SYMBLOLS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE SL TEMPLE

SYMBOLS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE SALT LAKE TEMPLE & THEIR MEANINGS
3-23-09
FHE GIVEN BY THE CURATOR OF THE CHURCH (UP UNTIL 10 DAYS AGO) AND ART EDITOR FOR BYU RICHARD OMAN

BROTHER OMAN FIRST TALKED ABOUT HOW THE LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE WAS ESTABLISHED AND WHO DECIDED THAT. HE SAID THAT BRIGHAM YOUNG TOOK HIS CANE AND TAPPED IT INTO THE GROUND WHERE THE TEMPLE SHOULD BE BUILT. A BROTHER THEN PUT A MARKER IN THE EXACT SPOT WHERE BRIGHAM INSERTED HIS CANE IN THE SOIL AND THERE IS NOW A SANDSTONE MARKER ON THE S/E CORNER OF TEMPLE SQUARE DEPICTING THE SPOT WHERE BRIGHAM YOUNG DESIGNATED THE TEMPLE SHOULD BE BUILT. IT IS AT THIS MARKER FROM WHICH THE ENTIRE CITY OF THE SL VALLEY IS LAID OUT. ALL STREETS ARE LAID OUT IN REFERENCE TO THAT MARKER.

THE TEMPLE IS CONSTRUCTED OF GRANITE MINED FROM LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON. ORIGINALLY IT WAS TO BE MADE OF ADOBE AS BRIGHAM YOUNG THOUGHT IT WOULD HARDEN AND OUTLAST STONE. IT WOULD ALSO LEND TO THE DETAIL IN THE ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF THE TEMPLE. BUT UNKNOWN TO BRIGHHAM YOUNG, DURING A GENERAL CONFERENCE, HEBER C. KIMBALL PROPOSED USING GRANITE TO CONSTRUCT THE TEMPLE AND IT WAS PASSED WITH A UNANIMOUS VOTE. SO GRANITE WAS THE FINAL CHOICE OF MATERIAL TO BE USED TO BUILD THE SL TEMPLE.

BECAUSE OF THE CHOICE TO USE GRANITE, THE ORIGINAL DESIGN ON THE EXTERIOR HAD TO BE SIMPLIFIED, AS THE GRANITE WAS SO HARD AND DIFFICULT TO CARVE. ORIGINALLY, THE DESIGNS WERE CREATED FOR THE USE OF ADOBE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH EASIER TO ADD DETAIL TO. FOR EXAMPLE THE WORLD STONES WERE ALL TO HAVE THE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE CONTINENTS CHANGING VIEWS AS THE WORLD TURNS BUT THAT HAD TO BE ALTERED, AS IT WAS TOO DIFFICULT. THE TEMPLE TOOK 40 YEARS TO COMPLETE. THE GRANITE WAS HARVESTED FROM THE TOP OF THE MT. ALONG THE SIDES RATHER THAT DIGGING IT OUT OF A QUARRY. THEY WOULD SLICE THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THEN HAVE T O SLIDE IT DOWN THE MT. AND TRANSPORT IT TO THE TEMPLE SITE.

THE SL TEMPLE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST SITES IN THE SL VALLEY TO HAVE ELECTRIC LIGHTS. IT HAD ENORMOUS LIGHTS FIXED ON THE TOP WITH HUGE BULBS THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED.

BRIGHAM YOUNG STARTED THE PROJECT OF BUILDING THE SL TEMPLE AND WILFORD WOODRUFF COMPLETED IT.

WHEN THE CORNERSTONES WERE LAID THE FIRST PRESIDENCY LAID THE SOUTHEAST CORNERSTONE, THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC LAID THE SOUTHWEST CORNER, THE NORTHEAST CORNER WAS LAID BY THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE, AND THE NORTHWEST CORNERSTONE WAS LAID BY THE HIGH COUNCIL AND STAKE PRESIDENCY OF THE SALT LAKE STAKE. THE EAST SIDE OF THE TEMPLE REPRESENTS THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD AND THE WEST SIDE OF THE TEMPLE REPRESENTS THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD. THOSE WHO ARE SPECIAL, WITNESSES FOR CHRIST, AS A CALLING, ARE REPRESENTED ON THE EAST SIDE, WHERE CHRIST WILL COME IN THE RESURRECTION FROM THE EAST ENTERING THE EASE SIDE OF THE TEMPLE.

THE SALT LAKE AND NAUVOO TEMPLES HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME CONTINUITY, THEY ARE MUCH THE SAME. THEY HAVE MOON, SUN, AND STAR, STONES. KIRTLAND TEMPLE HAS THE SAME SIMILARITIES. PULPITS AT BOTH ENDS OF THE SOLEMN ASSEMBLY MEETING ROOMS REPRESENTING THE MELCHIZEDEK AND AARONIC PRIESTHOODS.

BRIGHAM YOUNG WANTED TO SYMBOLIZE THE INTERIOR PULPITS THAT WERE CONSTRUCTED ON MULTI LEVELS, ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE WITH LARGE SPIRES IN LEVELS OF THREE. THESE TOWERS REPRESENT THE PULPITS. THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE AND THE HIGH COUNCIL, EACH TWELVE IN NUMBER, ARE REPRESENTED BY THE TWELVE SPIRES ON EACH SIDE OF THE TEMPLE. THERE ARE EAST AND WEST TOWERS OF THE TEMPLE. THE EAST HAS A WINDOW WITH THREE STARS ABOVE IT, DEPICTING THE HEAVENS, POSSIBLY THE GODHEAD…THE WEST DOES NOT HAVE THE WINDOW AND STARS. BRIGHAM YOUNG WANTED THE WEST TOWER REPRESENTING THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD WHICH RECEIVES DIRECTION FROM THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD, AND THE MELCHIZEDEK WHICH RECEIVES DIRECTION FROM HEAVEN, THE EAST SIDE OF THE TEMPLE, WHERE CHRIST WILL COME. THE WINDOWS ON THE EAST SHOW THE REVELATION FROM HEAVEN.

TRUMAN ANGEL WAS THE ARCHITECT OF THE SL TEMPLE, WHICH TOOK 40 YEARS TO COMPLETE.

THE MOON STONES DEPICT THE PHASES OF THE MOON. ORSON PRATT DID THE CALIBRATIONS. THE MOONSTONES ARE DEPICTED IN THE SAME CALIBRATIONS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE AS ORSON HAD IN HIS NOTES JANUARY STARTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NORTH WALL SO THAT YOU HAVE THE EAST CENTER TOWER WITH MOON/SUN STONES BRACKETING APRIL 6TH, THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR, THE PRIESTHOOD WAS NAMED AFTER CHRIST, THE DATE OF THE RESTORATION OF THE CHURCH, THE DATE OF THE DEDICATION OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE ETC. THEY ALL LINE UP ON THAT SIDE.

HE SAID THE SL TEMPLE IS LIKE A GIANT CALENDAR AND IT LAYS OUT THE PRIESTHOOD. IT REPRESENTS TIME AND SPACE FROM CREATION TO THE MILLENIUM OF THE LORD. THE TEMPLE IS A PLACE TO DO WORK FOR THE DEAD, SEALINGS. THEN HE ASKED THE QUESTION “HOW DO YOU VISUALIZE THAT ETERNITY?” THE EARTH STONES REPRESENT 24 HOURS (A DAY), THE EARTH SPINS ON ITS AXIS AND THE EARTH STONES ARE ON THE BOTTOM LEVELS. THE MOON STONES ROTATE OVER 28 DAYS, NEXT LEVEL, AND THE SUN STONES, THE TOP LEVEL, ROTATE OVER 365 DAYS A YEAR. THE LEVELS GO DAYS TO MONTHS TO YEARS, AN ETERNAL CALENDAR.

THE BIG DIPPER IS DEPICTED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE TEMPLE AND POINTS TO THE NORTH STAR, WHICH DOESN’T MOVE, AND REPRESENTS ETERNITY WHERE TIME DOESN’T CHANGE. THAT IS WHAT THE TEMPLE IS ABOUT – ETERNITY. THE LORD IS TRYING TO TEACH US HOW HE SEES THINGS, THE EARTH LOOKING UP TO THE MOON, THE MOON LOOKING UP TO THE SUN, THE SUN AND THE STARS LOOKING UP TO ETERNITY. TIME, ETERNITY, AND THE INFINITY OF SPACE.

THE WORD TEMPLE COMES FROM TWO WORDS, TEM COMES FROM TEMPLATE, A HORIZONTAL PATTERN, AND PLE FROM THE WORD PLUMB, A VERTICAL LINE. THIS HELPS US ORGANIZE OUR WORLD HERE ON EARTH AND CONNECT TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE.

ORSON PRATT HAD AN OBSERVATORY ON THE TEMPLE GROUNDS RIGHT NEXT TO THE TEMPLE. NEAR THAT WAS A STONE THAT IS SET EXACTLY FROM WHERE THE OLD CITY IS REFERENCED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF TEMPLE SQUARE. THERE WAS A TELESCOPE RIGHT NEXT TO THE TEMPLE CONNECTING HEAVEN AND EARTH AND ORGANIZING PHYSICAL SPACE.

HE SAID THAT APRIL 6TH WAS THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER AND ALSO WHEN THE LORD TALKED TO THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL ON SINAI, WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN, WHEN CHRIST STARTED HIS MINISTRY, AND WHEN THE CHURCH WAS ORGANIZED. TWO MOON STONES BRACKET APRIL 6TH, THE TWO PHASES OF THE MOON THAT BRACKET THAT DATE, ARE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TEMPLE.

THE ANGEL ON TOP WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED THE ANGEL OF THE RESTORATION. THE ANGEL MORPHED INTO THE ANGEL MORONOI. THE L.A. TEMPLE WAS THE FIRST TO HAVE THE “MORPHED” MORONI, WHERE THE ANGEL CARRIES A BOOK, AND HAS SIGNS OF ANCIENT AMERICA /PRE-COLUMBIAN DETAILS ON HIS TUNIC, REPRESENTING MORONI.

THERE ARE CLOUD STORMS WITH TRUMPETS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE, SIGNIFYING THE GOSPEL THAT HAS TRUTH, AND LIGHT BREAKING THROUGH THE DARK CLOUDS. THE SAME IS FOUND ON THE NAUVOO TEMPLE WITH THE HAND WITH THE TRUMPETS AND THE CLOUD. THE SUN BREAKING THROUGH THE CLOUDS. THE CLOUDS ARE UNDER THE SUN STONE IN NAUVOO.

THE NICHES IN THE SL TEMPLE WHERE THE BRIDES TAKE THEIR PICTURES WERE ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED TO HOUSE THE STATUES OF JOSEPH AND HYRUM BUT THE STATUES WERE LATER REMOVED. THE TEMPLE CELEBRATES SYMBOLISM AND HISTORY. FOR EXAMPLE THE BEEHIVES THAT ARE ETCHED ON KNOBS AND WINDOWS, SYMBOLIZES THE BUILDING OF ZION. WE CAN’T BE SAVED WITHOUT OUR KINDRED DEAD AND THEY CAN’T BE SAVED WITHOUT US. WE ARE ALL LINKED TOGETHER, WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND WE ARE ALL ONE. SALVATION IS INTERCONNECTION, INTERACTIVITY BETWEEN PRESENT, PAST, AND FUTURE. THE BEEHIVE SYMBOLIZED THAT WE ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.

THE EAST DOORS BY THE NICHES, HAVE THE BEEHIVE ETCHED IN GLASS AND WITHIN THE TEMPLE THERE ARE BEEHIVES A PLENTY. WHEN THEY COMPLETED THE PULPIT FOR THE CONFERENCE CENTER THAT WAS MADE FROM A WALNUT TREE FROM PRESIDENT HINCKLEY'S BACK YARD, HE LOOKED AT THE FINISHED PRODUCT AND ASKED WHERE IS THE BEEHIVE? THEY THEN PUT IT ON THE PULPIT. THE BEEHIVE IS OUR BRITISH COMMUNAL COURT OF ARMS, AS SAID BY BRIGHAM YOUNG. HOLINESS TO THE LORD 1853 TO 1895 ARE FOUND ON THE DOORKNOBS ON THE EAST SIDE.

THE FRONT OR EAST SIDE OF THE TEMPLE BUTTS INTO THE OUTER WALL OF TEMPLE SQUARE. INSIDE THAT IS THE IRON FENCE AND THEN INSIDE THAT IS THE TEMPLE, A SACRED PLACE, LIKE IN MOSES TIME AND IN JERUSALEM WHERE SPACE BECAME MORE AND MORE SACRED/INNER COURTS, HOLY OF HOLIES. THE MAIN GATES ARE ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF TEMPLE SQUARE. THE EAST SIDE, THE MOST HOLY, HAS NO GATE, KEEPING IT SET OFF AND SACRED, FOR THE LORD AND NOT FOR EVERYONE. THE EAST SIDE DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THE FRONT, BUT IT IS FOR THE LORD, NOT FOR US, BUT ON THE SIDE (EAST) WHERE CHRIST WILL COME. THE DEDICATORY PLAQUE IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TEMPLE. THE TEMPLE PREACHES TO OUR EYES AS WELL AS TO OUR EARS. BRIGHAM YOUNG SAID WE MUST BUILD A HOME FOR THE LORD TO COME HOME TO. WE ALL HAVE COMFORTABLE HOMES AND WE WILL BUILD A HOME FOR HIM WHEN HE DECIDES TO COME.

THERE ARE CLOUD STONES ON THE BUTTRESSES OF THE EAST SIDE OF THE EAST CENTRAL TOWER ONLY. THEY REPRESENT THE RESTORATION OF THE GOSPEL. TRUMAN ANGEL SAID THEY REPRESENT MOSES BEING LED BY A CLOUD BY DAY, A CLOUD DESCENDING ON MOUNT SINAI, ON THE COURT OF THE TABERNACLE, AND THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON. A CLOUD IS THE SYMBOL OF THE LORD; IT RECEIVED HIM OUT OF THEIR SIGHT. THAT IS WHY A CLOUD IS PUT ON THE EAST SIDE. THE CLOUD STONE SYMBOLIZES THE LORD. IT IS A DEPICTION OF HOW HE APPEARED IN SCRIPTURE, AND IT HOUSES HIS LITERAL PRESENCE.

THE STAR STONE SYMBOL GOES BACK TO ANCIENT TIMES, BEING A SYMBOL OF VENUS, THE FIRST STAR IN THE EVENING AND THE LAST STAR IN THE MORNING, THE BRIGHT MORNING AND EVENING STAR. IT SYMBOLIZES THE COMING OF THE SAVIOR. SIMILAR STARS ARE FOUND IN THE LOGAN TEMPLE, INCLUDING THE EVENING AND MORNING STAR. ALSO ARE FOUND CLASPED HANDS IN AN OVAL DEPICTION WITH THE RAYS ON BOTH SIDES WHICH MEANS EXALTED, WHICH MEANS I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, EQUALS WE ARE GREETING THE LORD. THE ALL SEEING EYE, EYE TO EYE WITH THE LORD, LOOKING THROUGH THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE, ALL ON THE EAST SIDE.

I TOOK NOTES AS HE SPOKE AND HE SKIPPED AROUND A TON. SORRY THIS IS SO FRAGMENTED and LONG.HOPEFULLY YOU WILL GET SOMETHING OUT OF THIS. LOVE,MOM