The state chronicle., 1893-04-12
THE MORMON TEMPLE.
Dedication of the Great Building BE
orr at Salt Lake City.

saws Inc deOlcatIOn OF tNe uoW
Mormon Temple was begun today
in the presence Of a throng Of be
lievera. Il is anticipated that the
ceremonies will extend over a Pc
Rod of fourt en daya, but the chief !
interest centered IL to- days pro- !
ceedings.
The services in the Temple were
as secreg as a Masonic Lodge. The
morning services lasted TIL II
o'clock Meantime no one came
cut, and nene but high dignit&ries
OF the church were admitted once
the se1vicrs had begun. The ser
vices were held in the assembly
room, in the fourth story, the
largest in the building 1t accom-
modated about 2,5UO persons, CT
5000 persons at the Two sessions 10
oe held earch day. Arrangements
have been perfected to admit be-
tween $4,000 end 10000 persons
before the services are at an end,
an1 there IS strong probability
from official reports received that
even the latter number will se ex-
ceeded.
USES CT THE TEMPLE
The belief Of the Alormons, Or
Latter Day Saints, ae they call
themselves, is that without the O~di
nances and enGowments that csn be
given only lr Il temple they cannot
obtain complete salvation. These
endowInents are the conierring Of
certain blessings pertaining TO their
existence hereafter for those who
are living and also in behalf Of those
@ho have died without the oppor-
:unity of personally receiving in the
flesh the desirable ordinations.
This accounts for the activity and
persis: ency Of the Saints in build
ing temples.
| A REMARKABLE BUILDING
The site for the new temple was
selected July 26, 1S47, the fifth day
after the Mormon pioneers entered
Great Salt Lake Valley. Brigham
Young, president of the church
with number of the apostles, was
viewing the prospect in the place
selected as his new home, where al
seemed barren waste, and in pass
ing the southwest corner Of where
the temple now stands struck hi
cane on the ground and exclaimed
Here will be the temple Of Gu
God
Tbs southeast corner of Il ten acr
plat, selected as the temple block
was rnade the initial point for lay
ing out the city and was afterwar,
adcpFed by government officials q
tie bass meridian line.
Four years later, at tie Octobe
conference Of the church IN 1851,
vote Of the people was taken t
bulld "a temple Of the best mate
rials that can be obtained in Mort
America.
On February 9Th, 1853, groun
was broken and 250 men put t
work on thu excavation. On the 6:
OF April following the corner stone
were laid SIX teen feet below the su
face CT the ground, When John
ston's army came through il 1S5
tie foundation Of the temple W,
entirely covered with earth and IL
people moved south from Salt Lax
for time.
-Four years after tits work WIS r
sumed on the building, and with Il
exception Of two years, 1868 sr
1869, when the workmen OF II
Territory were mostly employed
{ constructing the Union Pacific al
other railroads, las continued wit
out serious interruption. The ca
stone was laid April 9Th, 1892,
which time the date for dedicati,
was fixed for April 9th, 1898, Il
sixty-third anniversary of the orga
ization Of the Mormon Church al
: forty years from the day the temp
. corner stones were laid.
: sYMBoL1CAL FIGURES AND TOWERS
: The building is 1861 feet 10,
L and SO feet wide. With the towe
. it covers an area Of 21,85O squa
u feet. The foundation wall is Is fe
. thick and Is deep On this t
y granite walls are nine feet thich
/ the bottom, and narrow to six fe
10 at the square There are six towe
Q three on the east and three on t
y west The corner towers are
feet square at the base. Those
the east are 200 feet high, and
the west 1914 feet. The east cent
!, tower at the building is 1921 Fl
- high, surmounted by a figure W
:, a trumpet to his lips proclaim
- the gospel. TIE east part of ,
- temple is for the Melchiesore prie
- hood, representing tho higher
=. spiritual affair. The west is for
~ W Aaronic priesthood, representa-
-. - OF temporal existence The fgr
: on the east central tower symbol
: the angel named in the fourteel
- chapter and sixth verse Of Reve
- ton.
~ ~ There are in the building ns
~ stones symbolical OF different e,
3. ditions of mankind. Around
~ base are earth stones. Above th
are moon stones, showing the me