Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-05-29
THE NEW MORMON TEMPLE.
Interesting Description by Grand
son of Brigham Young.

Interesting Description by a Grand
son of Brigham Young.
[Eugene Young in the New York Independent
In attempting to describe for you the
Inside of the building, will say that the
interior is intended to typify the plan of
God as to the salvation Of man. There
fore, in entering you pass into the bsptis-
NAL room, which ID in the southwest cor
ner of tbs basement. In its center is the
ing upon the backs of twelve life-size
bronze oxen, standing in natural postures,
and three looking toward each point In the
compass. This font ia approached by a
short fight of narrow steps, and is sur-
rounded by railing or fence of delicate
iron fligree work. Around the sides of
the room are several small rooms, or clee-
cts, containing marble tubs, which are
used for amounting with oil.
Passing from the front room ysu enter
large room in the northeast corner of the
basement, which is furnished in wkits and
contains about one hundred and fifty ope-
ra chairs. Hero in the ordinances lectures
are given which prepare the mind for what
ID TO come
Passing on from this you enter = room
In the southeast corner OF the basement,
the ceiling of which is painted to repre-
sent the sky with sun, moon and stars,
| and on the side walls of which are fine
paintings of animals and scenery. In
tended to typify the earth before the in
| PRODUCTION of sin, the paintings show
peacs; for wild animals mingle with tame
| ones and none offer harm, and the plants,
| the wildly profuse, are arranged in rhyth-
! mic order. But one particular thing at
traoted my eye. In the deep embrasures
of the windows (the walls are sixteen feet
| through real tropical plants have been
placed and birds seem to be flying over
| art and nature. Here lectures suited to
| the character of the room are given. It
| is called the Creation room.
Passing from this room you ascend to
| the first floor by means of richly carved
and wide cherry stairway, at the top of
which on the right is picture of Jesus
preaching to the Nephites on this CONT
| nent, the idea of which is derived from
the Book of Mormon. But entering the
first room to the left Tin the southwest
corner of the first hoor) you fud yourself
surrounded by paintings of all that is dig
cordant in nature. Here are vast tangled
| cra9gy mountains, scanned and torn by the
| contending elements, raise their hoary
| heads; tumbling, leaping waterfalls now
disturb the formerly placid river; and ami
| mails are seen pursuing and devouring
their prey in every part of the room; for It
| Is intended to represent the condition of
the world after Adam had yielded to temp
tation, and thus introduced sin. Here ap-
propriate lectures are also given.
Passing on we are shown into the ter
restrial room Qn the northwest corner of
this first foor) which is intended to typify
the glory of the terrestrial kingdom in the
hereafter. Finished off in white and
gold, it seems to me one of the most
chastely beautiful rooms that could be i'm
agined. Many costly works of art adorn
it's walls, chef among which Ia one repre-
senting Joseph Interpreting the buffers
dream, taken from the Bible, and compan-
ion pictures, one of Jerusalem at sunset,
the other a scene on the banks of the
Dead sea. Here also lectures are given.
But as you gaze around on the eplendors
of this room your eye is attracted by the
beams of light that come seftly stealing
through exquisite crushed rose silk dam
ask curtains dependent from an arch fifty
feet in height, which seem to separate you
from another and more beautiful room.
HurrYing on with but hasty glance
over the terrestrial you pass through Q
small doorway into the celestial room, in
tended to typlfy the glory of the celestial
kingdom. The only expression that can
find which will express my ideas of this
room is, 1t Is truly heavenly. To attempt
to describe 1t would be folly; for there is
nothing with which can compare it; 1t is
entirely original. But If you can possibly
imagine the picture chat would be present
hn av>1o -
were mingled with northern art, 80 entire
ly blended that you could not tell where
one began and the other ended, and over 1t
all thrown ideas from all ages of the world,
you might draw an idea of the beauty of
the most beautiful room in the temple.
Not being tradesman in the furniture
and tapestry line, I cannot tell you the
style of the furniture OF hsngings. But
the room Is finished off in a warm terra
Gotta brown. standing out In bold relief
from which are eight artisticaliy carved
Greeian columns, four on the north and
four on the south side, each ending In .
niche for the busts of prominent men In
the church; the busts of my grandfather,
of President MILFORD Woodruff and of
George 9. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith
(counselors to the president of the ehHrch)
being already placed in four Of these
inches. The ceiling, with the background
of brown, has many lines of hanging
punches of fruits and flowers. artistically
nodded and tinted. Among the many
works of art are companion pictures hung
at the east and, one of the hill Cumorah
(where Joseph Smith found the plates of
the Book of 4orn,on), the other of Adam
on-Ahman (whsre Adam was supposed TO
have built an altar when he was driven
from the garden of Eden)
Leading off from the south eide Of the
celestial room are three small alcoves, the
center of which is the sealing: room, where
the marriage ceremony is performed, 1t
is fitted most magnifeently, having q
dome-like roof set with large circles of
colorsd glass lenses, through which pow
erful inoandescent lamps throw soft color,
oil finished In delicate grayish green.