[444] Exo. xxv; xxxv, 22. See "The House of the Lord," ch. ii. [445] Exo. xl, 34-38. [446] Josh. xviii, 1. =35.= This temple, one of the most gorgeous structures ever erected by man for sacred service, was dedicated with imposing ceremonies; but its splendor was of short duration; for, within less than forty years from the time of its completion, its glory declined, and finally it fell a prey to the flames. A partial restoration of the temple was made after the Jews returned from their captivity; and through the friendly influence of Cyrus and Darius, the temple of Zerubbabel was dedicated.[447] That the Lord accepted this effort of His people to maintain a sanctuary to His name, is fully shown by the spirit that actuated its officers, among whom were Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi. This temple remained standing for nearly five centuries; and, but a few years before the birth of the Savior, the reconstruction of the edifice was begun by wicked Herod the Great, and the term "Temple of Herod" passed into history.[448] The veil of this temple was rent at the time of the crucifixion,[449] and in the year 70 A. D. the destruction of the building was accomplished by Titus. [447] I Kings vi, viii. [448] Ezra i, iii, vi. [449] Matt. xxvii, 50. =36. Modern Temples.=--From that time until the present dispensation, no other temples have been reared on the eastern continent. It is true, imposing edifices have been erected for the purposes of worship; but a colossal structure does not necessarily constitute a temple. A temple is more than a church-building, a meeting-house, a tabernacle, or a synagogue; it is a place specially prepared by dedication unto the Lord, and marked by His acceptance, for the performing of the ordinances pertaining to the Holy Priesthood. The Latter-day Saints, true to the characteristics of the chosen of God,[450] have been from the first a temple-building people. Only a few months after the organization of the Church in the present dispensation, the Lord made reference to a temple which was to be built.[451] In July, 1831, the Lord designated a spot in Independence, Mo., as the site of a future temple;[452] but the work of construction thereon has not yet been consummated, as is likewise the case with the temple site at Far West, on which the corner-stones were laid July 4, 1838, and relaid April 26, 1839. [450] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 39. See "The House of the Lord." [451] Doc. and Cov. xxxvi, 8. [452] Doc. and Cov. lvii, 3.