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Salt Lake Temple

The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At 253,015 square feet
(23,505.9 m2), it is the largest LDS temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth temple completed by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth temple built since
the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1846.[1]
Contents
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1Details
1.1Name
1.2Location
2Uses
3Temple construction and dedication
4Symbolism
51962 temple bombing
6Interior photographs
7Temple presidents
8See also
9References
10Further reading
11External links
Details[edit]
Cutaway model showing the interior layout of the temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the centerpiece of the 10-acre (4.0 ha) Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Like other LDS temples, it is considered sacred by the church and its members and
a temple recommend is required to enter, so there are no public tours inside the temple as there are for other adjacent buildings on Temple Square. In 1912, the first public photographs
of the interior were published in the book The House of the Lord, by James E. Talmage.[2] Since then, various photographs have been published, including by Life magazine in 1938.[3] The
temple grounds are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction.[4] Due to its location at LDS Church headquarters and its historical significance, the Temple is patronized by
Latter-day Saints from many parts of the world. The Salt Lake Temple is also the location of the weekly meetings of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.[5][3]As
such, there are special meeting rooms in the building for these purposes, including the Holy of Holies, which are not present in other temples.
The temple includes some elements thought to evoke Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem. It is oriented towards Jerusalem and the large basin used as a baptismal font is mounted on the
backs of twelve oxen, as was the Molten Sea in Solomon's Temple (see Chronicles 4:24). (However, the literal interpretation of the Biblical verses has been disputed.)[6] At the east end of
the building, the height of the center pinnacle to the base of the angel Moroni is 210 feet,[7] or 120 cubits,[8] making this Temple 20 cubits taller than the Temple of Solomon.[9]
Name[edit]
The official name of the Salt Lake Temple is also unique. In 1999, as the building of LDS temples accelerated, the church announced a formal naming convention for all existing and future
temples. For temples located in the United States and Canada, the name of the temple is generally the city or town in which the temple is located, followed by the name of the applicable
state or province (with no comma). For temples outside of the U.S. and Canada, the name of the temple is generally the city name (as above) followed by the name of the country.
However, for reasons on which the church did not elaborate, the Salt Lake Temple was made an exception to the new guidelines and was not renamed the "Salt Lake City Utah
Temple".[10] (The Provo City Center Temple is the only other temple that does not include a state, province, or country in the temple's name.)[11]
Location[edit]
The temple is located in downtown Salt Lake City, with several mountain peaks close by. Nearby, a shallow stream, City Creek, splits and flows both to the west and to the south, flowing
into the Jordan River. There is a wall around the 10-acre (4.0 ha) temple site. The surrounding wall became the first permanent structure on what has become known as Temple Square.
The wall is a uniform 15 feet high but varies in appearance because of the southwest slope of the site.[12]
Uses[edit]
The temple is considered the house of God and is reserved for special ceremonies for practicing Latter-Day Saints. The main ordinance rooms are used during the endowment ceremony;
namely the garden, telestial, terrestrial, and celestial rooms - in that order of use.[13][14] A washing and anointing ceremony is also administered, and until 1921, the rooms were also used
for healing rituals of washing and anointing for the sick or pregnant and were administered by women and men.[15]:16,67 The temple also serves as a place for marriage sealing
ceremonies for live and deceased persons. Additional uses include functioning as a location for baptisms for the dead, baptisms for health (until being discontinued in 1921),[16]:98 and,
briefly, for re-baptism for the renewal of covenants.[16]:97 Other rituals performed in the temple include the second anointing ordinance for live and deceased persons,[17] and meeting
rooms for church leaders.[18]:195-197
Temple construction and dedication[edit]

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