The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-19
A "REVELATIoN" OF MUD.

A REVELATION" OF MUD.
We all have heard considerable of the
wisdom Of President Brigham Young as
a builder. Among the stories that have
been told at Mormon fresides-and out
side of them, too--is one with respect
to the Salt. Lake temple. II has been
said that all Of the plans and specih-
cations for that renowned structure
wero of divine origin; that they were
received by revelation. 1t seems,
though. upon investigation of the his
tory Of that building, that there was
considerable guesswork induged and
much more human and common sense
utilized in its final construction than
the hierarchs would have us to believe.
it appears that the word of the ''proph-
et' must have been set aside by purely
buman agencies. Before the construc-
tion of the Salt Lake temple was be-
gun there was much discussion as TO the
best material to be employed Upon
that subject sermon was preached by
President Brigham Young in the old
tabernacle on October 9. 1852, 1t is to
be found recorded in the journal of Dis
courses, volume /, and the matter we
here reproduce is on pages 2ls aud
219. There appeared to have been di-
vided opinions as to the best material
available IN the Territory to be used
III the erection of the temple. Several
of the brethren. 1t seems, had had some
say in the matter, and then Brigham
advanced his own views.
After having presented the impossi
bility of having the temple built of
gold, as it was thought it should have
been, Mr.. Young proceeded TO deter
mine the comparative values of the
really available materials in the follow
ing language:
You may bring the stone from san Pete.
which is beautiful specimen of rock
and erect a temple here with II: then
you may take this sand stone that is
found In abundance in the Redbutc Kan
yon. and build a temple Of that: then YOU
step over to the Emigration Kanyon. and
get this bastard arble and build an
other Of the same dimensions as that you
have built OF the red sand stone Now
you have got the San Pete rock temple.
the rcd sand stone temple. and another
built of lime stone or bastard marble /
call IL: then. right beside OF that another
one or adobies. mixed with pcbbles-take
that clay, and these pebble stones that
are so abundant here. and mix In with
them straw. and build another temple of
that com position, besides the three which
arc built Of different kinds OF rock, and
let them stand together-which do you
chemist In theory, I should say. according
TO my mind, when the San Pete rock is
washed into the Jordan tho other build
ings will be standing, and be in moderate
condition, The red sand stone Will go
next, and the other two still remain, the
bastard marble or lmc stone will be in
pretty good .prescrvat tions and when that
is all dccomposed and washed away into
which is built of mud or adohies still re-
mains, and In better condition than at
the first day II was built,
But, you see. Notwithstanding that
this should be considered as being the
'word of the Lord" because uttered
by the Mormon mouthpiece Of the Nor.
mon god, the temple was not built of
mud OF adobies. - The common sense
of practical builders ertopped the
Mormon almighty. and the structure
was finally built Of the native granite,
which is the most durable rock to be
found in this region. And respecting
the plans which were supposed TO have
been revealed, and under which the
exterior architecture and the inner con
struction of the temple were prosecuted.
there is but one thing to say Truman
O. Angel "revealed the outer archi-
lecture after his own mind, from the
Spanish mission style of Southern Cal.
ifornia, and the "innards' he con
structed according to the plan of the
Nauvoo temple, with which he was we'll
acquainted on account Of the fact that
he was the source of Joseph Smith IS
4" inspiration - in that structure
But coming back TO Brigham Young's
great ability as a builder, il must be
said of that gentleman that he was a
fine farmer of farmers