The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries Ancient and ModernTalmage, James E. (James Edward)
Religion
The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries Ancient and Modern
Talmage, James E. (James Edward)
Latter Day Saint temples; Temples
From the laying of the foundation stones to the completion of the
building, the work progressed without serious hindrance. As it stands,
the structure is one hundred and seventy-one feet in length, and
ninety-five feet in {229} extreme width. From the top of the first
water-table to the square the height of the building is seventy-nine
feet; the water-table is three feet above the ground. The walls are
three and a half feet thick at the base with buttresses four feet in
thickness, and both walls and buttresses narrow as they rise. At the
square the walls are three feet and the buttresses two feet six inches.
The main front of the building is toward the east, as is the case with
all existing temples; nevertheless, the doorways most commonly used
and the entrance from the Annex are at the west. The foundation on the
east end abuts against the hill; and this end of the structure is seen
in its entirety by those only who climb the hillside to a commanding
position. A tower at the east rises to the height of one hundred
and seventy-nine feet; the tower at the west end is ten feet lower.
Each of these towers is thirty feet square at the base. The grade or
ground-level surrounding the Temple is a little over sixty feet higher
than that of the street at the foot of the hill on which the building
stands. The drive-way at the east end is at the elevation of the short
flights of steps which rise to the doorways on the level of the main
assembly room on the top floor.
Adjacent to the main structure and connecting therewith is the Annex
building, one hundred feet in length, forty feet in width, and of but
one story. In this building is installed the apparatus for heating, and
herein also are provided reception rooms, offices, and an assembly room
for preliminary services. The Temple is furnished with its own water
supply from perennial springs situated in the hills at a distance of a
little over a mile.
In the interior the rooms are practically counterparts of those already
described in connection with other Temples. {230} The main assembly
room on the upper floor has a seating capacity for over fifteen hundred
persons. The estimated cost of the building as it stood ready for
dedication was one million dollars.
Dedicatory services were set for May 21, 1888. From accounts published
at the time it is plain that the interest in the great event was
intense. Thus we read:
"From an early hour on the 21st of May people began to assemble on
the hill east of the Temple, at which admission was to be gained,
and by 9:30 the grounds were black with people. The day was lovely,
the threatened rain of the night preceding having passed away. As
for two days before, all the roads leading to Manti were clouded
with incoming teams, each loaded with living freight bound for the
dedication."[7]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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