Category: Temples

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History Temples

Who Was Wilford Woodruff?

Portrait of Wilford Woodruff circa 1888, fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and author of the 1890 Manifesto and daily journals.

Wilford Woodruff served as the fourth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, navigating the faith through its most turbulent transitions. Best known for issuing the 1890 Manifesto that ended the public practice of plural marriage, Woodruff’s legacy extends far beyond his complex family life and wives. He was a remarkably successful missionary, an avid outdoorsman who survived twenty-seven life-threatening accidents, and a temple pioneer who recorded a profound vision of the Founding Fathers. Today, his meticulously kept sixty-year daily journal—complete with a unique visual “emoji” indexing system—remains the most vital primary source for understanding nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint history.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History Temples

Who Built the Salt Lake Temple?

A 19th-century style oil painting of Brigham Young overlooking the gritty construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The scene shows immigrant laborers carving granite blocks, oxen pulling heavy wagons through deep mud, and a wooden derrick hoisting stone toward rising walls under a hazy, golden-hour sky.

The Salt Lake Temple was built by leaders like Brigham Young, emigrant craftsmen, and local members—through detailed planning, expert masonry, and even the donations of little children. Beginning in 1843, stone was cut from a Utah mountain and transported by wagon and later rail to the Temple Block in Salt Lake City. There, it was refined and raised into place according to the intricate designs of Truman O. Angell. The First Presidency also managed a constant labor shortage caused by the simultaneous work on public projects like the Social Hall and Tabernacle, filling the gap with a wide variety of workers and volunteers. In this interview, Scott D. Marianno shares the fascinating stories of those who built the temple.

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Joseph Smith Temples Theology

How Has Temple Worship Evolved Since Joseph Smith’s Time?

Composite image blending John’s vision of heaven from the book of Revelation with a modern Latter-day Saint temple, symbolizing the origins and evolution of temple worship.

Temple worship has changed in important ways since the 1830s. In Kirtland, Joseph Smith promised the Saints power from on high to preach the gospel and revealed washing and anointing rituals. By Nauvoo, his vision had grown, resulting in a temple endowment that constructed heaven on earth—ritually declaring men and women the celestial kings and queens from John’s vision in Revelation. Later leaders followed Joseph’s precedent of change, from Brigham Young’s adjustments to President Russell M. Nelson’s focus on Christ-centered covenants. In this interview, historian Jonathan Stapley discusses his book, Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship.

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