“The Largest LDS (Mormon) Temple in the World”
The Salt Lake Temple is the centerpiece of the 10-acre (4.0 ha) Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Like other LDS temples it is considered sacred by the church and its members and a temple recommend is required to enter, so there are no public tours. The church permitted Life to publish the first public photographs of the building's interior in 1938. The temple grounds are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction. Due to its location at LDS Church headquarters and its historical significance, it is patronized by Latter-day Saints from many parts of the world. The Salt Lake Temple is also the location of the weekly meetings of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. As such, there are special meeting rooms in the building for these purposes, including the Holy of Holies, which are not present in other temples. The official name of the Salt Lake Temple is also unique. In 1999, as the building of LDS temples accelerated, the church announced a formal naming convention for all existing and future temples. For temples located in the United States and Canada, the name of the temple is generally the city or town in which the temple is located, followed by the name of the applicable state or province (with no comma). For temples outside of the U.S. and Canada, the name of the temple is generally the city name (as above) followed by the name of the country. However, for reasons on which the church did not elaborate, the Salt Lake Temple was made an exception to the new guidelines and was not renamed the Salt Lake City Utah Temple. The Provo City Center Temple, currently under construction, is the only other temple that does not follow the naming convention. The temple also includes some elements thought to evoke Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem. It is oriented towards Jerusalem and the large basin used as a baptismal font is mounted on the backs of twelve oxen as was the brazen sea in Solomon's Temple (see Chronicles 4:2-4). However, the literal interpretation of the Biblical verses has been disputed. At the east end of the building, the height of the center pinnacle to the base of the angel Moroni is 210 feet, or 120 cubits, making this Temple 20 cubits taller than the Temple of Solomon. The temple is located in downtown Salt Lake City, with several mountain peaks close by. Nearby, a shallow stream, City Creek, splits and flows both to the west and to the south, flowing into the Jordan River. There is a wall around the 10-acre (4.0 ha) temple site. The surrounding wall became the first permanent structure on what has become known as Temple Square. The wall is a uniform 15 feet high but varies in appearance because of the southwest slope of the site.
Reviews
The LDS Temple is beautiful. It took 40 years to finish construction. It fads Jerusalem and has a pseudo-Gothic/Classical type architectural design. It's quite jarring, and there's loads of symbolism in every aspect of the building's design. Not everyone can actually go inside the temple, but there's a great visitor's center nearby. It's on Temple Square, and gives you a good overview of the church's history, from the days of the pioneers up through the construction of the Temple. There's even a free 30 minute tour. The guides are all super friendly. Hang out by the reflecting pool for some fun people watching. You'll probably catch a glimpse of newlyweds getting their photos taken, cause the Temple is a really popular wedding spot.
This temple is unreal... built by hand and taking over 40 years it really is quite impressive... even if you are just passing through SLC you should definitely take the time to drive by for a gander
Though you cannot go into the Temple the grounds are nice and the visitors center was very interesting. They have a scale model of the Temple with cutouts so you can see what it is supposed to look like.
Majestic temple to see! We did not go in, just walked around & snapped pics.
If you have any interest in researching your family's history, find some parking and go in.
Only LDS members can enter the Temple. But the building is stunning. Stop by the reflecting pool out front and admire the flowers and maybe see a newlywed couple getting their photos taken.
Absolutely beautiful, wish I could go inside. There is a replica in the south visitors center that shows what it looks like inside and videos to tell you about each area. Definitely worth finding a shady spot and admiring for a bit.
Beautiful architecture and landscaping that just screams "OCD", haha. Nice place to visit when in SLC. Too bad the temple itself is closed off to the non-faithful, I'd really like to see inside for myself.
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Salt Lake Temple
Hours
- Mon: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
- Tue - Sat: 6:00 am - 7:00 pm
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