View source for Salt Lake Temple

{{Short description|LDS temple in Salt Lake City, Utah}}
{{Use American English|date = August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{LDS Temple/Salt Lake Temple |format=Infobox LDS Temple}}
The '''Salt Lake Temple''' is a [[Temple (LDS Church)|temple]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] on [[Temple Square]] in [[Salt Lake City]], Utah, United States. At {{convert|253015|sqft|m2|abbr=}}, it is the [[Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|largest Latter-day Saint temple]] by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth temple completed by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth temple built since the [[Mormon pioneers|Mormon exodus]] from [[Nauvoo, Illinois]], in 1846.<ref name=churchofjesuschristtemples.org>{{citation |url= https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/salt-lake-temple/ |title= Salt Lake Temple |work= Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |publisher= churchofjesuschristtemples.org |first= Rick |last= Satterfield |access-date= October 11, 2012 }}</ref> The temple was closed in December 2019 for a general remodelling and [[Seismic retrofit|seismic renovations]], which were initially estimated to take approximately four years.<ref name="April 2019 Press Release">{{citation |url= https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/plans-unveiled-salt-lake-temple-renovation |title= Plans Unveiled for Salt Lake Temple Renovation |work=Church Newsroom |publisher=[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] |date= April 19, 2019}}</ref> Subsequent updates<ref name="December 2021 Press Release">{{citation |url= https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/temple-square-renovation-update--december-2021 |title= Temple Square Renovation Update: December 2021 |work=Church Newsroom |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |date= December 13, 2021}}</ref><ref name="March 2023 Press Release">{{citation |url= https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/temple-square-renovation-update-march-2023 |title= Temple Square Renovation Update: March 2023 |work=Church Newsroom |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |date= March 23, 2023}}</ref> extended the estimated completion to 2026, for a total renovation timeline lasting an anticipated six or seven years.

[[File:10172022SaltLakeUtahTemple-01.jpg|thumb|alt=SLC Temple|Renovations of Salt Lake Temple]]

==Details==
[[File:Salt Lake Temple model - 2 March 2013.jpg|thumb|Cutaway model showing the interior layout of the temple, as it existed prior to a major renovation that began in 2019]]
The Salt Lake Temple is the centerpiece of the {{convert|10|acre|adj=on}} [[Temple Square]] in Salt Lake City, Utah. Like other Latter-day Saint temples, the church and its members consider it sacred and a [[temple recommend]] is required to enter, so there are no public tours inside the temple as there are for other adjacent buildings on Temple Square. In 1912, the first public photographs of the interior were published in the book ''[[The House of the Lord]]'', by [[James E. Talmage]].<ref>Talmage, James.  ''The House of the Lord''.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1912</ref>  Since then, various photographs have been published, including by ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine in 1938.<ref name="life1938010322">{{citation |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=jkoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 |title= The Destiny of 747,000 Mormons is Shaped in These Hallowed Temple Rooms |magazine= [[Life (magazine)|Life]] |date= January 3, 1938 |volume= 4 |issue= 1 |pages= 22–23 |access-date= October 11, 2012 }}</ref> The temple grounds are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.utah.com/mormon/temple_square.htm |title= Temple Square |publisher= Utah.com (Utah Office of Tourism) |access-date= October 11, 2012 |archive-date= October 3, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121003015645/http://utah.com/mormon/temple_square.htm |url-status= dead }}</ref> Due to its location at church headquarters and its historical significance, Latter-day Saints from around the world patronize the temple.

The Salt Lake Temple is also the location of the weekly meetings of the [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]] and the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]].<ref>{{citation |url= https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1991/05/prophets?lang=eng |title= Prophets |last= Craven |first= Rulon G. |journal= [[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]] |date=May 1991 |access-date= October 11, 2012 }}</ref>{{r|life1938010322}} As such, there are special meeting rooms in the building for these purposes, including the [[Holy of Holies (LDS Church)|Holy of Holies]], which are not part of other temples.

The temple includes some elements thought to evoke [[Solomon's Temple]] at [[Jerusalem]]. It is oriented towards Jerusalem{{cn|date=February 2024}} and the large basin used as a baptismal font is mounted on the backs of twelve oxen, as was the [[Molten Sea]] in Solomon's Temple (see 2 Chronicles 4:2–4). (However, the literal interpretation of the Biblical verses has been disputed.)<ref name=Hamblin>{{cite book |title= Solomon's Temple: Myth and History |last1= Hamblin |first1= William J. |author-link= William J. Hamblin |last2= Seely |first2= David Rolph |year= 2007 |publisher= [[Thames & Hudson]] |pages= 191–193 |isbn= 9780500251331 }}</ref> At the east end of the building, the height of the center pinnacle to the base of the angel Moroni is {{Convert|210|ft}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://ldschurchnewsarchive.com/temples/98/Salt-Lake.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140502050804/http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/temples/98/Salt-Lake.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= May 2, 2014 |title= Salt Lake Temple |publisher= ldschurchnewsarchive.com |access-date= October 11, 2012 }}</ref>

===Location===
The temple is in downtown Salt Lake City, with several mountain peaks close by. Nearby, a shallow stream, [[City Creek (Utah)|City Creek]], splits and flows both to the west and to the south, flowing into the [[Jordan River (Utah)|Jordan River]]. There is a wall around the {{convert|10|acre|ha|adj=on}} temple site. The surrounding wall became the first permanent structure on what has become known as Temple Square. The wall is a uniform {{Convert|15|ft}} high but varies in appearance because of the site's southwest slope.<ref name=Hamilton>{{harvnb|Hamilton|1992|p={{Page needed|date=October 2012}} }}</ref>

==Uses==
The temple is considered the house of God and is reserved for special ceremonies for practicing Latter-Day Saints. The main [[ordinance room]]s are used during the [[Endowment (Latter Day Saints)|endowment ceremony]]—namely the creation, garden, telestial, terrestrial, and celestial rooms in that order of use.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Talbot|first1=Bridger|title=The Evolution of Sacred Space: The Changing Environment of the Endowment|journal=Front Matter: 2014 BYU Religious Education Student Symposium|date=2014|url=https://rsc-dev.byu.edu/archived/byu-religious-education-student-symposium-2014/evolution-sacred-space-changing-environment|access-date=July 9, 2017|archive-date=August 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802090016/https://rsc-dev.byu.edu/archived/byu-religious-education-student-symposium-2014/evolution-sacred-space-changing-environment|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Mangus|first1=Brittany|title=Prepare Now for the Temple: An Essential Guide for Young Adult Sisters|date=January 8, 2013|publisher=Cedar Fort Inc.|location=Springville, Utah|isbn=978-1599550527|page=1996|edition=Reprint|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFl9TXWrP70C&pg=PA1996|access-date=July 9, 2017}}</ref> A [[Washing and anointing|washing and anointing ceremony]] is also administered, and until 1921, the rooms were also used for healing rituals of washing and anointing for the sick or pregnant and were administered by women and men.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=Kristine|last2=Stapley|first2=Jonathan|title=Female Ritual Healing in Mormonism|journal=Journal of Mormon History|date=Winter 2011|volume=37|issue=1|url=https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1064&context=mormonhistory#page=18}}</ref>{{rp|16,67}} The temple also serves as a place for [[Sealing (Mormonism)|marriage sealing ceremonies]] for live and deceased persons. Additional uses include functioning as a location for [[Baptism for the dead|baptisms for the dead]], baptisms for health (until being discontinued in 1921),<ref name="Baptism">{{cite journal|last1=Stapley|first1=Jonathan A.|last2=Wright|first2=Kristene L.|title='They Shall Be Made Whole': A History of Baptism for Health|journal=Journal of Mormon History|date=Fall 2008|volume=34|issue=4|url=https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=mormonhistory#page=76}}</ref>{{rp|98}} and, briefly, for re-baptism for the renewal of covenants.<ref name="Baptism" />{{rp|97}} Other rituals performed in the temple include the [[second anointing|second anointing ordinance]] for live and deceased persons,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Buerger|first1=David John|title='The Fullness of the Priesthood': The Second Anointing in Latter-day Saint Theology and Practice|journal=Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought|date=Spring 1983|volume=16|issue=1|pages=41, 43|doi=10.2307/45225125 |jstor=45225125 |url=https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V16N01_12.pdf|access-date=July 10, 2017}}</ref> and meeting rooms for church leaders.<ref name="House">{{cite book|last1=Talmage|first1=James|title=The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries Modern and Ancient|date=1912|publisher=Deseret News|location=Salt Lake City|url=https://archive.org/stream/houseoflordstudy00talm#page/n8/mode/1up|access-date=July 9, 2017}}</ref>{{rp|195–197}}<ref name="Inside" />{{rp|30}}

==Temple construction and dedication==
[[File:Granite for temple.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Quartz monzonite]] for temple being quarried at [[Little Cottonwood Canyon]] (1872)]]
The temple's location was first marked by [[Brigham Young]], the church's second [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|president]], on July 28, 1847, just four days after he arrived in the [[Salt Lake Valley]]. He marked a location between two forks of City Creek saying "Here will be the Temple of our God".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Cowan |first=Richard O. |date=2011 |title=The design, construction, and role of the Salt Lake Temple. |url=https://rsc.byu.edu/sites/default/files/pub_content/pdf/SLC%204%20Cowan.pdf}}</ref> In 1901, church apostle [[Anthon H. Lund]] recorded in his journal that "it is said" that [[Oliver Cowdery]]'s divining rod was used to locate the temple site.<ref>Anthon H. Lund Journal, July 5, 1901, cited by BYU Prof. [[D. Michael Quinn]] https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/latter-day-saint-prayer-circles</ref>  The temple site was dedicated on February 14, 1853, by [[Heber C. Kimball]]. The groundbreaking ceremony was presided over by Young, who laid the [[cornerstone]] on April 6, 1853, the twenty-third anniversary of the church being organized.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Hanks">{{cite web |first= Marion D |last= Hanks |author-link= Marion D. Hanks |url= http://ldsfaq.byu.edu/viewEM.aspx?number=162 |title= Salt Lake Temple |work= LDS FAQ |publisher= [[BYU Studies]] |access-date= October 11, 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131021201525/http://ldsfaq.byu.edu/viewEM.aspx?number=162 |archive-date= October 21, 2013 |df= mdy-all }}</ref><!-- This is the original source for the previous lightplanet ref --> The architect was [[Truman O. Angell]], and the temple features both Gothic and Romanesque elements.

An annex, designed by Joseph Don Carlos Young, is built 100 feet north of the temple. The construction of the annex started in 1892, and it was opened in 1893, at the same time as the temple itself. This building included a large entrance area and an assembly hall. In August of 1962, the main temple was closed. A new annex was opened at the north end of the temple square in March of 1966, which largely expanded the temple's capacity with a 400 seat chapel, underground dressing rooms, 4,000 lockers and large waiting rooms for marriage ceremonies. Both the annex and the addition were built using the same granite from the original quarry and designed to match the temple's architecture.<ref name=":0" />     

[[Sandstone]] was originally used for the foundation. During the [[Utah War]], the foundation was buried and the lot made to look like a plowed field to prevent unwanted attention from federal troops. With the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, the troops were called away by December. In the spring, when the foundation was uncovered to continue work, it was discovered that many of the foundation stones had cracked, making them unsuitable to hold the weight of the massive temple.<ref name=":0" /> Although not all of the sandstone was replaced, the inadequate sandstone was replaced. The walls are [[quartz monzonite]] (which has the appearance of [[granite]]) from [[Little Cottonwood Canyon]], {{Convert|20|mi|spell=on}} southeast of the temple site. [[Oxen]] transported the quarried rock initially, but as the [[Transcontinental Railroad]] neared completion in 1869 the remaining stones were carried by rail at a much faster rate.<ref name="Hanks"/>

During the construction, the temple grounds were seized by the US Marshal as a result of the [[Edmunds–Tucker Act]] of 1886. It was later returned to the Latter-day Saints.

[[File:Salt-lake-temple details.jpg|right|thumb|150px|A plaque with construction details]]
The [[Coping (architecture)|capstone]]—the granite sphere that holds the statue of the [[Angel Moroni]]—was laid on April 6, 1892, by means of an electric motor and switch operated by [[Wilford Woodruff]], the church's fourth president, thus completing work on the temple's exterior. The Angel Moroni statue, standing {{convert|12.5|ft|m}} tall, was placed on top of the capstone later the same day.<ref>{{citation |url= https://www.thechurchnews.com/archive/1992-04-04/temple-capstone-laid-100-years-ago-5196 |newspaper= [[Church News]] |title= Temple capstone laid 100 years ago |date= April 4, 1992 |access-date= October 11, 2012 |archive-date= November 16, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181116033429/https://www.thechurchnews.com/archive/1992-04-04/temple-capstone-laid-100-years-ago-5196 |url-status= dead }}</ref> At the capstone ceremony, Woodruff proposed the building's interior be finished within one year, which would allow the temple to be dedicated forty years, to the day, after its commencement. [[John R. Winder]] was instrumental in overseeing the interior's completion on schedule; he would serve as a member of the temple presidency until his death in 1910. Woodruff dedicated the temple on April 6, 1893, exactly forty years after the cornerstone was laid.<ref name="Hanks"/>

===2019 to 2026 renovation ===
[[File:Salt Lake Temple under construction.jpg|thumb|Photo of the Salt Lake Temple in 2020 at the beginning of its reconstruction]]
At the end of 2019, the temple was closed for a [[seismic retrofit]]ting designed to allow it to withstand a magnitude 7.3 earthquake, the strongest expected magnitude in the Salt Lake Valley;<ref>{{Cite web|last=Walch|first=Tad|date=2019-04-19|title=Here's how the Salt Lake Temple's base isolation system will protect it from earthquakes|url=https://www.deseret.com/2019/4/19/20671272/here-s-how-the-salt-lake-temple-s-base-isolation-system-will-protect-it-from-earthquakes|access-date=2020-08-04|website=Deseret News|language=en}}</ref> work was expected to take about four years. Other facilities on [[Temple Square]] (and certain parts of the main temple) were to be demolished, [[Earthquake engineering|reconstructed, and modernized in line with seismic code]].<ref name="April 2019 Press Release"/>
[[Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing]] systems will be replaced,<ref name="April 2019 Press Release"/> Initially the interior and its historical artifacts were planned to be preserved<ref name="December 2019 Press Release">{{Cite web|date=December 4, 2019 |title=New Renderings Released for Salt Lake Temple Renovation |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-renderings-released-salt-lake-temple-renovation |access-date=March 13, 2021 |website=Church Newsroom}}</ref> (although plans were later changed and many historic elements were removed<ref name="March 2021 Press Release"/>) and plazas and landscaping modified.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-30|title=Salt Lake Temple Renovation - What to Expect|url=https://www.templesquare.com/blog/salt-lake-temple-renovation-announcement/|access-date=2020-08-04|website=Temple Square|language=en-US}}</ref> Visitor access and [[tourism]] would remain during the entire renovation process, but in regulated and coordinated fashion.<ref name="December 2019 Press Release"/>

Prior to 2019, the building had never been decommissioned for renovation and only minor updating of finishes and systems had occurred within the temple proper (although multiple "annex" additions had been added and removed in the past). This meant the temple's core historic architecture, layout, and workmanship had been preserved for 126 years.

Before reconstruction started, church leaders indicated that the temple's unique historicity would be preserved.<ref name="April 2019 Press Release"/> Church employees stated that special efforts would be made to highlight and honor the pioneer craftsmanship<ref name="December 2019 Press Release"/> and indicated the interiors would essentially remain the same.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fletcher Stack |first=Peggy |date=December 4, 2019 |title=Visitor experience about to change at Salt lake City's Temple Square. Here's how and why. |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2019/12/04/temple-square/ |work=Salt Lake Tribune |location=Salt Lake City |access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref> Various renderings were released showing the instruction rooms used for the endowment ceremony would remain intact, with the original layout, woodwork and murals being preserved.<ref name="December 2019 Press Release"/>
[[File:SLTempleRemodel-April2025.jpg|left|thumb|249x249px|The Salt Lake Temple clad in scaffolding in April 2025]]
In March 2021, the church announced significant changes to the renovation plan that affected many elements in the temple's historic interior. The progressive room-to-room live endowment ceremony would be removed and the layout of the temple would change, with the baptistry being moved to the annex and new instruction rooms constructed in its place. Other rooms and walls would be reconfigured, requiring the removal of the temple's murals. The murals and many other historic features of the building were photographed and otherwise documented before being permanently removed or destroyed.<ref name="March 2021 Press Release">{{cite web |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/salt-lake-manti-temples-update-march-2021 |title=First Presidency Provides Update about Historic Temple Renovations |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |date=March 12, 2021 |website=Church Newsroom |access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref> These changes will allow for greater patron capacity, but the removal of many historic elements was met with criticism, especially the destruction of the temple's murals. One prominent historian described the changes as a "huge and unnecessary loss" and another noted them as a loss of "priceless cultural artifacts".<ref>{{cite news |last=Fletcher Stack |first=Peggy |date=March 12, 2021 |title=In a loss for preservation, LDS Church removes historic murals from Salt Lake Temple |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/03/12/lds-church-removes/ |work=Salt Lake Tribune |location=Salt Lake City |access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref>

In December 2021, the church updated estimations for the renovation completion for 2025,<ref name="December 2021 Press Release"/> and in March 2023, estimates for the completion were again extended to 2026.<ref name="March 2023 Press Release"/> If the latest estimations prove accurate, the total reconstruction period will have lasted between six and seven years.

After stating in an October 2024 [[General Conference (LDS Church)|general conference]] address<ref name="RMN Oct 2024">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-06 |title=The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/10/57nelson?lang=eng |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=LDS Church }}</ref> that renovations were expected to conclude by the end of 2026, church president [[Russell M. Nelson]] announced in February 2025 that a public open house is expected to be held from April to October 2027.<ref name="dn-openhouse">{{Cite web |date=2025-02-14 |title=A six-month public open house for the Salt Lake Temple is set for 2027 |url=https://www.deseret.com/faith/2025/02/14/salt-lake-temple-public-open-house-six-months-2027-after-renovation/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}</ref>

==Symbolism==
{{See also|Symbolism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Temple architecture (LDS Church)|Mormonism and Freemasonry}}
The Salt Lake Temple incorporates many symbolic adornments including [[Masonic ritual and symbolism|Masonic symbols]].<ref name="Masonry">{{cite journal |last= Homer |first= Michael W. |title= 'Similarity of Priesthood in Masonry': The Relationship Between Freemasonry and Mormonism |journal= Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought |date= Fall 1994 |volume=27 |issue=3 |doi= 10.2307/45225960 |jstor= 45225960 |s2cid= 254317678 |url= https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V27N03_15.pdf |access-date= July 8, 2017}}</ref>{{rp|73,79}}<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|38–39}} Symbolism is important to LDS Church members.<ref name="Why Symbols?">{{citation |title= Why Symbols? |url= https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2007/02/why-symbols?lang=eng |journal= [[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]] |date= February 2007 |access-date= October 11, 2012 }}</ref> These symbols include the following:
[[File:Salt Lake Temple Symbols.png|thumb|350px|center|Some of the temple's exterior symbols]]

* '''All-seeing eye''' – The center tower on each side has a depiction of the [[Eye of Providence|all-seeing eye of God]] representing how God sees all things.<ref name=churchofjesuschristtemples.org /><ref name="Celestial">{{cite book|last1=Berber|first1=Allen H.|title=Celestial Symbols: Symbolism in Doctrine, Religious Traditions and Temple Architecture|date=April 4, 2006|publisher=Horizon Publishers|isbn=0882908081|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WSw9X9eYU6gC|access-date=July 10, 2017}}</ref>{{rp|147}}
[[File:East Elevation of the Temple.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Original 1854 design of the East side showing the horizontal angel, Sun faces, earth details, and compass and square window details. These elements were later modified or removed.]]
* '''Angel statue''' – The golden [[Angel Moroni]] statue, by sculptor [[Cyrus E. Dallin]], tops the capstone of the temple. It symbolizes the angel mentioned in {{Sourcetext |source= Bible |version= King James |book= Revelation |chapter= 14 |verse= 6}} that will come to welcome in the [[Second Coming of Christ]]. Early architectural plans showed two horizontally flying angels<ref>{{cite web|title=Oldest Artwork on Temple Square|url=https://www.templesquare.com/blog/oldest-artwork-on-temple-square/|website=Temple Square Blog|publisher=LDS Church Deseret Management Corporation|access-date=July 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Salt Lake Temple p.47|url=https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=435107|website=collections.lib.utah.edu|publisher=University of Utah|access-date=July 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bishop|first1=M. Guy|last2=Holzapfel|first2=Richard Neitzel|title=The 'St. Peter's of the New World': The Salt Lake Temple, Tourism, and a New Image for Utah|journal=Utah Historical Quarterly|date=Spring 1993|volume=61|issue=2|pages=136–149|doi=10.2307/45062099|jstor=45062099|s2cid=254436653|url=http://digitallibrary.utah.gov/awweb/pdfopener?sid=D46887B2069F01C5751B879A3461E0DE&did=35155&fl=%2Fpublications%2Fdg000105.pdf|access-date=July 8, 2017|archive-date=August 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812082129/http://digitallibrary.utah.gov/awweb/pdfopener?did=35155&fl=%2Fpublications%2Fdg000105.pdf|url-status=dead}} Page 33 archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20170708042802/http://digitallibrary.utah.gov/download/pdf/35155/33_m.pdf here].</ref> and the earliest references to the Salt Lake Temple's angel were always [[Gabriel]]. The original blueprint drawings intended the angel to be wearing temple ceremonial clothing like the angel on the [[Nauvoo Temple]], but Paris-trained sculptor Dallin's {{convert|12.5|ft|m}} statue wears a crown instead of a temple cap that included a bright light which created a halo effect at night.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gaskill|first1=Alonzo L.|title=Temple Reflections: Insights into the House of the Lord|date=August 9, 2016|publisher=Cedar Fort Inc.|isbn=978-1462118991|pages=193–194|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YLvPDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT269|access-date=September 6, 2017}}</ref> As a result of an earthquake on March 18, 2020, the statue's trumpet broke.<ref name="Utah earthquake damages Mormon temple">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/18/us/earthquake-salt-lake-temple-moroni/index.html|title=Utah earthquake damages Mormon temple and knocks trumpet from iconic angel statue|first=Daniel|last=Burke|website=CNN|date=March 18, 2020 |access-date=2020-03-18}}</ref> The statue was reinstalled April 2, 2024.<ref name="A Treasured Symbol Returns Atop the Salt Lake Temple">{{cite web | url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/a-treasured-symbol-returns-atop-the-salt-lake-temple | title=A Treasured Symbol Returns Atop the Salt Lake Temple | date=April 2, 2024 }}</ref>
* '''Beehive''' – The [[Beehive#Symbolism|beehive symbol]] (which appears on the [[Seal of Utah|Utah state seal]]) appears on external doors and doorknobs and symbolizes the thrift, industry, perseverance, and order of the Mormon people.<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|44}}<ref>{{cite web|last1=Oman|first1=Richard G.|title=Beehive Symbol|url=http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Beehive_Symbol|website=BYU Harold B. Lee Library|publisher=Brigham Young University|access-date=June 25, 2017|archive-date=March 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307052913/https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Beehive_Symbol|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* '''Big Dipper''' – On the west side of the temple the [[Big Dipper]] appears, which represents how the priesthood can help people find their way to heaven as the constellation helped travelers find the [[Polaris|North Star]].<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|42}}<ref>{{citation |url= https://udn.lib.utah.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/deseretnews1/id/175407/rec/23 |title= The Temple: To the Editor of the Deseret News |author= Truman O. Angell |author-link= Truman O. Angell |date= August 17, 1854 |newspaper= Deseret News |volume= 4 |number= 23 |page= 2 |place= Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory |quote= Moral, [of Ursa Major is that] the lost may find themselves by the Priesthood |access-date= August 19, 2014}}</ref> The uppermost stars on the temple's constellation align with the actual North Star, which symbolizes the direction of the heavens.<ref name=":0" />
* '''Compass and square''' – Early plan drawings of the temple show the Masonic arrangements of a [[Square and Compasses|compass and square]] placed around the second and fourth floor windows,<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|43}} but the plans were changed during construction.<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|39}} These symbols had appeared on the [[Nauvoo Temple]] weathervane.<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|43}}
* '''Clasped hands''' – Above each external door and doorknob appears the "[[Handshake|hand clasp]]," which is a representation of [[Covenant (Latter Day Saints)|covenants]] that are made within temples or brotherly love.<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|43}} According to scholars [[Hugh Nibley]] and [[Donald W. Parry|Donald Parry]], clasped hands "have always represented recognition and acceptance of those who were once apart," along with reciprocation of knowledge.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Parry |first=Donald W. |title=Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism |collaboration=Hugh W. Nibley |date=1994 |publisher=Maxwell Institute Publications |pages=558}}</ref>
* '''Clouds''' – On the east side of the temple are "clouds raining down" representing the way God has continued [[Revelation (Latter Day Saints)|revelation]] and still speaks to man "like the rains out of Heaven"<ref name=churchofjesuschristtemples.org /> or alternatively a [[Plan of salvation (Latter Day Saints)#Pre-mortal existence|veil of ignorance]] or sin.<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|43}}
* '''Earths''' – The Earthstones in the lower buttresses have been interpreted as the gospel of Christ spreading over the whole Earth.<ref name="Symbolism" />{{rp|42}} Each of the fifty buttresses is four feet wide and weighs over six thousand pounds. Each buttress has a moonstone at the midpoint and a sunstone at the top, with earth being the third, each of the three degrees of glory - telestial, terrestrial, and celestial - are represented here.
[[File:South Elevation of the Temple.jpg|thumb|right|An original 1854 elevation plan showing the saturnstones, earthstone detail, Sun faces, and square and compass window accents. These elements were later discarded.]]
* '''Saturns''' – Early drawings and a written description by Angell showed Saturnstones along the top tier of the temple,<ref name="House" />{{rp|146}}<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Zimmerman|first1=Dean R.|title=The Salt Lake Temple|journal=The New Era|date=June 1978|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1978/06/the-salt-lake-temple?lang=eng|access-date=July 10, 2017}}</ref> though the design was changed years later.<ref name="BYU">{{cite journal|last1=Oman|first1=Richard G.|title=Exterior Symbolism of the Salt Lake Temple: Reflecting the Faith that Called the Place into Being|journal=BYU Studies Quarterly|date=1996|volume=36|issue=4|url=https://byustudies.byu.edu/file/2768/download?token=seT2rCVO|access-date=July 10, 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710020626/https://byustudies.byu.edu/file/2768/download?token=seT2rCVO|archive-date=July 10, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>{{rp|60–62}}<ref name="Temples">{{cite journal|last1=Cowan|first1=Richard O.|title=Latter-day Saint Temples as Symbols|journal=Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture|date=2012|volume=21|issue=1|pages=2–11 |doi=10.5406/jbookmormotheres.21.1.0002 |jstor=10.5406/jbookmormotheres.21.1.0002 |s2cid=193568131 |url=http://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1488&context=jbms|access-date=July 10, 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710024255/http://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1488&context=jbms|archive-date=July 10, 2017|df=mdy-all|url-access=subscription}}</ref>{{rp|9}}
* '''Spires''' – The six spires of the temple represent the power of the [[Priesthood (LDS Church)|priesthood]]. The three spires on the east side are a little higher than those on the west: they represent the [[Melchizedek priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|Melchizedek]], or "higher priesthood", and the [[Aaronic priesthood (LDS Church)|Aaronic]], or "preparatory priesthood" respectively. The three spires on the east side represent the church's [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]] and the twelve smaller spires on those three represent the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Twelve Apostles]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Arave|first1=Lynn|title=Symbolism Can Be Seen in Architecture of S.L. Temple|url=http://mormontimes.com/around_church/temples/?id=5178|access-date=July 10, 2017|work=Mormon Times|agency=Deseret News|publisher=LDS Church|date=November 27, 2008|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209003645/http://mormontimes.com/around_church/temples/?id=5178|archive-date=December 9, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* '''Sun, moon, and stars''' – Around the temple there are several carved stones depicting the Sun, Moon, and stars which correspond respectively to the [[Degrees of glory#Celestial kingdom|celestial]], [[Degrees of glory#Terrestrial kingdom|terrestrial]], and [[Degrees of glory#Telestial kingdom|telestial]] [[Degrees of glory|kingdoms of glory]] in the afterlife.<ref name="Symbolism">{{cite journal|last1=Roberts|first1=Allen D.|title=Where Are the All-Seeing Eyes? The Origin, Use, and Decline of Early Mormon Symbolism|journal=Sunstone Magazine|date=May 1985|volume=1|issue=49|url=https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/049-36-48.pdf|access-date=June 25, 2017|archive-date=November 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113074516/https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/049-36-48.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{rp|42}}<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Holzapfel|first1=Richard Neitzel|title=Every Window, Every Spire Speaks of the Things of God|journal=Liahona|date=November 1993|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/1993/11/every-window-every-spire-speaks-of-the-things-of-god?lang=eng|access-date=July 10, 2017}}</ref> The sunstones have also been interpreted to represent God, the moonstones in different phases as representing different phases of life, and the starstones representing Jesus Christ.<ref name=churchofjesuschristtemples.org /> These symbols were drawn from the three lesser lights symbols in the [[Freemasonry]] practiced by many early church leaders in [[Nauvoo, Illinois|Nauvoo]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Andrew|first1=Laurel B.|title=The Early Temples of the Mormons: The Architecture of the Millennial Kingdom in the American West|date=June 1978|publisher=State University of New York Printing|isbn=0873953584|pages=[https://archive.org/details/earlytemplesofmo0000andr/page/84 84]–85|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/earlytemplesofmo0000andr|url-access=registration|access-date=June 25, 2017}}</ref> Additionally, five-pointed stars have traditionally represented the five wounds of Christ (hands, feet, and side) and the five-pointed star with an elongated downward ray found on several LDS temples has been interpreted to represent Christ coming to Earth.<ref name="Themes">{{cite book |last1=Lyon |first1=Jack |title=Understanding Temple Symbols: Themes of the Temple in Scripture, History, and Art |date=December 5, 2016 |publisher=Deseret Book Company |isbn=978-1629722443}}</ref>{{rp|125}}

==Incidents==
===Bombings===
Two bombing incidents have damaged the temple. On April 10, 1910, a bomb at the nearby Hotel Utah (now the [[Joseph Smith Memorial Building]]) damaged the trumpet of the Moroni statue atop the temple.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kirby |first1=Robert |title=Kirby's disturbing history: Close encounters of the bizarre kind at Mormonism's Temple Square |url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=5038535&itype=CMSID |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=10 March 2017|quote=In April 1910, Moroni's trumpet was knocked awry by a bomb set at the construction site of the Hotel Utah across the street. The bomb, which involved a labor dispute, shattered windows blocks away. Moroni's trumpet wasn't fixed until two months later, when the church paid a couple of steeplejacks $125 to climb the spire and reposition it.}}</ref> On November 14, 1962, the southeast door of the Salt Lake Temple was bombed.<ref name = Tribune>{{cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1962/11/15/page/32/article/blast-mormon-temple-with-plastic-bomb|access-date=January 19, 2015|agency=Chicago Daily Tribune|title=Blast Mormon Temple with Plastic Bomb|date=November 15, 1962}}</ref><ref name = Sunstone>{{cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=Jeffrey O.|title=Change and Growth: The Mormon Church & the 1960sHE 1960|journal=[[Sunstone (magazine)|Sunstone]]|date=June 1994|url=https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/095-25-29.pdf|access-date=January 19, 2015|archive-date=November 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113074524/https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/095-25-29.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> FBI agents state that the explosive had been wrapped around the door handles on the temple's southeast entrance.<ref name = Tribune/> The large wooden entrance doors were damaged by flying fragments of metal and glass. Damage to interior walls occurred 25 feet inside the temple, but damage to the interior was minor.<ref name = Tribune/>  Eleven exterior windows were shattered.<ref name = Tribune/>

===1999 Salt Lake City tornado===
{{Further|1999 Salt Lake City tornado}}
The temple suffered damage in 1999 when a tornado rated F2 on the [[Fujita Scale]] struck Salt Lake City. A wedding taking place at the time allowed a photographer to record video of the tornado as it passed near the temple, forcing the wedding party to shelter against the temple doors and pillars for protection from the wind and debris. They were not able to take shelter inside as the temple doors were locked. After being pelted with rain and hail, members of the wedding party surveyed the damage to the trees and surrounding buildings before resuming family photographs.<ref name="Weather Gone Viral">{{citation|title=Weather Gone Viral|work=The Weather Channel}}</ref><ref name="Salt Lake Temple Tornado Wedding">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhigIe6kzS4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/UhigIe6kzS4 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Salt Lake Temple Tornado Wedding|website=[[YouTube]] |date=August 11, 1999|agency=Final Touch Film & Video Production|access-date=October 10, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===2020 Salt Lake City earthquake===
{{Further|2020 Salt Lake City earthquake}}
On the morning of March 18, 2020, a magnitude 5.7 [[2020 Salt Lake City earthquake|earthquake]] struck just outside Salt Lake City.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/57-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-salt-lake-city/story?id=69662609|title=5.7 magnitude earthquake strikes near Salt Lake City, knocking out Utah's coronavirus hotline|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2020-03-18}}</ref> Though most of the damage was outside the city, minor damage was inflicted on the temple. The trumpet of the Angel Moroni on top of the temple's tallest spire was dislodged from the statue, and some stones from the smaller spires were displaced. No other damage to the temple was reported.<ref name="Utah earthquake damages Mormon temple"/>  The temple was early in its renovation process at the time, and the rest of the statue was removed the following May.  Renovation procedures included the reinstallation of the statue on April 2, 2024.<ref name="A Treasured Symbol Returns Atop the Salt Lake Temple"/>

==Interior images==
{{Commons category|Salt Lake Temple (interior)}}
Below are several photographs from the interior of the temple. In response to a member obtaining unauthorized images of the interior of the temple, church leaders decided to release the book ''[[The House of the Lord]]'' in 1912, which contained authorized black-and-white photographs of the interior, some of which are shown below.<ref name="House" />{{rp|240–316}}<ref name="Inside">{{cite journal|last1=Walgreen|first1=Kent|title=Inside the Salt Lake Temple: Gisbert Bossard's 1911 Photographs|journal=Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought|date=Fall 1996|volume=29|issue=3|url=https://dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V29N03_9.pdf|access-date=July 8, 2017}}</ref>{{rp|6}}<ref name="Stone">{{cite book|last1=Wadsworth|first1=Nelson B.|title=Set in Stone, Fixed in Glass|date=September 1992|publisher=Signature Books|location=Salt Lake City|isbn=1560850248|url=http://signaturebookslibrary.org/set-in-stone-fixed-in-glass-epilogue-the-max-florence-affair/|access-date=July 8, 2017}}</ref>{{rp|365–369,374}} The unauthorized photographs had been taken over several months the year before by a man who was repeatedly allowed to enter with his camera while the temple was closed by a temple gardener friend.<ref name="Stone" />{{rp|358,362}}
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Hall or corridor on first or ground floor of temple.jpg|Main floor corridor
File:Salt Lake Temple Terrestrial Room Veil.jpg|Terrestrial Room and Veil
File:CelestialRoomSLT3b18939u.jpg|Celestial Room
File:SLC Temple Stain Glass Art.jpg|Stained glass art in a sealing room
File:Plate 27—The Holy of Holies.png|The [[Holy of Holies (LDS Church)|Holy of Holies]]
File:Council Room of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles 02.jpg|Council room for the [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]] and [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Twelve Apostles]]
File:View in main assembly room, fourth floor, looking west 02.jpg|Assembly hall for [[General authority|general authorities]]
</gallery>

===Images of former interior elements===
Below are some elements of the temple have been removed during various renovations of the temple.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:SLC Temple Creation or Lower Lecture Room.jpg|Creation Room (1911)
File:Salt Lake Temple Garden Room.JPG|Garden Room (c. 1909)
File:Salt Lake Temple Telestial Room Seating.jpg|Telestial Room (2015)
File:Washing and anointing tub in the Salt Lake Temple, June 1911.png|Tub for a literal version of the [[washing and anointing]] ceremony used at the time (1911)
File:Salt Lake temple baptismal font.jpg|The original baptismal font for [[Baptism for the dead|baptisms for the dead]] (c. 1909)
File:Statuary (Salt Lake Temple) 01.jpg|Statuary in the celestial room (1911)
</gallery>

==Temple presidents==
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2018}}<!--https://ldschurchtemples.org/saltlake/presidents/ is not affiliated with the LDS church and is not a reliable source-->
{{div col}}
# [[Lorenzo Snow]], 1893–1898
# [[Joseph F. Smith]], 1898–1911
# [[Anthon H. Lund]], 1911–1921
# [[George F. Richards]], 1921–1938
# [[Stephen L. Chipman]], 1938–1945
# [[Joseph Fielding Smith]], 1945–1949
# [[Robert D. Young (LDS Church leader)|Robert D. Young]], 1949–1953
# [[ElRay L. Christiansen]], 1953–1961
# Willard E. Smith, 1961–1964
# [[Howard S. McDonald]], 1964–1968
# [[O. Leslie Stone]], 1968–1972
# John K. Edmunds, 1972–1977
# A. Ray Curtis, 1977–1982
# [[Marion D. Hanks]], 1982–1985
# [[Victor L. Brown]], 1985–1987
# Edgar M. Denny, 1987–1990
# Spencer H. Osborn, 1990–1993
# [[George I. Cannon]], 1993–1996
# [[Carlos E. Asay]], 1996–1999
# Derrill H. Richards, 1999
# [[W. Eugene Hansen]], 1999–2002
# [[L. Aldin Porter]], 2002–2005
# M. Richard Walker, 2005–2008
# [[Sheldon F. Child]], 2008–2011
# Oren Claron Alldredge Jr., 2011–2014
# [[Cecil O. Samuelson]], 2014–2017
# B. Jackson Wixom, 2017–2019
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Commons category}}

{{Portal|Latter Day Saint movement}}
{{LDS Temple Map Group Utah}}
* [[List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
* [[List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region]]
* [[Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)]]
* [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah]]
* ''[[The Mountain of the Lord]]''
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation
 | last       = Cannon
 | first      = George Q.
 | author-link = George Q. Cannon
 | year       = 1893
 | title      = House of the Lord: Historical and Descriptive Sketch of the Salt Lake Temple from April 6, 1853 to April 6, 1893
 | location   = Salt Lake City, Utah
 | publisher  = Geo. Q. Cannon & Sons Co.
 | oclc       = 54243596
 | url        = https://archive.org/details/houseoflordhisto00georrich
}}
*{{Cite book
 | last       = Hamilton
 | first      = Mark
 | title      = The Salt Lake Temple: A Monument to a People
 | location   = Salt Lake City, Utah
 | publisher  = University Services
 | year       = 1992
 | isbn       = 0-913535-07-9
 | oclc       = 28119583
}}
*{{Cite thesis
 | last       = Hamilton
 | first      = Charles Mark
 | year       = 1979
 | title      = The Salt Lake Temple: an architectural monograph
 | degree     = Ph. D.
 | publisher  = [[Ohio State University]]
 | oclc       = 5925170
}}

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Salt_Lake_Temple-article.ogg|date=2007-01-15}}
* {{Commons-inline}}
* All Wiki images categorized under [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Salt_Lake_Temple Salt Lake Temple]
* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/list?lang=eng Official Salt Lake Temple page]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080724200234/http://www.moroni10.com/LDS/Temple_Tour/Salt_Lake_Temple.html Inside The Salt Lake City Temple] - a pictorial tour of the temple interior at Moroni10.com
* {{HABS |survey=UT-2 |id=ut0055 |title=Salt Lake Temple, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, UT |photos=4 |color= |dwgs= |data=4 |cap=1}}

{{LDS-US-West}}
{{LDSsites}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:19th-century Latter Day Saint temples in the United States]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures in Salt Lake City]]
[[Category:Temples (LDS Church) completed in 1893]]
[[Category:Temple Square]]
[[Category:Temples (LDS Church) in Utah]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Salt Lake City]]
[[Category:1893 establishments in Utah Territory]]
[[Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in Utah]]
[[Category:Salt Lake Temple| ]]