Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-04-20
OF PRECIOUS STONES.
The Mormon Temple at Salt Lake One
of the Most Imposing Structures
in the Country.
Brigham Young Selected the Site in
1847 and After Forty-Six Years
Continuous Labor the Temple
is Dedicated.

SALT LAKE, April 6.-The great new
Mormon temple vas dedicated today
in the presence OF "a throng of believers.
This is the huge structure the site for
which was selected on July %, 1S47.
On the fifth day after the Mormon
pioneers entered Great Salt Lake Val
ley, Brigham Young, president OF the
church, with number of the apostles,
was viewing the prospect in the place
selected as his new home, where all
seemed a barren waste. In passing
the southwest corner OF where the tenn
pie now stands he struck his cane on
the ground and exclaimed: "Here will
be the temple OF our God"
he southeast corner of ten-acre
plot selected as the Temple block was
made the initial point for laying out
the city and was afterwards adopted
by government officials as the base
meridian line.
Four years later at the October con-
ferance of the church in 1851, a vote
OF the people was taken to build "a
temple of the best material that can
be obtained in North America"
The material selected for the foun-
dation was fire stone, from a canyon
four miles distant. When the walls
came to be built, cut granite from
Little Cottonwood canyon, eighteen
miles distant, was chosen as the most
suitable material. Prior to the ad-
vent of the railway in 1870, this rock
had to be hauled by OK and mule team.
On Feb 6, 1858, ground was broken
and $50 men put to work on the ex-
cavation. On April 6 following the
corner stones were laid sixteen feet
below the surface of the ground.
When Albert Sidney Johnston's s army
came through in 1858 the foundation
OF the temple was entirely covered
over with earth, and the people moved
South from Salt Lake for a time.
Four years after this work was re-
sumed on the building, and with the
exception of two years. 1868 and
1869, when the workmen OF the ter
| rftory were mostly employed in con-
structing the Union Pacific and other
railroads, has since continued without
serious interruption.
The capstone was laid on April 6,
| 1892, at which time the date for ded-
| ication was fixed for April 6, 1898,
the sixty-third anniversary of the or
ganization of the Mormon church and
forty years from the day on which the
temple corner stones were laid.
The building is 1867 feet long and
90 feet wide. With the towers, il
covers an area of 21 $50 square feet
The foundation wall is Is feet thicl
and l6 deep. On this the granite wall,
are feet thick on the bottom ant
narrow to feet at the square. Their
are six towers, three on the east anC
three on the west.
The corner towers are 20 feet squar
a. the base. Those on the east ar
200 feet high, and on the west 10
feet.
The east central tower Of the build
ing is 222Is feet high, surmounted by
figure with a trumpet to it's lips pro
claiming the Gospel. The east part @
the temple is for the Melchisedec priest
hood, representing the higher order
The west is for the Aaronic priest
hood.
The figure on the east central towe
symbolizes the angel named in th
l4th chapter and 9th verse of 81
Johns Revelation.
There are in the building man
stones symbolical OF different cond
tions OF mankind. Around the bas
are earth stones. Above these al
moon stones, showing the moon in IL
various phases, and emblematic {
terrestrial glory.
D Still higher than these are sun stones
typical of celestial, or the highes
glory of the heavens. There are ais
star stones, representing the glory I
the stars.
On the west toweris the Ursa Majo
pointing to the polar star and ind
eating that there is fixed guide Il
fallen mankind to return to God.
There are cloud stones and othe
of symbolical nature. The archite
o ture of the building is without know
parallel in ancient or modern time
There are four doors to the tempt
two in the west and two in the ca
corner towers. The cost of the bull
n ing, as near as can be ascertained,
!, slightly in excess of S5,OOO,OOO.
/, The belief of the Mormons. or Latt
Day Saints, as they call themselves,
that without the ordinances and e
dowments that can be given only In