2021, so renovation work could begin. As part of the renovation work, instruction rooms were converted to allow film presentation of the endowment sessions.

MARCH 14APRIL 5, 2024 OPEN HOUSE

With renovation work complete, the Manti Temple opens for public tours prior to being rededicated.

APRIL 21, 2024 REDEDICATION

The temple rededication will be broadcast to all units in the Manti Utah Temple district.

Sources: Dant, Doris R. (1999) “Minerva Teichert’s Manti Temple Murals,” BYU Studies

Quarterly: Vol. 38 : Iss. 3 , Article 2.

Stubbs, Glen R., “A History of the Manti Temple” (1960). Theses and Dissertations. 5150.

“LDS General Authorities Attend Temple Assembly,” the Manti Messenger, May 30, 1963

“‘Mormon Miracle Pageant’: The story behind one of the largest outdoor productions in the world,” Deseret News, June 20, 2013 thechurchnews.com

churchofjesuschristtemples.com

churchofjesuschrist.org

heraldextra.com

https://photogent.commanti-utah-temple/wiki/

Scaffolding on the temple. Photo courtesy of Michael Jorgensen.

The Manti Utah Temple in 2023. Photo by Christi C. Babbitt

FROM STONE TO SPIRES Contruction of the Manti Utah Temple

Fifty families arrived at what is now Manti with the intention of settling there in November of 1849. They came with the encouragement of Chief Walker, a Native American leader in the valley.

The geographical feature now known as Temple Hill on the north side of Manti served as a landmark for early settlers well before a temple was built there. With winter imminent, the settlers grouped their wagons on the south side of the hill, using it as protection from inclement weather. When those wagons proved inadequate shelter from the cold and snow, the settlers dug holes in the side of the hill, where they lived until the following spring when they began building log cabins.

The spring weather warmed the hill and the pioneers discovered their protective hill had turned into a large den of rattlesnakes. The settlers spent several days fighting the serpents with pine torches, clubs, guns, stones and

anything else they could find, eventually ridding themselves of this horror. Remarkably, no one was bitten during the battle.

While creating dugouts in the side of the hill, settlers discovered it was made up mainly of solid stone, and it became a valuable stone quarry for the community. Stone from the hill was used to build many public and private structures in Manti and also in Salt Lake City.

Children loved climbing the hill and discovering rocks with fossils of fish and the footprints of prehistoric animals. In winter, it provided an excellent sledding location.

Settlers in the Manti area talked of building a temple soon after their arrival, but it wasn’t until Dec. 4, 1873, that Church President Brigham Young announced at a conference in Ephraim that a temple would be built there. It was decided the structure would be built at the Manti stone quarry, and on April 25, 1877, Brigham Young dedi-

cated the location for construction of the temple.

A call went out for help on the project, and, five days later, 100 men knelt in prayer at the site and asked for assistance in their task. To reach bedrock, workers had to excavate the ground to a depth of about 50 feet at the east end of the building. By the first part of October, 107 men and 17 teams were at work on the site.

William H. Folsom was appointed to serve as architect and supervise the building efforts. He also assisted in designing the Salt Lake Tabernacle, the Moroni Tabernacle and the St.

The east tower of the Manti Temple is shown under construction. Photo by George Edward Anderson. Courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University

Both spires of the Manti Temple are shown under construction in this photo taken Oct. 8, 1885. Photo by George Edward Anderson. Courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University

George Temple.

The unusual geography of the location required workers to construct terraces and grades from the valley floor to the top of the hill. The terrace walls were built of stone, giving the site the look of a fortification. It took nearly two years to blast and cut the stone to prepare the site for temple construction; this began on April 14, 1879, with a ceremony marking the laying of the temple’s cornerstones.

Oolite stones from the quarry east of the temple site was used to construct the building’s walls. The stones were taken to rock-cutting shops where they were cut to the right size, evened out with a chisel and mallet and smoothed with special tools.

Financing the temple was an enormous undertaking as most of the settlers relied on agriculture for their livelihood and were of humble circumstances. Donations were made in cash and a wide variety of items including lumber, butter, wheat, clothing, iron and tools. Women gathered rags, wove them into rugs and sold them to raise money for the temple. Children gleaned wheat from the fields to be used to make bread for temple construction workers.

Contributions to construct the temple were confined to members of the temple district, but the opportunity to donate to pay for furnishing the Manti temple was opened up to all church members. Total cost of the temple, including finishing and furnishing, was nearly $100,000.

On May 17, 1888, private dedicatory services were held at the temple, with the dedicatory prayer offered by Church President Wilford Woodruff. To allow the public to witness the temple’s dedication, public services were held on May 21, 22 and 23. The

streets of Manti filled with wagons as people poured into the area for the dedication.

The first public dedicatory session was held on May 21 in the main assembly room on the upper floor of the temple, with Lorenzo Snow of the Quroum of the Twelve Apostles giving the dedicatory prayer. The session was repeated over the next two days, with more than 5,000 people attending the services.

When the temple was dedicated, no work had been done to beautify the grounds. They remained covered

with rocks and sagebrush until April of 1907 when the church presidency gave its approval for landscape improvement to proceed. Most of the original terrace walls were removed and the hill was graded into a cone shape. A great deal of soil was brought to the hill, making it possible to plant lawn and flower beds.

Historical information for this article obtained from the following:

- Stubbs, Glen R., “A History of the Manti Temple” (1960). “Theses and Dissertations.” 5150. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ etd/5150

Taken May 21, 1889, this photo shows people crowding both staircases outside of the temple doors at the time of the dedication of the Manti Temple. Photo by George Edward Anderson. Courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University

The Manti Temple is shown just beginning to rise in this undated photo. Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society

OOLITE Building a Temple of Stone

Early pioneers who settled in what what become the city of Manti unknowingly had a geological treasure beneath their feet.

That treasure was oolite limestone, a beautiful cream-colored rock highly suitable for building and carving — a stone worthy for use in building the Manti Utah Temple.

The first pioneers arrived at Manti in Nov. 19, 1849, and hunkered down on the south side of what is now Temple Hill in an effort to protect themselves from the winter weather. At first, they lived inside their wagons, but soon began digging holes inside the hill to create dugouts that provided better shelter.

The digging proved difficult because, for the most part, the hill was made of layers of solid stone.

This stone is 43.1 to 46.4 million years old, according to an article

written by William T. Parry

titled “A Majestic Building Stone: Sanpete Oolite Limestone,” that ran in the Winter 2013 issue of Utah Historical Quarterly magazine.

Known as oolite limestone, the stone is part of the Green River Formation, which was formed in a large prehistoric lake known as Lake Uinta. The lake extended from the Sanpete Valley into the Uinta Basin.

According to the Utah Geological Survey website, an oolite is “a small, rounded grain made up of concentric layers of calcium carbonate that precipitated around a nucleus, usually a mineral fragment or small shell. Oolites form in shallow, wave-agitated water, gradually accumulating more and more layers.”

The fact that the oolite limestone was located at the surface of the ground made it an attractive option for

extraction as a building material. Parry wrote that the stone “was relatively easy to quarry compared to other types of rock. For example, in 1904 the cost of quarrying granite was estimated at $4.53 per cubic yard compared to the cost of limestone at $0.74 per cubic yard.”

According to Parry, oolite limestone is exposed all along the north-to-south length of the Sanpete Valley, and quarries have been operated in multiple locations.

Along with a ready supply of beautiful limestone, Sanpete was fortunate to have a number of trained masons and stonecutters arrive among its earlier pioneers. These masons recognized the usefulness of the limestone, and stone was quarried to build various buildings including a stone-walled fort, farm buildings, houses and public buildings.

The first Sanpete home built of oolite limestone was constructed in Manti in 1851 (later demolished). Many other structures were built utilizing the stone as well, including the historic Manti City Hall, the Sanpete County Courthouse and the Spring City Chapel.

Railroad lines were eventually opened in Sanpete County, meaning oolite stone could be easily shipped elsewhere. Some of Salt Lake City’s grandest homes were built using the beautiful Sanpete limestone, including

Oolite limestone quarried in Ephraim for shipment to San Francisco. Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society

Construction of the Sanpete County Courthouse on Jan. 30, 1948. Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society

the Kearns mansion, which currently serves as the official residence of the governor of Utah.

The old Hansen Planetarium building in Salt Lake City was built in 1905 of Sanpete oolitic limestone. This building originally housed the Salt Lake City Public Library. The Park Building at the University of Utah was also built with Sanpete oolite limestone.

Sanpete oolite was noticed outside of Utah as well. The Spreckels mansion in San Francisco, California (the home of Adolph B. Spreckels, the son of a sugar tycoon), was built using reinforced concrete faced with oolite limestone from Sanpete County.

Similarly, the main building famous Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, was built using reinforced concrete faced with Sanpete oolite limestone.

Sources:

- Stubbs, Glen R., “A History of the Manti Temple” (1960). “Theses and Dissertations.” 5150. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5150 geology.utah.gov

“A Majestic Building Stone: Sanpete Oolite Limestone,” by William T. Parry, Utah Historical Quarterly, Winter 2013, Volume 81, Number 1

The former Salt Lake City Public Library, October 1905. Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society

The Spreckels mansion in San Francisco, California. Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society

PRESERVING HISTORY

An Artist’s Legacy and a New Temple

Efforts to ensure historic artwork inside the Manti Utah Temple remained inside the temple - instead of being moved to a museum or other display area - led to the announcement of a new temple now under construction in Ephraim.

THE RENOVATION PLANS

On April 7, 2019, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that the Manti Utah Temple, as well as the Logan Utah Temple, would be undergoing renovation work “in the coming years.”

This announcement came during the church’s April 2019 General Conference. The Manti Temple would eventually close for a major multi-year renovation on Oct. 2, 2021.

On March 12, 2021, seven months before the temple would close, it was announced by the First Presidency of the Church that as part of renovation work inside the temple, murals in the temple would be photographed, documented and removed.

PRESERVING HISTORY

When the word came that the temple murals were to be removed during the renovation, some were saddened at the thought of the temple losing this beautiful artwork.

Some spoke out, asking the church to reconsider its decision to remove the murals. A petition posted on change. org on March 12, 2021, called “Save the Manti Temple Murals” stated, “These paintings are so meaningful, not only to the descendants of these

honored pioneers, but to the community of Manti, and to all members of the church. … We implore The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to rethink their decision to remove these murals and ask that they be preserved and restored as was done in Idaho Falls, Cardston, and Saint George.”

On March 24, 2021, information was added to the First Presidency’s original update about the murals, specifically regarding murals painted by artist Minerva Teichert. The Teichert murals are in what is known as the temple’s World Room.

“The artwork in the Manti Temple includes murals painted by Minerva Teichert, which are valued not only for their beauty, but also as a treasured remembrance of the faith, talent and dedication of the artist.

“The Teichert murals in the Manti Temple were originally painted on

Photo by Aaron Bradshaw

canvas, which was adhered to the plaster walls. The Church’s intent is to separate the canvas or portions of the canvas from the plaster and preserve the murals for future restoration and display in a public setting. We are seeking the advice of international experts in the field of art preservation during this process.”

Even with this clarification, some remained concerned about the murals being removed from the temple. Ultimately, the petition on change.org gathered over 8,300 signatures.

A Facebook page titled “Preserve the Manti Temple” was created, and readers were encouraged to contact church leaders and voice their concerns.

An event titled “Walking With Minerva: Take Up Thy Bread and Walk” was publicized on the Facebook page. At the event, the public was invited to walk through downtown Provo to the Provo City Center Temple to honor Teichert and show support for preserving

her murals in the Manti Temple.

Teichert’s painting “The Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood” was consumed in the fire that destroyed the Provo Tabernacle.

PAINTING THE MURALS

The wife of a rancher, Minerva Teichert had studied art at the Chicago Art Institute and the Art Students’ League in New York City. Her passion was painting scenes of scriptures and historic importance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and her works were displayed in many LDS Church chapels and schools.

Often, she painted at night after her work tending to her family and their farm was done.

In the 1940s, Teichert was hired by the church to paint murals in the Manti Temple’s World Room. “I have the hardest Temple room I have ever seen to do, 21 ft. high, 60 ft. long and abt. 24 wide. The north side wall looks

gigantic,” Teichert wrote after viewing the room in November 1946.

Despite being nearly overwhelmed at the scope of the task, Teichert pressed forward, drawing sketches on plywood on a scale of one inch to one foot of wall. Her designs, which wrap around the room’s doors and windows, depict major events in world history.

She hired Frank Stevens, an amateur artist from Green River, Wyoming, to help paint the “big spaces” and also to move scaffolding. They worked six days a week on the project, with

World Room murals by Minerva Teichert. Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Minerva Teichert

prayer a regular part of the process.

At only 5 feet 2 inches tall, painting the large walls was physically challenging for Teichert. At one point, she fell off the scaffolding and injured her arm. After a quick visit to a doctor, she resumed painting.

Amazingly, Teichert finished her work in under a month, painting nearly 4,000 square feet in 23 days.

In a letter, she described the astonishment of church general authorities, writing, “It seems that my painting in Manti caused a little stir. Apostle Widstoe (sic) saw me at conference Sunday. He said, ‘Aren’t you the same Sister Teichert I left painting in Manti.’ He was staring wide-eyed at me. I said, ‘I finished it.’ ‘Finished,’ he said, incredulously. ‘How long did you work?’ ‘Exactly 23 days,’ I answered …. He (had) wondered how many years I would be.”

PRESERVING THE OLD, BUILDING THE NEW

On May 1, 2021, a press conference was held at the Manti Tabernacle where Church President Russell M. Nelson — speaking via prerecorded message — announced that while the Manti Temple would still be renovat-

ed, the murals would stay.

“As we have continued to seek the direction of the Lord on this matter,” President Nelson said, “we have been impressed to modify our earlier plans for the Manti Utah Temple so that the pioneer craftsmanship, artwork and character will be preserved, including the painted murals loved by so many. We will leave those murals where they are located now — inside the Manti Utah Temple.”

At the same time, President Nelson announced that a new temple would be built in Ephraim, just seven and a half miles from the Manti Temple.

“Every new temple built upon the earth brings with it an increase of Christlike service, goodness and love of God and of neighbor,” said Temple

Department Executive Director Elder

Kevin R. Duncan at the press conference. “We are especially thrilled that, similar to students who attend other colleges and universities, students who attend Snow College will now have an easily accessible temple in which to serve and worship.”

Just how accessible the temple would be to Snow College students became clear on March 4, 2022, when the exact location of the new Ephraim Utah Temple was announced. It would be located on a 9.16-acre parcel a block from campus.

Sources:

Dant, Doris R. (1999) “Minerva Teichert’s Manti Temple Murals,” BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 38 : Iss. 3 , Article 2. newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org

Church leaders and members of the media gather for a press conference inside the Manti Tabernacle on Saturday, May 1, 2021. Photo courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

THE MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT

Millions drawn to Manti’s Temple Hill

The first Mormon Miracle Pageant performance took place on the evening of July 23, 1967, with a small crowd of about 2,000 people sitting in the grandstands of the Sanpete County Fairgrounds in Manti.

In the arena, the soft earth had been set with transplanted sagebrush, a grove of trees and a wooden platform that served as a stage.

Trees east of the fairgrounds had been trimmed to make Temple Hill visible to the audience. Light globes in gallon cans fixed on steel posts lit the hill.

Communication between the set on the fairgrounds and those on Temple Hill was maintained with walkie talkies. A small orchestra composed

of mostly of local musicians provided accompaniment for the songs and incidental music for the pageant.

This first performance of the pageant was a modest production, but it paved the way for a tradition that attracted millions of people to the Sanpete Valley.

For 52 years, until its last performances in 2019, the pageant told the story of the Sanpete Valley’s original settlers as well as stories contained in the Book of Mormon. Originally, it was held as a 24th of July celebration for the South Sanpete Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For its second year, the pageant was moved to the southwest slope of

Temple Hill. Manti LDS Temple President Bent Peterson agreed to have the pageant held on the temple grounds with the understanding that no cars or vehicles could be brought onto temple property. All scenery and equipment had to be hand-carried from trucks to the stage area.

The street immediately west of the temple grounds was blocked off for seating. Bleachers moved from the fairgrounds and additional chairs, brought by members of the audience, were placed in the street.

The choir and orchestra were set up below the stage and furnished background music as the scenes unfolded. Some of the scenes of the pageant took place on a wooden stage loaned by

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Durtschi

Snow College, and some on various areas higher on Temple Hill.

This second pageant was held in August of 1968 and played for two nights. More than twice as many people viewed the pageant the second year and there was a call for it to be repeated the next year. For the third year, the pageant dates were moved back to July to be nearer the anniversary of the arrival of the first pioneers in Utah.

The move to Temple Hill was a great step forward. However, tall trees partially blocked the spectators’ view, making it difficult to see the progression of the story.

The First Presidency of the LDS Church agreed to have a few trees removed to make the stage more visible

to the audience. People were allowed to sit on the grass among the trees near the base of the hill, but equipment and staging still had to be carried in by hand.

By 1972, permission had been gained for removal of the last of the trees. Also by 1972, pageant attendance had risen to 121,000. A recorded soundtrack for the pageant was produced by Bonneville International of Salt Lake City in 1970.

The pageant continued to improve each year until it was one of the largest and most attended pageants in the U.S. Even with additional seating, the crowds were so large that some in the streets had to stand.

In 1978, Richard Olsen designed and built a large ramp leading from the upper stage to the stone stairway by the retaining wall south of the temple.

During the temple’s first two decades, nearly all costs were covered through local donations.

In the pageant’s early years, audience chairs were borrowed from church stakes as far north as Spanish Fork and as far south as Richfield. Eventually, the pageant would own about 14,000 chairs; 400 volunteers were needed to set them up and take them down. This process could be done in about one and a half hours.

Volunteers were essential for running every aspect of the pageant. The cast of hundreds was made up of volunteers, and between 1,500 and 2,000 additional volunteers provided staffing for duties such as traffic control, ushering, emergency medical services and technical crew.

In October 2018, an official statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that while local celebrations of culture and history may be appropriate, the Church now discourages larger productions such as pageants.

This led to the announcement that

Photo courtesy of Merilyn Jorgensen

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Durtschi

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Durtschi

the Manti pageant would no longer be produced.

An updated statement was released by the Church in December 2018 stated, “As it relates to existing pageants, conversations with local Church and community leaders took place in October 2018 to appropriately end, modify or continue these productions.”

According to a story in The Daily Herald on June 13, 2019, Milt Olsen, former president of the Mormon Miracle Pageant, said the Church had taken over control of the pageant about 20 years before its end. In 2018, the church told local leaders it wouldn’t be supporting the pageant anymore from its headquarters in Salt Lake City.

“They gave local leaders the option to end, modify or continue the pageant,” Olsen said, and the decision was made to end the pageant.

“I think the feeling was that the pageant was no longer meeting the specific spiritual needs of the local people who put it on or the people who came to see it,” Olsen said. “The metric they referred to was if you look at attendance over the first 35 years of the pageant, yearly it was in the 110,000 to 120,000 range. But over the last 10 years we’ve seen that steadily decline to about 75,000 people.”

Attendance to the last run of the Mormon Miracle Pageant in 2019

broke all-time records with an estimated 156,000 attendees during the eight nights of the pageant. The most attendees for a one-night presentation was on Friday, June 21, 2019, with a record

PAGEANT HISTORY BOOK

A book by Merilyn A. Jorgensen titled “The Mormon Miracle Pageant: Commemorating 50 Years of Miracles” details the history of the pageant since its inception, including many photos. For information about the book or to purchase a copy, call 435-851-3483.

27,000 to 30,000 estimated people in attendance.

Sources:

The Daily Herald newspaper

The Pyramid newspaper

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Durtschi

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Durtschi

Photo courtesy of Merilyn Jorgensen

MANTI STONE SENT EAST TO NATIONAL MONUMENT

Pioneers made the journey west over the plains to reach the Sanpete Valley. A small piece of the valley, however, would make the journey back east to the nation’s capital just a couple of years after the pioneers’ arrival here.

Plans for the George Washington National Monument were underway in Washington, D.C., in the early 1850s, and the Territory of Utah was invited to participate by contributing a stone from its area for inclusion in the monument.

On Feb. 10, 1851, in response to this invitation, the General Assembly of the Provisional State of Deseret passed a resolution, which was approved two days later by Governor Brigham Young (although the Provisional State of Deseret was changed by federal statute to the Territory of Utah in 1850, the pioneers still considered their home as “Deseret”).

The resolution read:

“Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Deseret, That the Governor is hereby authorized and requested to procure a block of marble from the best specimens of stone that he shall be able to find in the State, for a contribution to the Washington Monument now in progress of erection in Washington City; and also that he cause the same to be suitably sculptured, and forwarded to the Washington Monument Committee as soon as practicable, that any and all expense incurred by reason of the above resolution shall be defrayed out of the public treasury, and the Governor is hereby authorized to draw on the Treasurer for the same.”

A committee appointed by Young chose a block of oolite limestone from the quarry at Manti as the stone for

this contribution. William Ward, a pioneer artist, spent 40 days inscribing and polishing the stone with improvised tools.

The stone was 3 feet long, 2 feet wide and 6.5 inches thick. Ward described the stone as follows:

“In the centre (sic) stands the Beehive, the emblem of industry; over it is the motto ‘Holiness to the Lord.’

Above this is the all-seeing eye, with rays. Beneath the hive is the word,

‘Deseret.’”

On June 22, 1853, a group of Church missionaries left Salt Lake City with the completed stone. After a three-month journey, the stone was delivered to the Washington National Monument Society on Sept. 27, 1853.

Construction of the monument, however, was progressing slowly. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848, but in 1854, construction was discontinued for financial and other reasons.

The top stone here, made of Sanpete oolite sandstone, was carved and sent to Washington, D.C., in 1853 for inclusion in the Washington Monument. The bottom stone was later added to explain the top stone’s origin. Courtesy of the Library of Congress

The Civil War delayed the project even further. Meanwhile, the stone from Manti remained in storage.

In 1876, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that made the monument a U.S. government project, and progress began being made toward its completion. It was dedicated on Feb. 21, 1885.

The Deseret Stone, along with other stones, was not placed in the monument until sometime between 1885 and 1887. By then, it had been more than three decades since the Deseret Stone was created, and few who saw the stone understood what it meant.

As a result, it was decided to add a supplemental stone to the original Deseret Stone. This stone was installed just below the original stone and reads:

“Deseret Means honey bee Changed to Territory of Utah 1850 State of Utah 1896”

The supplemental stone was dedicated in a ceremony held Jan. 4, 1951, at the Washington Monument. During this ceremony, Arthur V. Watkins, a U.S. senator from the State of Utah, said as far as he could determine, no ceremony was held at the time of the first stone’s installation.

“We are in effect holding two presentations and unveilings at one time,” Watkins said. “We are bridging a gap of nearly 100 years of history.”

Source: “Brief History of the Deseret Stone,” by Ray C. Colton, included in “Utah State Memorial Stone,” a documentation of proceedings held Jan. 4, 1951, at the Washington Monument. Document courtesy of the Library of Congress.

THE TEMPLE FIRE

A major or minor blaze?

On Aug. 26, 1928, a bolt of lightning hit the east tower of the Manti Temple at around 8 a.m., causing a fire. This is a well-known fact in the temple’s history, but, at the time, Utah residents read widely differing accounts of the fire depending on what newspaper they picked up.

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE STORY

The Salt Lake Tribune had the story on the front page the next day, Aug. 27, 1928, with the headline “Bolt Strikes Manti Temple, Blaze Causes Considerable Damage Before Two Fire

Departments Put It Out.”

The article read as follows:

“Lightning struck the east tower of the L.D.S. Temple, situated on the hill in the northeast part of Manti, at 8 a.m. Sunday, causing a fire that did considerable damage and gave the Manti and Ephraim fire departments a stubborn fight for an hour and a half before they were able to conquer it.

“Manti’s volunteer fire force answered the call within a few minutes after the lightning struck. The nearest fire hydrant to the scene was in the fair grounds, over a block away. After stretching the hose this distance, the men were forced to hoist it up the steep

The Manti Utah Temple circa 1903-1939. Courtesy L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University

hill upon which the Temple is situated and then to haul the nozzle up to a point where they could fight the blaze near the top of the 179-foot tower. These operations required an hour and a half, and by this time the Ephraim fire department was at hand to assist. Once, however, the vantage point near the top of the tower was reached, the fire was soon put out.

“The Temple, a beautiful white stone structure built in 1888, was damaged considerably by water. The tower, the taller of the two on the building, was completely burned except for the framework of stone.

“Because of its imposing height and its position on the hill, the Temple can be seen by the people of all the surrounding towns and farms. Within a few minutes, after the fire started, every road leading to Manti was crowded with traffic. The crowd took up its position on the main highway and remained until the firemen were successful in putting out the blaze.”

The story was picked up by and run in other Utah newspapers, including The Sun in Price (“Manti Temple Considerably Damaged by Lightning Sunday,” Aug. 30, 1928) and The Times-News in Nephi (“Lightning Damages the Manti Temple,” Aug. 31, 1928).

THE MANTI MESSENGER STORY

A story about the fire that ran in the Manti Messenger on Aug. 31, 1928, however, told a very different tale than that reported in the Tribune, as indicated by the headline: “Temple Fire Does Little Damage Towns Arroused (sic).”

The Manti Messenger article read as follows:

“Fortunately the fire in the temple tower caused by lightning last Sunday morning did little damage other than to give the people of Manti and Ephraim a thrill they will not soon forget,” reads the Manti Messenger article. “Although the fire burned for more than forty-five minutes unmolested in the framework of the tower top where it was fanned by the breeze, it made scarcely no headway and was easily extinguished when once the fighter could get to it. Due to the great height and what seemed at first its inaccessability it seemed that it would be necessary to allow the wooden part of the tower to be consumed and then arrest the flames from reaching the main part of the building. Little damage, however, was done either from fire or water.

“The east tower of the temple is 179 feet high, the upper thirty feet or more is constructed entirely of wood. Crowning the tower is a wooden post centered by an iron rod that attracted the lightening (sic) which struck at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning during a passing shower. The lightning followed into the little attic of the tower, starting

the fire, causing the south west corner to burst into flames. The thunder crash brought many people out of doors and some one saw the tower burst into flame, and gave the alarm. In less than five minutes from the sounding of the siren, the city hose was on the grounds, but there were no near fire hydrants to accommodate the hose.

“The Temple and grounds are supplied with water from a private system and the supply was low at that hour due to the sprinkling system operating during the night. Ample small hose from the inside of the temple was assembled but low water pressure made the effort useless. Another difficulty was due to the fact that the room just below the fire, which has a heighth (sic) of about fifteen feet, was filled with smoke, making it impossible to reach the attic. Army gas masks were sent for but before the arrived A.H. Henrie and Erastus Peterson braved the smoke filled room with handkerchiefs tied over their faces long enough to open the windows and thus liberate the smoke. Wm. Jones, N.J. Alex Nielson and others arrived with gas masks and then with the hose connected to the fire hydrant on the fair grounds and in turn connected to the

Clouds appear to be on fire behind the Manti Utah Temple in this photo taken from the Sanpete County Fairgrounds. In 1928, a lightning strike to the temple’s east tower resulted in an actual fire. Photo courtesy of George & Peggy Dyches, Moroni

small temple hose, water was applied to the seat of the fire, resulting in its quick control.

“The city hose would not reach from the fire hydrant at the fair grounds, so it was necessary to send to Ephraim for their hose. Another delay was experienced here because of the impossibility to get the local central who was swamped by idle calls from all parts of the city wanting to know the source of the fire, so it was necessary to send a car to Ephraim. Once the word got to Ephraim the town was arroused (sic) and it was but a few minutes until the pavement was black with cars headed by their hose car, which made a record run here. By the time they arrived the fire, however, was under control.”

The Manti Messenger story was picked up and quoted in the Sept. 6, 1928, edition of the Gunnison Valley News.

THE DESERET NEWS STORY

The Deseret News ran a surprisingly short story about the fire in its Aug. 27, 1928, edition, and it placed it on page 2, not the front page like the Tribune. Both of those facts may indicate Deseret News staff at the time did not consider the fire as a major news occurrence.

With the headline “Lightning Fires Temple at Manti, Burns East Spire,” the Deseret News story read as follows:

“Lightning accompanying the electric storm which passed over this city Sunday morning struck the east tower of the temple. Immediately a dense smoke arose and flames could be seen for a considerable distance. Water facilities from the spring which serves the temple were inadequate and the city aparatus (sic) was brought and a line of hose run from the Fair grounds. The flames were soon extinguished. Heavy winds were blowing at the time of the fire but it burned slowly through

the metal shingles which cover the wooden tower. Citizens from neighboring towns of the county, especially Ephraim, responded generously to lend assistance. The estimated damage is approximately $150.”

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

The difference in media reports at the time of the fire is a matter of speculation. Perhaps local residents were so pleased the fire was limited to one tower of the temple instead of consuming the entire building, the damage seemed minor to them, while a fire that destroyed the tower of a large building seemed like a major event to others outside of the area.

Regardless, there is an official account of the fire which was quoted in an article that ran in The Pyramid newspaper on July 9, 1981. The Pyramid article read as follows:

“There is one recorded instance of lightning striking the towers during the Presidency of Lewis Anderson. This is found in volume two of the handwritten temple record in the Church Archives office.

“‘Sunday morning August 26, 1928 just before 8 o’clock lightning

struck the east tower of the Temple and burned the woodwork downward 17 feet from the top of the tower. The water pressure from Temple Spring was not sufficient to reach the fire, and it was necessary to connect with city water mains; hose was carried to the top of the Temple and lowered to the ground from the outside and connected with the city hose.

“‘The fire burned unusually slow for more than three hours and by many pronounced the slowest fire ever witnessed by them. Lightning struck the southwest corner of the tower making a half inch hole in diameter.

“‘Work of repairing commenced Sept. 5, and the last of scaffold taken down 25 Oct. 1928.

“‘About 25 window-lights, mostly from heat, were broken. Hundreds of people from all surrounding towns were present. Our volunteer fire department together with other citizens did most splendid work in quenching the flames.

“‘The expense of repairing tower was $725.29. City water has since been piped too Temple grounds which can be used in case of emergency. Cost of installing was $922.38. A lightning rod has been installled.’ Peter A. Poulson, Recorder.”

The Manti Utah Temple. This photo appeared in the June 1914 issue of “The Improvement Era.”

A PERSONAL ACCOUNT

Manti resident Ruby Stull shared an account of the fire written by her relative Eve Nielson, who witnessed the fire as a child. Nielson’s account doesn’t clear up the confusion between the newspaper accounts, but it does show the concern of a child for the temple.

Her account states:

“I remember it was a stormy day and that we said to my mother, ‘There’s lightning over there Momma, what if the temple catches on fire?’ She said, ‘That’s the Lord’s house and he will protect it.’ But the lightning struck the steeple and set the temple on fire. We could see it and we went and told Momma and asked her why. She said, ‘I don’t know, you’ll have to ask your Daddy.’ So we watched it and we knew that our neighbor, Bernhardt Christiansen, worked in the temple and he didn’t have any fear of heights. He was the one that went up in the steeple. Then the buckets of water were sent to him and that got the fire out. When we asked my Father, ‘Why did the Lord let the temple catch on fire?’ he sat us down and said, ‘The Lord is bound by laws. The tower of the temple is high and it’s natural for lightning to be attracted to a metal and that’s the law.’”

The east tower of the Manti Utah Temple, shown here in a photo from July 2023, was struck by lightning in 1928.

MINERVA TEICHERT ART EXHIBIT

An exhibition showcasing 45 of Minerva Teichert’s paintings is now open at the Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in downtown Salt Lake City.

“With This Covenant in My Heart: The Art and Faith of Minerva Teichert” runs through Aug. 3. The museum and museum store are open to the public

on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.

The Church History Museum is on the west side of Salt Lake City’s Historic Temple Square. The museum houses important artifacts of the founding, pioneers and contemporary leaders of The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as a collection of works by many of its illustrious artists from 1830 to the present.

The Teichert exhibition shows the devotion Teichert evidenced in her life and in her mission to place the stories of her heart before the public.

The show is organized around Teichert’s account of falling ill during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Feeling close to death, Teichert remembered the art training she had recently completed and prayed.

“I promised the Lord if I’d finished my work and he’d give me some more, I’d gladly do it,” she said later. “With this covenant in my heart, I began to live.”

The exhibit includes interactive audio kiosks that feature Teichert talking about different parts of her life and her children talking about what it was like having a mother who was an artist. Visitors can also recreate what Teichert saw from her small ranch house. Children can collect cards along the way that explain each painting and suggest activities to explore while looking at the artwork.

“You can collect all the cards, put them in a cute little envelope and have a wonderful take-home souvenir from your visit,” said Carrie Snow, team lead for the Teichert exhibition.

This painting of Jesus Christ is part of an exhibit of artworks by Minerva Teichert. Photo courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

An exhibition showcasing 45 of Minerva Teichert’s paintings is open at the Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through Aug. 3. Photo courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

MORE TEMPLES TO LACK AN ANGEL MORONI STATUE

The Manti Utah Temple is lacking an item that the vast majority of other Utah temples feature: an angel Moroni statue atop one of its spires.

However, a look at architectural renderings of temples to be built both inside Utah and worldwide shows that temples lacking the iconic sculpture are going to become much more common.

All Utah temples announced by the Church in or after April of 2019 (Deseret Peak, Orem, Taylorsville, Syracuse, Lindon, Smithfield, Ephraim and

Heber Valley) have official architectural renderings that show they will not have the statue.

Architectural renderings have not been released for all the worldwide temples announced by the Church in or after April of 2019. However, a review of the renderings that have been released for temples announced in that time frame showed none of them feature an angel Moroni in their design.

The Provo Utah Temple currently has an angel Moroni atop its single spire. However, the temple closed in February for a construction project that will rebuild the temple with a completely different exterior design. The architectural rendering released for that design shows the temple will still have a single spire, but there will not be an angel Moroni statue on top of that spire.

The Salt Lake Temple was the first temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to have an angel Moroni statue placed atop one of its spires. The statue was crafted by Springville sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin.

The three Utah temples completed prior to the Salt Lake Temple — the St. George, Logan and Manti temples — have never had an Angel Moroni statue placed on them. Logan and St. George have weather vanes and the Manti temple has a simple spire atop one of its two towers.

The Los Angeles Temple, dedicated in 1956, was the second temple to feature the angel Moroni sculpture. The Washington D.C. Temple was the third; it was dedicated in 1974.

The original design of both the Ogden and Provo temples called for an Angel Moroni statue, but the statue was later eliminated from the design. Both temples were built without the statue, with the Ogden temple dedicated in January of 1972 and the Provo temple dedicated in February of 1972.

Beginning with the Boise Idaho Temple in 1984, the statues became more common. The Ogden temple received an angel Moroni statue in 2002, and, in 2003, the Provo temple had an angel Moroni statue placed on its spire.

Until the Orem Utah Temple was dedicated on Jan. 21, 2024, without an angel Moroni sculpture on its spire, all Utah temples (excluding the three pioneer-era temples) were topped with the sculpture.

The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple, dedicated Aug. 13, 2023, has an angel Moroni statue, as do the Red Cliffs Utah Temple in St. George (to be dedicated March 24, 2024) and the Layton Utah Temple (to be dedicated June 16, 2024).

However, the Saratoga Springs, Layton and Red Cliffs temples were announced before April of 2019 (Sara-

The angel Moroni statue atop the Red Cliffs Utah Temple.

toga Springs on April 2, 2017; Layton on April 1, 2018; and Red Cliffs on Oct. 7, 2018). The Orem temple was announced after — on Oct. 5, 2019.

According to the Church’s website, churchofjesuschrist.org, “While the Angel Moroni statue occupies a prominent place on many temples throughout the world — symbolizing the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ — it is not a requirement of temple design. Some temples may include the statue, while others may not.”

The angel Moroni statue atop the Vernal Utah Temple.

The angel Moroni statue atop the Cedar City Temple.

OTHER HISTORIC TEMPLE RENOVATIONS

The recent renovation of the Manti Utah Temple is the latest in a series of renovations performed on historic temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in recent years. These efforts include renovations of two of Utah’s other pioneer-era temples: the St. George Utah Temple and the Salt Lake Temple.

Church President Russell M. Nelson said at the conclu-

SALT LAKE TEMPLE

Renovation beginning: Dec. 29, 2019

sion of the Church’s 189th Annual General Conference in April 2019 that the Logan Utah Temple, the fourth temple built by early Utah pioneers, would be renovated in coming years, but plans for that renovation have not been announced.

Here is a list of other historic temples that have been renovated within the last 15 years.

Renovation is ongoing, rededication not yet scheduled

With its groundbreaking conducted Feb. 14, 1853, the Salt Lake Temple was the first temple pioneers began working on after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. Its construction took 40 years, however, making it the last of Utah’s pioneer-era temples to be completed (after the St. George, Logan and Manti temples). It was dedicated in April 1893.

Nearly 80 years would pass after the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple before another temple would open in Utah: the Ogden Utah Temple, which was dedicated in 1972.

On April 19, 2019, Church President Russell M. Nelson announced that the Salt Lake Temple would close for a massive structural and seismic renovation. Originally expected to take four years, the renovation is now not expected to be completed until 2026.

The renovation of the temple will include replacing the historic building’s aging mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as a significant seismic upgrade to help the building withstand a large-magnitude earthquake. The work also includes renovation of part of Temple Square.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

ST. GEORGE TEMPLE

Renovation beginning: Nov. 4, 2019

Temple rededicated: Dec. 10, 2023

The St. George Utah Temple was the first temple to be completed in Utah after the pioneers arrived and is the longest-operating temple in the Church. Dedicated in 1877 by Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff and others, the St. George Utah Temple was the first temple in which endowments for the dead were performed.

The St. George Utah Temple was last renovated in the 1970s, being rededicated by Spencer W. Kimball Nov. 11-12, 1975. More than 40 years after this previous work, the St. George Utah Temple needed a major renovation for several reasons, including replacement of all mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, which had reached the end of their useful life. Structural upgrades were also needed to

WASHINGTON DC TEMPLE

Renovation beginning: March 5, 2018

Temple rededicated: Aug. 14, 2022

Located in Kensington, Maryland, the Washington D.C. Temple was the first temple built east of the Mississippi River since the Nauvoo Temple was constructed more than a century earlier. Most of the major Church history sites— including Palmyra, Kirtland and Nauvoo — are within the original boundaries of the Washington D.C. Temple district.

The groundbreaking for the original Washington D.C. Temple was held in 1968 and construction began in 1971. It was dedicated in 1974 by President Spencer W. Kimball and became the 16th operating temple of the Church.

As part of the recent renovation, energy-efficient mechanical, electrical and lighting systems were installed

IDAHO FALLS TEMPLE

Renovation beginning: March 16, 2015

Temple rededicated: June 4, 2017

The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple was the Church’s 8th operating temple and the first to be built in Idaho. Originally dedicated on Sept. 23, 1945, it was the first temple designed with a central spire. Construction of the temple was completed during wartime, but the dedication waited until the end of World War II.

In 1960, a visitors’ center was completed (and later remodeled), and a statue of the angel Moroni was attached to the temple’s steeple in 1983.

The temple underwent an extensive renovation from 2015 to 2017, including an upgrade of the mechanical and electrical systems and the creation of a separate exit for brides and grooms and a large waiting room for wedding

ensure a strong and stable foundation.

The temple site was updated with new plazas that improve accessibility to temple entrances and create gathering areas for families and friends.

throughout the 160,000-square-foot structure along with new plumbing. Rededication of the temple was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

parties.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Original murals were restored, structural walls were reinforced and finishes and furnishings were replaced.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

MESA ARIZONA TEMPLE

Renovation beginning: May 2018

Temple rededicated: Dec. 12, 2021

When first built, the Mesa Arizona Temple was the Church’s seventh operating temple. It was originally dedicated on Oct. 23-26, 1927, by Church President Heber J. Grant. It is located just east of the original Mesa townsite, which was settled by Church pioneers.

This was the second renovation for the Mesa temple. In 1975, it was rededicated by President Spencer W. Kimball following refurbishment. The most recent renovation included site improvements, exterior maintenance, interior finishes and building system maintenance for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical systems.

Improvements were made throughout the interior of the temple to bring more consistency to the historic character and feel of the temple’s original neoclassical design. Historic murals were cleaned and protected.

OAKLAND CALIFORNIA TEMPLE

Renovation beginning: Jan. 31, 2018

Temple rededicated: June 16, 2019

The Oakland California Temple was the 13th temple of the Church when President David O. McKay originally dedicated it on Nov. 17, 1964. The temple was the second in California (following the Los Angeles California Temple).

The Oakland California Temple is a unique example of modern Church architecture. The original architect, Harold W. Burton, drew on his lifetime of designing buildings for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while simultaneously incorporating the best of modern design prevalent in the 1960s.

The Oakland California Temple was one of the first in the Church to use film in its instruction instead of a live presentation, and Burton designed the building without windows as he believed a windowless design and theater-like setting would enhance the viewing experience. The temple’s main floor now includes a waiting area and one of the only areas with windows.

A waterfall was included in the original design of the temple, and it used to cascade down from a second-level garden terrace to a courtyard reflection pool. It was removed in 1979 due to irreparable leaks, but, thanks to modern materials and innovation, it was restored in this most recent renovation.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

LAIE HAWAII TEMPLE

Renovation beginning: Dec. 29, 2008

Temple rededicated: Nov. 21, 2010

The Laie Hawaii Temple was the 5th temple completed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after Church members’ exodus to the Rocky Mountains. It was originally dedicated by President Heber J. Grant on Nov. 27, 1919, and is located on land adjacent to Brigham Young University-Hawaii on the northeast shore of Oahu.

This temple is a temple of “firsts”: it was the first temple built outside of Utah after the pioneers’ arrival in the area and the first built outside of the continental United States. It was also the first temple built outside of the state (or territory) where Church headquarters was located. It was the first temple built in the Pacific Islands and in what would become the state of Hawaii.

Work conducted during this renovation included structural upgrades and mechanical upgrades to strengthen the temple and bring it up to code for disabled patrons. Restoration work was done on bas-relief friezes depicting several scriptural scenes that surrounded the upper floor of the temple. New art glass windowpanes were installed on the lower levels that are patterned after original celestial room screens from 1919. Original LeConte Stewart murals were preserved and restored.

MEMORIES OF THE MANTI TEMPLE

Readers of The Pyramid newspaper were asked to contribute their memories of the Manti Utah Temple. Here are their responses.

I live one mile north of Ephraim in little pigeon hollow. I was born and raised in Sanpete County. I always remembered the Manti Temple as a beacon on the hill. When we returned from going up north, we always spotted the temple when we drove out of Nephi Canyon. We all knew then we were getting close to home. Or, when we went on the West Mountain, rounding the dugway in Dry Canyon, we would spot the temple.

I remember so many years and funfilled nights sitting at the county fair with the lighted temple as a beautiful backdrop, or traveling to Manti over the years; it has always lighted the way.

Over 20 years ago, Colleen Hess, formerly of Manti, started a carriage company called Yester Year. Colleen became an icon in Manti with her carriage company, and people loved the horse-drawn carriage. Over the years, I became her relief driver, and in later years took over the business. Colleen sold me her Clydesdale mare Lilly and I purchased my own carriage.

Lilly and I spent many days and nights driving the streets of Manti. We drove for Yardley Inn, Manti House, Rose Cottage, Manti Merchantile, various residents and tourists. Our main focus of each ride was the Manti Temple. It was the very highlight of every ride. Most people who came to ride in the carriage came to Manti to go to the temple or just to see its beauty.

On wedding days, Lilly and I would pick up wedding couples at the base of Temple Hill. They would take pictures with the temple in the background. We would take the couples on a short ride around the temple and go to our destination. The evening guests would have Lilly and I tour Manti, talk about history and then go to the temple and take pictures. Many of our guests would mention they had a relative who worked on the temple, building or renovating.

Several times, people from the Utah Travel Council would come and take a ride and see the temple as well. I’ve given rides to several people from other countries who came to see the temple and ask questions about it.

Lilly and I have watched many children roll down Temple Hill, and

sometimes and adult or two, as they waited for a wedding party. One little boy rolled all the way to the bottom, jumped up and said, “I’m OK.”

I think that we can all agree there is something special about the Manti Temple. Maybe it’s because it sits high on the hill, lighting our way. Maybe it’s because our pioneers sacrificed so much to build it. Maybe it’s the spirit you feel when you visit it. Whatever it is, we are so thankful it is there.

To me and Lilly, the Manti Temple will always be in our hearts as well as all the great memories of the people who came to visit the temple and took a ride with us. Lilly has since passed on, and with all her time spent at the temple, maybe she is giving carriage rides in heaven.

- Kathy Roberts, Ephraim

Photo courtesy of Katy Roberts

Among those in the choir who sang in the May 1888 dedication of the Manti Temple were James B. Tatton and his fiancee, Mary Louisa Cox. One day after choir practice, a brother by the name of Thomas Blake suggested to the couple, “Why don’t you go through and get married the first day the temple opens?”

At first the couple didn’t think it would be possible in the short time remaining, but just before the dedication they did receive their recommends. Then, “We went to the dedication of the temple for three days,” Mary wrote in her journal.

On May 30 — their wedding day — “We had to be (at the temple) at seven o’clock, so Jim came after me in his wagon. He came with the double wagon box on about four feet high. We got there just the same, ha ha.”

After they arrived at the temple, they were told that they needed a marriage license.

“So the boys (accompanying the marriage party) went to the courthouse to see if they could get one, but the law (requiring marriage licenses) did

Memories

not go into effect until the next day,” she wrote. “Although we had some time getting to the temple, we enjoyed it.”

They were one of four couples sealed that day by Elder Francis M. Lyman of the Council of the Twelve. One of the other couples was the wellknown pioneer photographer, George Edward Anderson, and his wife, Olive.

After the ceremony, the Tattons returned to a chicken dinner at the home.

Afterward, they moved in with his father in a home at the foot of the temple. After the father died a few months later, it became their home. Twenty years later, they built a new home at the same site and lived in the home until is was purchased by the Church in the 1940s. The home was removed and the land became part of the temple grounds. While living on what became the temple grounds, the Tattons became well-known for their hospitality, entertaining “a constant stream of visitors (temple patrons). All who came were made welcome and entertained to the capacity of their (the Tattons’) means, said William H.

Memories

Last year (2023), I was privileged to move back to Manti, Utah, my hometown, after being away for 53 years!

The senior missionary couple who handled the history of the Manti Temple held a fireside and we were asked to participate sharing memories or details we remembered about the Manti Temple.

I was very proud to be an angel on the southeast corner of the temple for the first two years of the Mormon Miracle Pageant. I also have fond memories of riding home on Highway 89 from the north or south towards Manti and our family would always see who could shout out first, “I can see the temple!”

The most memorable moment hap-

Peterson, a son-in-law.

Sister Tatton, a school teacher, was a temple worker for many years. The couple lived well into their 80s and died near the temple where they had been married.

pened in 1963 when President David O. McKay was visiting and held a fireside on the grounds of Temple Hill. We were all able to stand in line to shake his hand. I was only 11 years old, but I will never forget the Spirit of the Holy Ghost as I witnessed a Prophet of God at the Manti Temple.

- Evalyn J. Viehweger, Manti

James & Mary Tatton

Memories

In the 1940s, when Faye and Ollie Penrod were young, they found the biggest, greenest, most amazing grassy hill you can imagine. It was the perfect place to play. It was the hill on the Manti Temple grounds!

Faye and Ollie enjoyed rolling down the green hill on warm summer days and sledding down the snowy hill during the winter. The temple grounds became a safe haven and a place to make happy memories. Their tender hearts were still healing from the tragic, unexpected loss of their mother, Amelia Babara Taylor Penrod. They found love and refuge in the nurturing care of their grandparents.

Their grandparents, Oliver Allen Penrod and Mary Knighton Penrod, were ordinance workers in the Manti

Temple. Oliver served faithfully and spent much of his time serving in the temple. Mary served in the temple as much as she could while also caring for her precious, heartbroken grandchildren.

Faye grew up with a profound love and respect for the Manti Temple. She often talked about her childhood memories of the hill, her grandparents and the temple. She knew it was a place all about families being together forever!

Faye Arlene Penrod was blessed to enter into the temple and be sealed to Stanley Leland Ryan in the Manti Temple in 1956. Her brother, “Ollie” Oliver Taylor Penrod, was also sealed in the Manti Temple to his wife, Karma Nielsen, in 1978.

Many siblings, children, grandchil-

Memories

John Red was born Feb. 26, 1823, in Ireland. On Oct. 10, 1844, he married Margaret Kirkwood, also a native of Ireland. The couple joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1847. In 1871, John left his family in Belfast and came to Utah. It isn’t known why he settled in Manti, but it is known that he walked all the way from Salt Lake City to Manti. Once there, he purchased a piece of ground, quarried rock and built a rock home for his family.

In 1872, Margaret brought the rest of the family to Utah (except for one married daughter). In total, the couple had 13 children (two stillborn).

In 1879, John and Margaret were sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Their son John had been sealed to his wife in October 1871, also in the Endowment House. Most of their children were married in

the temple, but they were not sealed to their parents until March of 1929 in the Manti Temple.

John worked on the Manti Temple, specializing in the ornate hardware for the doors. He designed both the hinges and the knobs. Masons of the time were fond of copying Egyptian symbols without knowing their meaning. John, as a top mason and a superstitious Irishman (he firmly believed in fairies) and as a designer of solemn and significant objects, would call upon his knowledge to supply the mystic symbols he used. Whether he knew their significance or not, he designed some beautiful brass striker plates, knobs, hinges, etc. for the temple.

Margaret died on July 9, 1904, and John died on Oct. 7, 1916. Both were buried in the Manti Cemetery.

-

Denise

Frandsen Kroff and family, Gunnison

dren and even great-grandchildren over the years have attended the Manti Temple to perform temple ordinances. Grandpa Penrod would often call Manti Temple “the Penrods’ Temple.” Our family is so grateful for the love and spirit of this sacred temple!

- Pam Sloan, Kanab

Faye Penrod and Lee Ryan at the Manti Temple on June 7, 1956

Photo by Larry Nielson

Memories

I was born and raised in northern Idaho. In 1967, when I was going to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, I was called on a mission to Finland for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am mostly of English ancestry and had little knowledge or feelings for Scandinavia. In fact, I would have to admit that I was not sure exactly where Finland was.

Going to Finland was certainly a cultural shock for me. But, bit by bit, I settled into the Finnish traditions and culture and they became part of me. Although most of the people lived in cement apartment buildings, there were still many older wood houses that people lived in and other wood business buildings. These “puutalot” (wood buildings) had a beautiful distinctive style of trim around the windows, doors, etc. They were very artistically finished.

Several years after returning to the United States, I had the opportunity to visit the Manti Temple for the first time. When I saw the woodworking inside, I was amazed. I said, “This is Scandinavia.” A warm feeling came over me and I was right at home.

- Dianne Green Bjarnson, Manti

I grew up in Manti, knowing from a very young age that the Manti Temple was very special — stories of ancestors who helped with building, and from my grandmother who was still working there through my early childhood.

One second-great-grandfather, Frederick Walter Cox, laid the northwest cornerstone. Several other grandfathers worked on the building, including second-great-grandfather Willhelm Anderson, who was a blacksmith. Among other things, he helped fashion many square-head nails — which are still visible in the floor of the upper story Priesthood room.

Great-great-grandmother Cordelia Morely Cox was a long-time ordinance worker. And many others worked for years doing work for their ancestors — until just days before they passed away. Lots of inspirational stories from these and others.

Many of my ancestors were endowed and sealed in Nauvoo, then great-grandparents and grandparents were sealed here in Manti, as well as my parents, my husband and I, all five of my children, and many grandchildren have been endowed and sealed in this holy edifice.

But one story of which not too many people are aware if the story of food. Yes, much spiritual food is provided in that amazing building, but I’m referring to physical food. Much of the large acreage on the south side of the hill — where the Mormon Miracle Pageant audience sat — was used for many years as a garden, then a cornfield, then a hayfield. The produce from that garden, supplemented by donations of meat and other produce from this area, was used to feed the temple presidency and workers. Meals were served three times a day, six days a week.

Memories

My grandmother, Cora Olena Carlson, was the head cook for many years in the 1930s and early 1940s. She and her limited staff would work all day in the kitchen preparing meals, then during canning season they began after the evening meal to preserve much of the produce from donations and the temple garden. They worked long into the wee hours, then arose to get breakfast early before the endowment sessions began. Grandmother slept at the temple all during those canning weeks, only going home on the weekend to spend time with her youngest child, my school-aged mom, so they could get to church on Sunday.

Gram was also in charge of the annual cleaning. She told me of an instance when girls in her charge were complaining of deep cleaning the east rooms off the Priesthood room, saying, “No one ever comes up here!” Gram

replied, “This is the Lord’s house! He will surely come through these doors. Would He be pleased if it is not clean?”

I recall as a 5-year-old walking up the south road to the temple, through the tunnel (open until many years later) and walking up steps which, in those early years, opened into the kitchen. Gram would meet me at the door with a hug and a fresh cookie. I would then retrace my steps and walk home — only three blocks away.

I and many teenage friends spent many Sunday afternoons walking, sitting and discussing the gospel on the temple hill. I also spent over 50 years on that hill as part of the Manti Pageant cast and staff. The incredible spirit there was felt by thousands of us.

Since those early years, the temple has only become more dear to my heart. My sweet mother was an

ordinance worker, two of my sons have worked as staff and/or ordinance workers, and my husband and I were ordinance workers for 15 years until its closing in 2020.

For the refurbishing in 1985, and now in 2023, I was also privileged to do needlepoint for chairs in a special sealing room in that sacred building. I’m grateful for many beautiful memories resulting from that choice opportunity.

Of course, there are many stories of inspiration I could tell, but I’ll leave those for others. Just know that I know the Manti Temple is a place of peace, communion, revelation and renewal of spirit for God’s covenant children. Millions have been privileged to have access to those blessings in the past 135 years — and I pray it will likely extend into the Millennium.

- Merilyn A. Jorgensen, Manti

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Memories

My grandmother, Karen J. Christensen, opened a boarding house for people who came to Manti to work in the Manti Temple. Previously she was living in Richfield, Utah, but when her husband passed away in July of 1918, grandmother moved to Manti with her youngest daughter, Vilate, with her idea.

Grandma found a home on the street that goes down the temple hill to the south and at the time was the second house on the left, just a short walk from the temple. My mother, being in her teens and available, was able to baptize for the dead. One time she was baptized 437 times in one day.

During the last Manti Temple

I was happy, yet sad too, when I learned of the demise of the Mormon Miracle Pageant and was in one of the last audiences of 2019 as I had been in the late 1960s as well as several times in the interim.

My first visit to “the Pageant”

Pageant we talked to the now owner of the house and told him of the story. He had wondered why their were so many outside doors to the house. As Grandma made money, she would add another room on the back which allowed her to have more resources for food and comfort.

Grandma was a very hard worker. She grew a big garden, bottled produce in the summers, milked the cow twice a day, churned butter, made the bread. I remember one time a neighbor gave her a pig that was the runt of the litter, which she successfully raised to have meat to feed the guests.

- Carolyn H. Johnson, Boise, Idaho

Memories

featured a long walk along Hwy. 89 to and from the pageant, which through the years improved greatly as more and more people got involved in grooming the grass, cleaning up the town, parking, chairs placed for performances, temple sessions adjusted

and sales in local stores appeared.

Other positive side effects appeared as well, such as service projects around the valley by visiting youth groups and increased interest in Sanpete’s pioneer history. It was also fun to meet friends and relatives who appeared to attend the pageant each year. Changes came too as the pageant was presented in June, with cooler nights and once in a while rain drops.

As I have noted the absence of the pageant and the negative effect on local stores and businesses, I could also realize the great blessings that it brought to our area for many years. Yes, one woman’s dream was made possible with the help of hundreds of people who joined in and made the Mormon Miracle Pageant so enjoyable and memorable for so many visitors.

- Kaye Watson, Spring City

Photo by Michael Jorgensen

The Manti Temple holds a very special place in my heart. My grandparents were sealed in this temple, followed by my parents, and then by eight of their nine children. I love this temple and can’t wait for the reopening.

- Shalise Watkins, Ephraim

Photo by Sam Penrod

Photo by Merilyn Jorgensen

Memories

According to the history of Moroni Hunt, President Brigham Young dedicated the Manti Temple site on April 25, 1877. Young men from all over the area were called to help build the temple.

In 1878, Moroni (Roane) Hunt, 26 years old, of Monroe, Utah, was called on a two-year mission to work as a stonemason to build the Manti Temple. He was the son of Thomas and Hannah Moon Hunt.

The first job to be done was to quarry out the rock. This is a trade he learned from working with his father. They had come from England by boat when Moroni was 2.

They settled in Illinois and later crossed the plains in a covered wagon with Captain Lewis Brunson’s company, leaving from Council Bluffs. On the way, his mother Hannah was accused of stealing an Indian baby because Moroni was so dark complected. Her curt, strict words convinced them that Moroni was indeed her baby.

They settled in Moroni before moving to Fort Alma (Monroe). When influenza hit, Moroni was one of those courageous people who helped nurse the sick. He stayed healthy by chewing on sagebrush. He was no stranger to hard work and physical exercise.

When he was 15, he drove a wagon with his mother and family in the back through Indian country to Gunnison. The ride was so rough, his mother Hannah said, “Slow down, I’d as soon be scalped by Indians as jostled to death escaping them.”

He walked to a dance in Gunnison one night when he was 20 and arrived at midnight, too tired to dance anything but waltzes, but waltz he did till 4 a.m. and then walked back home to Monroe.

While working on the temple in Manti, he went to a dance and dinner

Memories

provided by the people of Manti and met Emily Casto, age 15. It is said she told her friends, “He is mine,“ and Moroni said to his friends after a first glance, “She is mine.” Moroni and Emily Casto were married after

his mission on Dec. 11, 1878, in the St. George Temple and moved back to Monroe.

Moroni was the son of my great-great-grandparents.

- Kathy Lee Chadwick, Spring City

Moroni and Emily Hunt

Photo by Jen Springer

Memories

Moving to Spring City led me to a new project, involvement with a new history book for the town, which then led to learning more about local people who sacrificed much to build the Manti Temple, such as a nickel or a dime for the building fund and local men who asked their wives and children to care for the farming chores while they walked or rode to Manti for hard manual labor. By the mid 1880s, Relief Society women were busy creating items of beauty to adorn the soon-to-be-dedicated temple (1888).

Fast forward to the mid-1980s when we again anticipated a temple rededication in a beautiful and historic temple that I thought of as “my” temple. In June 1985, many of us were privileged to “clean” the temple after workers left. As I took my turn dusting benches and steps, I couldn’t resist peeking behind a small door or two, which revealed unpainted boards but nothing exciting. Not long after, I was privileged to attend the rededication in person and hear the dedicatory prayer given by a prophet.

Another rededication of “my” temple looms in the near future; more modern communications will probably allow most of us to watch and listen in a different way than in 1985. I, along with many others, anxiously look forward to the return of “our” temple so that we can enjoy its beauty and spirit many miles closer to us.

- Kaye Watson, Spring City

Photo by Paul Bowers

WHAT’S NEXT FOR UTAH TEMPLES

The Syracuse Utah Temple is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

A total of eight temples are currently under construction or undergoing renovation in Utah. Three more will be dedicated within the next three and a half months.

These temple sites stretch from Smithfield, located about 11 miles from Utah’s northern

border with Idaho, to St. George, situated about 8 miles from the state’s southern border with Arizona.

When all these temples are completed, Utah with have a total of 28 operating temples within its borders.

UTAH

Temples Blooming Throughout the State

Utah Temples Nearing Completion

RED CLIFFS UTAH TEMPLE

1555 South Red Cliffs Temple Lane, St. George

Announced: Oct. 7, 2018

Groundbreaking: Nov. 7, 2020

Total floor area: 96,277 square feet

Site: 15.12 acres

Public open house held Feb. 1-March 2, 2024. Dedication scheduled for March 24, 2024.

TAYLORSVILLE UTAH TEMPLE

2603 W. 4700 South, Taylorsville

Announced: Oct. 5, 2019

Groundbreaking: Oct. 31, 2020

Total floor area: 70,460 square feet

Site: 7.5 acres

Public open house to be held April 13-May 18, 2024. Dedication scheduled for June 2, 2024.

LAYTON UTAH TEMPLE

1400 E. Oakhills Drive, Layton

Announced: April 1, 2018

Groundbreaking: May 23, 2020

Total floor area: 87,000 square feet

Site: 11.87 acres

Public open house to be held April 19-June 1, 2024. Dedication scheduled for June 26, 2024.

Utah Temples Under Construction

DESERET PEAK UTAH TEMPLE

2400 N. 400 West, Tooele

Announced: April 7, 2019

Groundbreaking: May 15, 2021

Total floor area: 70,000 square feet

Site: 17.98 acres

Landscaping and interior nearly completion, temple president and matron called; construction estimated to be completed in mid-2024.

SYRACUSE UTAH TEMPLE

1025 S. 2500 West, Syracuse

Announced: April 5, 2020

Groundbreaking: June 12, 2021

Total floor area: 88,886 square feet

Site: 12.27 acres

Exterior cladding nearly completion, landscaping underway; construction estimated to be completed in late 2024..

LINDON UTAH TEMPLE

Approximately 850 E. Center, Lindon

Announced: Oct. 4, 2020

Groundbreaking: April 23, 2022

Total floor area: 87,005 square feet

Site: 11.87 acres

Stone cladding underway, curbing installed; construction estimated to be completed in mid-2025.

SMITHFIELD UTAH TEMPLE

800 W. 100 North, Smithfield

Announced: April 4, 2021

Groundbreaking: June 18, 2022

Total floor area: 81,000 square feet

Site: 13.3 acres

Stone cladding underway, structural framing nearly completion; construction estimated to be completed in mid- to late 2025.

Utah Temples Under Construction

EPHRAIM UTAH TEMPLE

200 N. 400 East, Ephraim

Announced: May 1, 2021

Groundbreaking: Aug. 27, 2022

Total floor area: 39,000 square feet

Site: 9.16 acres

Glass being installed in window openings, asphalt paved; estimated to be completed in mid- to late 2025.

HEBER VALLEY UTAH TEMPLE

1400 E. Center St., Heber City

Announced: Oct. 3, 2021

Groundbreaking: Oct. 8, 2022

Total floor area: 87,626 square feet

Site: 18.17 acres

Full-scale construction pending; estimated to be completed in 2027.

Utah Temples Undergoing Renovation

SALT LAKE TEMPLE

50 W. North Temple Street, Salt Lake City

Closed for renovation: Dec. 29, 2019

Total floor area: 253,000 square feet

Site: 10 acres

Construction of visitors’ and entrance pavilions underway, ornamental fencing installed, landscaping of contemplation gardens underway; renovation estimated to be completed in 2026.

PROVO UTAH ROCK CANYON TEMPLE

2200 Temple Hill Drive, Provo

Closed for renovation: Feb. 24, 2024

Total floor area: 130,825 square feet

Site: 17 acres

Temple exterior to be completely altered from its current appearance. Anticipated completion date unknown.

SANPETE’S SECOND TEMPLE

As Sanpete County residents look forward to the reopening of the Manti Utah Temple, they are also watching a new temple rise from the ground in a nearby community.

Sanpete’s second temple, the Ephraim Utah Temple, is well underway at the intersection of 200 North and 400 East, just northeast of the Snow College campus. Announced May 21, 2021, at a press conference in the Manti Tabernacle, the Ephraim temple will be the 27th temple to open in Utah.

Ground was broken for the Ephraim temple on Aug. 27, 2022. Presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony was President Russell M. Nelson, the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His family helped settle the Sanpete Valley.

“The history of this area includes my own family,” President Nelson said at the event, which was attended by invited guests. “My dear mother was born in Ephraim, not far from this very temple site. My father was born in Manti.

Three of my four grandparents were born here in Ephraim. All eight of my great-grandparents lived in Ephraim.”

President Nelson also offered the dedicatory prayer for the site.

“We pray that the construction of this temple may be accomplished to accommodate Thy divine purposes,” Nelson said in the dedicatory prayer. “We are deeply grateful for our ancestors. They have laid a foundation of faith that undergirds our spiritual strength.

May we learn who they are, find their qualifying information, and bless their lives with sacred rites offered vicariously in this holy house.”

President Nelson was accompanied by his wife, Wendy, as well as Elder Walter F. Gonzalez, a General Authority Seventy; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the Church’s Temple Department; and their wives.

Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox, a native of the city of Fairview, located 20 miles north of Ephraim, and other government leaders also attended the temple groundbreaking.

The Ephraim Utah Temple will be a three-story, 39,000-square-foot structure that includes four instruction rooms, three sealing rooms and one baptistry. It is expected to be completed in mid- to late 2025.

It will serve more than 31,000 Latter-day Saints in Sanpete, Carbon and Emery counties. This includes Latter-day Saint students who attend nearby Snow College.

Photo by Marcia Harris, the Pyramid

The interior structure of the Ephraim Utah temple begins to rise in this photo taken in July 2023. The campus of Snow College can be seen above the temple site. Photo by Raymond Babbitt.

FROM DESIGN TO SPIRE The Process of Building a Temple

From churchofjesuschrist.org

Each temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a house of the Lord, and each is a beautiful building meant to last many years thanks to high-quality materials and rigorous building standards.

The creation of these sacred structures is much like the construction of any other building. The process is also unique because of the significant role temples play in Latter-day Saint theology.

FUNDING & SELECTING A SITE

Temples are built using Church funds set aside for that purpose. The Church pays for the costs without a mortgage or other financing.

Once the decision is made to build a temple in a certain area, the First Presidency then prayerfully chooses the precise spot on which to build — a pattern that has been in place since the Church of Jesus Christ’s beginning. For example, soon after entering the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847, Brigham Young identified the block of land on which to build the Salt Lake Temple.

Bill Williams, who has been a Church architect since 2003, says the Church looks for sites “that would have prominence, be in an attractive neighborhood, a neighborhood that would withstand the test of time.”

DESIGN PHASE

After the temple site is selected and the Church determines how large the building will be, a team of architects creates potential exterior and interior designs.

While the purpose of each of the Church’s temples is the same, many aspects of each structure’s inner and outer look and feel are unique and tailored to the local people and area.

To create a look and feel that is just right for a specific temple, architects solicit several sources. Williams said his team meets with locals to “understand the nature of the people, the country that they live in, Latter-day Saints that are there and how we can better fit the temple” to them.

A critical aspect of the planning process is sustainable design, a concept that Williams says seeks to reduce a temple’s long-term operational cost. “Whatever we can do to make the environmental systems, the mechanical systems energy efficient, to make the interior materials have longevity so that they don’t wear out straightaway, anything we can do to conserve water, it’s great for us as the owner because it makes that long-term cost less. That’s what it means to be sustainable.”

In selecting building materials, the Church settles for nothing but the best. The pattern for this is found in the Bible’s description of Solomon’s Tem-

ple in 1 Kings 7. They used the finest materials and workers. The Church of Jesus Christ follows the same pattern.

The role of inspiration is critical to temple design. Design meetings begin with prayer. The design process can take up to two years. All along the way — from architectural detail clear down to colors and carpet swatches — the First Presidency is involved and provides final approvals.

CONSTRUCTION

Because of the high standards for building its temples, the Church sends representatives across the world to search out the best contractors. The Church uses many contractors, and the complexity of temple design requires the very best that most workers have ever had to give on a project.

The high building standards are in place for two main reasons: first, Latter-day Saints believe their temples are the holiest places on earth and tributes to God; second, the Church builds these temples to last hundreds of years.

Church representatives ensure the construction companies are financially stable and able to meet Church regulations (including prohibitions against smoking, drinking and loud music on the construction site, though construction workers do not have to be Latter-day Saints). The Church then

invites those selected companies to the bidding process. Once a company is chosen, construction typically takes 24 to 48 months, depending on the location.

For temple sites outside the United States, construction can take more time for a variety of reasons. For example, some countries might have more manual labor to do things that in the United States could be done with equipment. Other things can slow down the process, such as additional fees incurred by local governments.

OPEN HOUSE & DEDICATION

Latter-day Saints who live the highest standards of the faith are permitted to enter a dedicated temple. Therefore, once construction is complete, and prior to the temple’s dedication, the Church opens the temple doors to the public for several weeks for free tours. These open houses are a rare opportunity for anyone in the community to walk through a temple and learn more about Latter-day Saint beliefs.

Typically within a week or two after the open house concludes, a Church leader formally dedicates the temple. This is done by offering a dedicatory prayer to consecrate the temple for those sacred purposes for which the temple is built.

The spire is placed on top of the new Orem Utah Temple, which was dedicated Jan. 21, 2024. Photo by Brent Ririe

EXISTING UTAH TEMPLES

The following is a list of currently operating temples in Utah.

ST. GEORGE UTAH TEMPLE

250 E. 400 South, St. George

Total floor area: 143,969 square feet

Site: 6.5 acres

Ordinance rooms: Three instruction rooms with separate veil room, 18 sealing rooms, and one baptistry

Dedicated: April 6-8, 1877, by Daniel H. Wells (with Brigham Young presiding)

1st dedicated temple in operation

1st dedicated temple in Utah

LOGAN UTAH TEMPLE

175 N. 300 East, Logan

Total floor area: 119,619 square feet

Site: 9 acres

Ordinance rooms: Four instruction rooms with separate veil room, 11 sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: May 17-19, 1884, by John Taylor

2nd dedicated temple in operation

2nd dedicated temple in Utah

MANTI UTAH TEMPLE

510 N. 200 East, Manti

Total floor area: 74,792 square feet

Site: 27 acres

Ordinance rooms: Four instruction rooms (four-stage progressive), eight sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: May 21-23, 1888 by Lorenzo Snow

3rd dedicated temple in operation

3rd dedicated temple in Utah

OGDEN UTAH TEMPLE

350 22nd Street, Ogden

Total floor area: 112,232 square feet

Site: 9.96 acres

Ordinance rooms: Six instruction rooms, nine sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: Jan. 18-20, 1972 by Joseph Fielding Smith

14th dedicated temple in operation

5th dedicated temple in Utah

JORDAN RIVER UTAH TEMPLE

10200 S. 1300 West, South Jordan

Total floor area: 148,236 square feet

Site: 15 acres

Ordinance rooms: Six instruction rooms, 16 sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: Nov. 16–20, 1981, by Marion G. Romney

20th dedicated temple in operation

7th dedicated temple in Utah

BOUNTIFUL UTAH TEMPLE

640 S. Bountiful Blvd., Bountiful

Total floor area: 104,000 square feet

Site: 9 acres

Ordinance rooms: Four instruction rooms, eight sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: January 8-14, 1995, by Howard W. Hunter

47th dedicated temple in operation

8th dedicated temple in Utah

MOUNT TIMPANOGOS

UTAH TEMPLE

742 N. 900 East, American Fork

Total floor area: 107,240 square feet

Site: 16.7 acres

Ordinance rooms: Four instruction rooms, eight sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: Oct. 13-19, 1996

49th dedicated temple worldwide 9th dedicated temple in Utah

VERNAL UTAH TEMPLE

170 S. 400 West, Vernal

Total floor area: 38,771 square feet

Site: 1.6 acres

Ordinance rooms: Two instruction rooms (two-stage progressive), three sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: Nov. 2-4, 1997 by Gordon B. Hinckley

51st dedicated temple in operation

10th dedicated temple in Utah

MONTICELLO UTAH TEMPLE

365 N. 200 West, Monticello

Total floor area: 11,225 square feet

Site: 1.33 acres

Ordinance rooms: Two instruction rooms (two-stage progressive), two sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: July 26-27, 1998, by Gordon B. Hinckley

53rd dedicated temple in operation

11th dedicated temple in Utah

DRAPER UTAH TEMPLE

14065 Canyon Vista Lane, Draper

Total floor area: 58,300 square feet

Site: 12 acres

Ordinance rooms: Four instruction rooms (two-stage progressive), five sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: March 20-22, 2009 by Thomas S. Monson

129th dedicated temple in operation

12th dedicated temple in Utah

OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN UTAH TEMPLE

11022 S. 4000 West, South Jordan

Total floor area: 60,000 square feet

Site: 11 acres

Ordinance rooms: Four instruction rooms (two-stage progressive), seven sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: Aug. 21–23, 2009, by Thomas S. Monson

130th dedicated temple in operation

13th dedicated temple in Utah

BRIGHAM CITY UTAH TEMPLE

250 S. Main, Brigham City

Total floor area: 36,000 square feet

Site: 3.14 acres

Ordinance rooms: Two instruction rooms (two-stage progressive), three sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: Sept. 23, 2012, by Boyd K. Packer

139th dedicated temple in operation

14th dedicated temple in Utah

PAYSON UTAH TEMPLE

1494 S. 930 West, Payson

Total floor area: 96,630 square feet

Site: 10.63 acres

Ordinance rooms: Three instruction rooms, seven sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: June 7, 2015

146th dedicated temple worldwide

15th dedicated temple in Utah

PROVO CITY CENTER

TEMPLE

50 S. University Ave., Provo

Total floor area: 85,084 square feet

Site: 5.6 acres

Ordinance rooms: Three instruction rooms (two-stage progressive), five sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: March 20, 2016

150th dedicated temple worldwide

16th dedicated temple in Utah

CEDAR CITY

UTAH TEMPLE

280 S. Cove Drive, Cedar City

Total floor area: 42,657 square feet

Site: 9.5 acres

Ordinance rooms: Two instruction rooms, three sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedicated: Dec. 10, 2017, by Henry B. Eyring

159th dedicated temple in operation

17th dedicated temple in Utah

SARATOGA SPRINGS UTAH TEMPLE

987 S. Ensign Drive, Saratoga Springs

Total floor area: 87,000 square feet

Site: 22.7 acres

Ordinance rooms: Four instruction rooms, six sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedication: Aug. 13, 2023, by President Henry B. Eyring

179th dedicated temple in operation

18th dedicated temple in Utah

OREM UTAH TEMPLE

1471 S. Geneva Road, Orem

Total floor area: 70,000 square feet

Site: 15.39 acres

Ordinance rooms: Four instruction rooms, four sealing rooms, one baptistry

Dedication: Jan. 21, 2024 by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

190th dedicated temple in operation

20th dedicated temple in Utah

who we are Granary Arts is housed in the Ephraim Relief Society Granary,

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