MODERN DAY TEMPLES--THE TEMPLES AT KIRTLAND AND NAUVOO
{110} As to general design, and indeed as to details of plan and
construction of the earlier sanctuaries, much has been preserved to
us through the pages of sacred writ. From the Biblical record alone
it would be possible to practically reproduce the Tabernacle of the
Congregation and the later Temple of Solomon; though, had we no
information to supplement the Biblical account, we would know but
little as to procedure requisite to the administration of ordinances
specifically pertaining to temples.
Regarding the plan of building and the structural design of temples,
we find no close similarity, far less of aught approaching identity,
in these holy houses as erected in different dispensations; on
the contrary we may affirm that direct revelation of temple plans
is required for each distinctive period of the Priesthood's
administration, that is to say for every dispensation of Divine
authority. While the general purpose of temples is the same in all
times, the special suitability of these edifices is determined by the
needs of the dispensation to which they severally belong.
There is a definite sequence of development in the dealings of God with
man throughout the centuries; and it is this unity of order and purpose
that constitutes the {111} eternal unchangeableness of the Supreme
Being. Today is no mere repetition of yesterday; on the contrary, every
today is a sum of all precedent time, so that in each succeeding age
the Divine plan is farther advanced, and the grand finale in the great
drama of human salvation is brought nearer.
From the days of the ancient Tabernacle of the Congregation, and thence
onward to the meridian of time, animal sacrifice was required as an
ordained rite of propitiation and worship; and such was in prototype of
the sacrificial death predicted as part of the mission of the Son of
Man. The temples of the Hebrews who were living under the Mosaic law,
provided, therefore, for the slaughter of animals, for the ceremonial
dividing of the carcasses and for the due disposal of the blood, for
the convenient immolation of the offerings, and for numerous other
details of ceremony associated with worship under the law of Moses.
The Latter-day Saints are one with other Christian sects in the
unreserved acceptance of the doctrine that the atoning death of Christ
terminated the Mosaic rites of sacrifice involving the ceremonial
shedding of blood, that, in truth, the prototype was consummated in the
reality. The temples of today are provided with no altars of sacrifice,
no courts of slaughter, no shambles red with the blood of beasts, no
pyres on which carcasses are burned, no censers of incense to becloud
the fumes from burning flesh.
Even among the temples of the present dispensation there is a graded
variety in the details of construction. The first temple of modern
times was in a measure incomplete as compared with the holy houses of
later construction. {112} The fact was doubtless known to the Lord,
though wisely hidden from common knowledge, that the Kirtland Temple
would serve but for the beginning of the re-establishment of those
distinctive ordinances for which temples are essential. Even as the
Tabernacle of old was but an inferior type of what would follow,
designed for temporary use under special conditions, so the earlier
temples of the latter-day dispensation, specifically those of Kirtland
and Nauvoo, were but temporary Houses of the Lord, destined to serve
for short periods only as sanctuaries.
Scarcely had The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints been
organized when the Lord indicated the necessity of a temple, in which
He could reveal His mind and will to man, and in which the sanctifying
ordinances of the Gospel could be administered. In a revelation given
as early as December, 1830, the Lord said: "I am Jesus Christ the Son
of God: wherefore gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my
temple."[1] In February 1831, the Lord further indicated His purpose
thus: "That my covenant people may be gathered in one in that day
when I shall come to my temple. And this I do for the salvation of
my people."[2] More definite instructions as to the practical labors
incident to the procuring of a site and the rearing of a temple soon
followed.
TEMPLE SITE AT INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI
The principal seat of the Church had been temporarily established at
Kirtland, Ohio; nevertheless the prophet had learned through early
revelation that Zion would be {113} established far to the west. In
June, 1831, a conference of elders was held at Kirtland, on which
occasion a revelation[3] was received directing certain of the elders
to start westward, traveling in pairs and preaching by the way. In the
month following, these elders reassembled at a designated place in
western Missouri, all rejoicing in their ministry and eager to learn
the further will of the Lord. The burden of their prayer and song is
thus expressed by the prophet: "When will the wilderness blossom as
the rose? When will Zion be built up in her glory, and where will thy
temple stand, unto which all nations shall come in the last days?"[4]
In answer to their supplications the Lord spake by the mouth of His
prophet, designating the western part of Missouri as the land of Zion,
and the site occupied by the town of Independence as the "center
place," and specifying a spot as that upon which a temple should be
built.[5]
On the third of August, 1831, the prophet Joseph Smith and seven other
elders of the Church assembled on the temple lot and dedicated the
same to its sacred purpose. Though the company was small, the occasion
was one of great solemnity and impressiveness. The prophet himself
offered the prayer of dedication.[6] The temple so projected is yet to
be built. Though the Latter-day Saints acquired by purchase title to
and possession of the {114} temple lot, they were later by violence
compelled to abandon their rightful possessions.
THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE
The building of a temple in Missouri was regarded, even by the prophet
and those who assisted him in dedicating the site, as an event of the
future, perhaps even of the far distant future. The center of activity,
the seat of the Church for the time being, was in Ohio, and Kirtland
was the place of temporary gathering. In Kirtland too was to be erected
the first temple of modern times.
In a revelation given December 27, 1832, the Lord commanded the
establishment of a holy house.[7] Perhaps because their eyes were
directed too steadily toward the "center place," and because the people
were prone to contemplate too absorbedly the glory of the future to
the neglect of then present duties, compliance with the requirement
to proceed at once with the erection of a temple was not prompt; and
the Lord rebuked the people for their tardiness and neglect, declaring
again His will that a house be reared to His name and promising success
on condition of faithful effort.[8]
The Saints were aroused to great activity in the matter of erecting
a temple for immediate use. A building committee was organized, and
a call issued to all branches of the Church.[9] On the second day of
August, 1833, the voice of the Lord was heard again respecting the
matter of temple building, and while the specific requirement {115}
appears to directly apply to the temple of the future in Jackson
County, Missouri, nevertheless the revelation had immediate effect in
inspiring greater effort in the building of a temple at Kirtland.[10]
The Kirtland Temple was built as projected and designed, though the
work was marked by an unbroken course of supreme sacrifice on the part
of a poverty-laden people. Consider the words of one who was present
and saw, one who helped and suffered, one who spoke from personal
knowledge and keen remembrance. Eliza R. Snow, a gifted poetess and
historian of modern-day Israel, has written:
"It [the Temple] was commenced in June, 1833, under the immediate
direction of the Almighty, through his servant, Joseph Smith, whom
he had called in his boyhood, like Samuel of old, to introduce the
fulness of the everlasting gospel.
"At that time the Saints were few in number, and most of them very
poor; and had it not been for the assurance that God had spoken,
and had commanded that a house should be built to His name, of
which He not only revealed the form, but also designated the
dimensions, an attempt towards building that Temple, under the
then existing circumstances, would have been, by all concerned,
pronounced preposterous.
* * * * * *
"Its dimensions are eighty by fifty-nine feet; the walls fifty feet
high, and the tower one hundred and ten feet. The two main halls
are fifty-five by sixty-five feet in the inner court. The building
has four vestries in front, and five rooms in the attic, which were
devoted to literature and for meetings of the various quorums of
the Priesthood.
"There was a peculiarity in the arrangement of the inner {116}
court which made it more than ordinarily impressive--so much so
that a sense of sacred awe seemed to rest upon all who entered.
Not only the Saints, but strangers also, manifested a high degree
of reverential feeling. Four pulpits stood, one above another, in
the center of the building, from north to south, both on the east
and west ends. * * * In front of each of these two rows of pulpits
was a sacrament table, for the administration of that sacred
ordinance. In each corner of the court was an elevated pew for the
singers--the choir being distributed into four compartments. In
addition to the pulpit-curtains were others, intersecting at right
angles, which divided the main ground-floor hall into four equal
sections, giving to each one half of one set of pulpits.
"From the day the ground was broken for laying the foundation of
the Temple, until its dedication on the 27th of March, 1836, the
work was vigorously prosecuted.
"With very little capital except brain, bone, and sinew, combined
with unwavering trust in God, men, women, and even children, worked
with their might. While the brethren labored in their departments,
the sisters were actively engaged in boarding and clothing workmen
not otherwise provided for--all living as abstemiously as possible,
so that every cent might be appropriated to the grand object, while
their energies were stimulated by the prospect of participating in
the blessing of a house built by the direction of the Most High,
and accepted by Him."[11]
The corner stones had been laid July 23, 1833--just when opposition
and persecution were most rife in the western branches of the Church,
the very day, in fact, on which a lawless mob served notice of
expulsion on the Saints in Missouri.[12] Nevertheless work on the
Kirtland {117} Temple continued without interruption, though to the
eager Saints progress was all too slow. On the 7th of March, 1835, a
solemn convocation was held in Kirtland,--"called for the purpose of
blessing in the name of the Lord, those who have heretofore assisted
in building, by their labor and other means, the House of the Lord in
this place." The record gives names of those who had consecrated their
time, effort and means to the work.[13] Long before the Temple was
completed, parts of the structure were used for council meetings and
other gatherings of the Priesthood. In January, 1836, a code of rules
was adopted "to be observed in the House of the Lord in Kirtland."[14]
On the 21st of the month last named a gathering of the Priesthood
was held in the unfinished Temple, on which occasion the Presiding
Patriarch and the three High Priests who composed the First Presidency
of the Church, assembled in a room by themselves and engaged in solemn
prayer. The Patriarch, Father Joseph Smith, was anointed and blessed by
the members of the First Presidency in turn, after which he, by virtue
of his office, anointed and blessed them. Of the glorious manifestation
that followed, the prophet thus writes:
"The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial
kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out
I cannot tell. I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through
which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto
circling flames of fire; also the blazing throne of God, whereon
was seated the Father and the Son. I saw the beautiful streets of
that kingdom, which {118} had the appearance of being paved with
gold. * * * I saw the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb, who are now upon
the earth, who hold the keys of this last ministry, in foreign
lands, standing together in a circle, much fatigued, with their
clothes tattered and feet swollen, with their eyes cast downward,
and Jesus standing in their midst, and they did not behold Him. The
Savior looked upon them and wept.
* * * * * * *
"Many of my brethren who received the ordinance with me saw
glorious visions also. Angels ministered unto them as well as to
myself, and the power of the Highest rested upon us; the house was
filled with the glory of God, and we shouted 'Hosanna to God and
the Lamb.' My scribe also received his anointing with us, and saw,
in a vision, the armies of heaven protecting the Saints in their
return to Zion, and many things which I saw.
"The Bishop of Kirtland with his counselors, and the Bishop of
Zion with his counselors, were present with us, and received their
anointings under the hands of Father Smith, and this was confirmed
by the Presidency, and the glories of heaven were unfolded to them
also.
"We then invited the High Councilors of Kirtland and Zion into our
room. * * *
"The visions of heaven were opened to them also. Some of them
saw the face of the Savior, and others were ministered unto by
holy angels, and the spirit of prophecy and revelation was poured
out in mighty power; and loud hosannas, and glory to God in the
highest, saluted the heavens, for we all communed with the heavenly
host."[15]
The dedication of the Kirtland Temple occurred on Sunday, March 27,
1836. The early hour of 8 a.m. had been set as the time for opening the
doors; but so intense was the interest and so eager the expectation,
that long before the time hundreds had gathered about the doors. {119}
Between nine hundred and a thousand people attended the services. The
congregation was seated in solemn assembly, each of the organized
bodies of Priesthood with its presiding officers being in its appointed
place. Singing, scripture reading, and supplication for Divine grace,
were followed by brief addresses; after which the authorities of the
Church as then constituted were presented to the people for acceptance
or rejection, and a rising vote pledged unanimous support in every
instance. The authorities of the Priesthood so sustained comprised all
presiding officers from the First Presidency down to the presidency of
the deacons. The dedicatory prayer was then offered by Joseph Smith,
who affirms that the prayer was given to him by revelation.[16]
The question as to whether the House of the Lord was accepted as duly
dedicated was put to the quorums of the Priesthood separately and to
the congregation as a whole; the vote in the affirmative was unanimous.
The Lord's Supper was then administered, and many of the elders bore
solemn testimony to the divinity of the Gospel as restored. The
prophet's journal continues:
"President Frederick G. Williams arose and testified that while
President Rigdon was making his first prayer, an angel entered the
window and took his seat between Father Smith and himself, and
remained there during the prayer. President David Whitmer also saw
angels in the house. President Hyrum Smith made some appropriate
remarks congratulating those who had endured so many toils and
privations to build the house. President Rigdon then made a few
appropriate closing remarks, and a short prayer, at the close
of which we sealed the proceedings of {120} the day by shouting
'Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to God and the Lamb,' three times,
sealing it each time with 'Amen, Amen, and Amen.'"[17]
In the evening of the day of dedication another meeting was held; this,
however, was attended by officers of the Church only. The record as
written by the prophet reads:
"I met the quorums in the evening and instructed them respecting
the ordinance of washing of feet, which they were to attend to on
Wednesday following; and gave them instructions in relation to the
spirit of prophecy. * * *
"Brother George A. Smith arose and began to prophesy, when a noise
was heard like the sound of a rushing, mighty wind, which filled
the Temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose, being
moved upon by an invisible power; many began to speak in tongues
and prophesy; others saw glorious visions; and I beheld the Temple
was filled with angels, which fact I declared to the congregation.
The people of the neighborhood came running together (hearing an
unusual sound within, and seeing a bright light like a pillar
of fire resting upon the Temple), and were astonished at what
was taking place. This continued until the meeting closed at 11
p.m."[18]
On the Thursday following that eventful Sabbath, another solemn
assembly convened in the Temple, including as before the general
authorities of the Church, and in addition such members as had not been
able to secure admission on the earlier day. The services were in a
measure a repetition of the proceedings on the first occasion; {121}
the dedicatory prayer was read, appropriate music was rendered and
addresses were delivered.
That the building was in truth a Temple, a holy structure accepted by
Him to whose name it had been reared, that it was veritably a House
of the Lord, had been attested by the visitation of heavenly beings,
and by Divine manifestations surpassing all expectation, as witnessed
on the evening of the dedication day. On the next Sabbath, April
3, 1836, visitations and manifestations of yet greater import were
received. At the afternoon service the Lord's Supper was administered,
after which, the prophet and his counselor, Oliver Cowdery, retired
to the stand reserved for the presiding officers of the Melchisedek
Priesthood,--which was enclosed by the curtains or veils lowered for
the occasion. They solemnly testify that then and there did the Lord
Jesus Christ reveal Himself. Afterward, other heavenly personages
ministered unto them, each delivering or bestowing the particular
authority with which he was specially invested. The testimony of Joseph
Smith and Oliver Cowdery is as follows:
"The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our
understanding were opened.
"We saw the Lord standing upon the breast-work of the pulpit,
before us, and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold in
color like amber.
"His eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of his head was white
like the pure snow, his countenance shone above the brightness of
the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great
waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying--
"I am the first and the last, I am he who liveth, I am he who was
slain, I am your advocate with the Father.
{122} "Behold, your sins are forgiven you, you are clean before me,
therefore lift up your heads and rejoice,
"Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all
my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to
my name,
"For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here,
and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house,
"Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with
mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not
pollute this holy house.
"Yea, the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly
rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out,
and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this
house;
"And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands, and this
is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the
heads of my people. Even so. Amen.
"After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us,
and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of
the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the
leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.
"After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of
the gospel of Abraham, saying, that in us, and our seed, all
generations after us should be blessed.
"After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision
burst upon us, for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven
without tasting death, stood before us, and said--
"Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth
of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent before the
great and dreadful day of the Lord come,
"To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a
curse.
"Therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed {123} into
your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day
of the Lord is near, even at the doors."[19]
The erection of the Temple at Kirtland seemed to increase the
hostile opposition to which the Church had been subjected since its
organization; and persecution soon became so violent that all of the
Saints who could dispose of their property and leave did so and joined
their fellow religionists in Missouri. Within two years following the
dedication, a general exodus of the Saints had taken place, and the
Temple soon fell into the hands of the persecutors. The building is yet
standing, and serves the purposes of an ordinary meeting-house for an
obscure sect that manifests no visible activity in temple building, nor
apparent belief in the sacred ordinances for which temples are erected.
The people whose sacrifice and suffering reared the structure no longer
assert claims of ownership. What was once the Temple of God, in which
the Lord Jesus appeared in person, has become but a house,--a building
whose sole claim to distinction among the innumerable structures built
by man, lies in its wondrous past.
TEMPLE SITE AT FAR WEST, MISSOURI
From Ohio the Church migrated westward, and gathering-centers were
established in Missouri, principally in Jackson, Clay, and Caldwell
counties. No time was lost in useless grieving over the enforced
abandonment of the Temple at Kirtland. Even at that early day, but
seven years after the organization of the Church, the people {124} had
come to regard persecution as an inevitable incident of their religion,
and spoliation as their heritage. Resolutely they went to work in
preparation for another temple, and a site was chosen at Far West,
Caldwell County, Missouri. On the 5th of August, 1837, "the Presidency,
High Council, and all the authorities of the Church in Missouri,
assembled in council at Far West, and unanimously resolved to go on
moderately and build a house unto the name of the Lord in Far West,
as they had means."[20] On the 26th of April, 1838, a revelation was
received directing the time and manner of beginning the work:
"Let the city, Far West, be a holy and consecrated land unto me,
and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou
standest is holy; therefore I command you to build an house unto
me, for the gathering together of my Saints, that they may worship
me; and let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation,
and a preparatory work, this following summer; and let the
beginning be made on the fourth day of July next, and from that
time forth let my people labor diligently to build an house unto my
name, and in one year from this day let them re-commence laying the
foundation of my house."[21]
On the fourth day of July, 1838, the corner stones were laid to the
accompaniment of military parade and solemn procession.[22] It is plain
from the revelation of April 26, 1838, that even the laying of the
foundation of this proposed temple would not proceed uninterruptedly.
{125} The corner stones were placed on July 4th as had been commanded,
and on the 8th another mention of the site is made with a specific
requirement respecting the future work of the apostles. "Let them
take leave of my Saints in the city of Far West, on the 26th day of
April next, on the building spot of my house, saith the Lord."[23]
The months following were marked by persecution and violence; hostile
opponents declared that the commission should never be fulfilled.
History attests, however, that on the 26th day of April, 1839, the
apostles, several other officers of the Church, and a number of the
members, assembled in the early hours of the morning, sang their
hymns, delivered their exhortations, and began the work of laying the
foundation stones. On the occasion two vacancies in the Council of the
Twelve were filled by the ordination of Wilford Woodruff and George A.
Smith, whose nominations had previously been voted upon. The apostles
then took leave of the others present and proceeded on their missions.
Almost immediately after the events last recorded, the Saints were
forced to abandon their homes in Missouri.
The Latter-day Saints regard the long delay in the erection of temples
on the dedicated sites in Missouri as largely the result of their
own defection, neglect, and disobedience to the word of the Lord, in
consequence of which their enemies were permitted to prevail. When,
in 1834, the Saints in Missouri were subject to cruel persecution,
their fellow religionists in the eastern branches of the Church were
directed to go to their aid, and to send men with money to purchase the
lands adjacent to the chosen sites, and moreover to consecrate their
possessions {126} to the redemption of Zion. To these requirements
there was unsatisfactory response; and even in Zion's Camp, as the body
of between one hundred and fifty and two hundred men who set out from
Ohio for Missouri as directed, was called, there was much disaffection,
murmuring, and lack of faith. On June 22, 1834, the Lord said through
Joseph, the prophet:
"Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my
people, speaking concerning the Church and not individuals, they
might have been redeemed even now."[24]
Thus, through their own transgressions the Saints were hindered in the
work required at their hands, and the harvest of blessings predicated
upon this specific labor, has not yet ripened.
THE NAUVOO TEMPLE
After their expulsion from Missouri, the "Mormon" refugees turned
their faces toward the east, crossed the Mississippi and established
themselves in and about the obscure village of Commerce, Hancock
County, Illinois. The people demonstrated again their marvelous
recuperative power, and without delay or hesitation set about
establishing new homes and a temple. By the early part of June, 1839,
dwellings were in course of construction, and soon the hamlet was
transformed into a city. To this new abiding place the Saints gave the
name Nauvoo,--which to them meant all that the name City Beautiful
could convey. It was situated but a few miles from {127} Quincy, in
a bend of the majestic river, giving the town three water fronts. It
seemed to nestle there as if the Father of Waters was encircling it
with his mighty arm.[25]
The best and most suitable site within the limits of the city as
planned was selected, purchased, and duly set apart as the temple
ground. The corner stones were laid April 6, 1841--the day on which the
Church entered upon the twelfth year of its troubled yet progressive
career. In the ceremonial of the day the Nauvoo Legion--a body of
militia organized under the laws of Illinois,--took a conspicuous part,
and two volunteer companies from Iowa Territory participated.[26] The
south-east corner-stone was placed in position under the immediate
direction of the First Presidency, and over it the President pronounced
the following benediction:
"This principal corner-stone in representation of the First
Presidency, is now duly laid in honor of the Great God; and may
it there remain until the whole fabric is completed; and may the
same be accomplished speedily; that the Saints may have a place to
worship God, and the Son of Man have where to lay His head."
Sidney Rigdon of the First Presidency then pronounced the following:
"May the persons employed in the erection of this house be
preserved from all harm while engaged in its construction, till the
whole is completed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost. Even so. Amen."[27]
{128} After a recess of one hour, the congregation re-assembled and
the remaining corner stones were laid in the order indicated. The
south-west corner-stone was laid under the direction of the High
Priests' organization, and the president pronounced the following:
"The second corner-stone of the temple now building by The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in honor of the Great God,
is duly laid, and may the same unanimity that has been manifested
on this occasion continue till the whole is completed; that peace
may rest upon it to the laying of the top-stone thereof, and the
turning of the key thereof; that the Saints may participate in the
blessings of Israel's God, within its walls, and the glory of God
rest upon the same. Amen."
The north-west corner-stone was then lowered to its place under the
superintendency of the High Council, with a benediction by Elias
Higbee, as follows:
"The third corner-stone is now duly laid; may this stone be a firm
support to the building that the whole may be completed as before
proposed."
The stone at the north-east corner was laid by the Bishops, and Bishop
Whitney pronounced the following:
"The fourth and last corner-stone, expressive of the Lesser
Priesthood, is now duly laid, and may the blessings before
pronounced, with all others desirable, rest upon the same forever.
Amen."[28]
Regarding the proper order of procedure in temple building, the prophet
Joseph Smith wrote as follows in connection with the laying of the
corner-stones at Nauvoo:
{129} "If the strict order of the Priesthood were carried out in
the building of temples, the first stone would be laid at the
south-east corner, by the First Presidency of the Church. The
south-west corner should be laid next; the third, or north-west
corner next; and the fourth, or north-east corner last. The First
Presidency should lay the south-east corner stone and dictate who
are the proper persons to lay the other corner stones.
"If a temple is built at a distance, and the First Presidency
are not present, then the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the
persons to dictate the order for that temple; and in the absence
of the Twelve Apostles, then the Presidency of the Stake will lay
the south-east corner stone; the Melchisedek Priesthood laying
the corner stones on the east side of the temple, and the Lesser
Priesthood those on the west side."[29]
The Nauvoo Temple was erected by the people, who contributed liberally
both through tithes and freewill offerings of money and labor. Most of
the work was done by men who tithed themselves as to time, and devoted
their energies in the proportion of at least one day in ten to labor on
the Temple.[30]
The work progressed slowly but without marked interruption; and
this fact becomes surprising when the many unfavorable conditions
are considered. The Saints had found but temporary respite from
persecution; and as the Temple rose opposition increased.[31]
{130} Interest had been aroused and energy stimulated in temple
matters, through a revelation by which the Lord made known His will
and the provisions of heavenly law concerning the sacred ordinance
of baptism for the dead. It will be remembered that no provision for
this rite had been made in the Kirtland Temple, for at the time of the
erection of that structure nothing thereto pertaining had been revealed
in modern times. On January 19, 1841, the Lord had spoken through
the prophet, explaining the need of a holy house with its baptistry,
largely and specifically for the benefit of the dead.[32] So eager
were the Saints to render vicarious service in behalf of their dead,
that before the temple walls were much above the basement level, the
construction of a font was in progress. On November 8, 1841, the font
was ready for dedication, and the ceremony was performed by the prophet
himself. Thus, long before the Temple was finished, ordinance work was
in progress within its precincts, the font being enclosed by temporary
walls. A description written by Joseph Smith follows:
"The baptismal font is situated in the center of the basement
room, under the main hall of the Temple; it is constructed of
pine timber, and put together of staves tongued and grooved, oval
shaped, sixteen feet long east and west, and twelve feet wide,
seven feet high from the foundation, the basin four feet deep; the
moulding of the cap and base are formed of beautiful carved work
in antique style. The sides are finished with panel work. A flight
of stairs in the north and south sides lead up and down into the
basin, guarded by side railing.
"The font stands upon twelve oxen, four on each side, {131} and
two at each end, their heads, shoulders, and fore-legs projecting
out from under the font; they are carved out of pine plank, glued
together, and copied after the most beautiful five-year-old steer
that could be found in the country, and they are an excellent
striking likeness of the original; the horns were formed after the
most perfect horn that could be procured.
"The oxen and ornamental mouldings of the font were carved by
Elder Elijah Fordham, from the city of New York, which occupied
eight months of time. The font was enclosed by a temporary frame
building sided up with split oak clapboards, with a roof of the
same material, and was so low that the timbers of the first story
[of the Temple] were laid above it. The water was supplied from a
well thirty feet deep in the east end of the basement."[33]
Beside the baptistry, other parts of the Temple were prepared for
temporary occupancy while yet work on the walls was in progress, and
on Sunday, October 30, 1842, a general assembly was convened therein.
This is recorded as the first meeting held in the Temple.[34] At later
dates other meetings were held within the unfinished structure; and
notwithstanding the violent opposition of foes without, and yet more
effective hindrances caused by the apostate spirit manifested by a few
within the Church, the work was vigorously prosecuted.
It was not permitted that Joseph Smith the prophet, nor Hyrum Smith,
one-time counselor in the First Presidency and later Patriarch of the
Church, should live to see the completion of the building. On the
27th of June, 1844, these men of God fell victims of the bullets of
{132} assassins, at Carthage, Illinois.[35] Though heavy the blow and
cruel the affliction suffered by the Saints in the martyrdom of their
leaders, the work of the Church showed scarcely perceptible hindrance.
Within two weeks after the dread event, construction on the Temple
was resumed, and from that time till the completion the work was
prosecuted with increased vigor and determination. A few months prior
to his martyrdom, Patriarch Hyrum Smith, acting as one of the Temple
Committee, had made a call on the women of the Church, asking from
them a weekly subscription of one cent apiece, the money to be used in
purchasing material, particularly glass and nails, for the Temple. It
is recorded that "there was soon a great anxiety manifest among the
sisters to pay their portion, and nearly all paid a year's subscription
in advance."[36]
The Church archives for 1844 and 1845 contain numerous references
to the progress of the work. On the 24th of May, 1845, the capstone
was laid, with impressive ceremony, under the direction of President
Brigham Young and other members of the Council of the Twelve Apostles,
beside whom there were in attendance many general and local authorities
of the Church. After the top-stone had been duly laid, the President
said:
"The last stone is laid upon the Temple, and I pray the Almighty in
the name of Jesus to defend us in this place, and sustain us until
the Temple is finished and we have all got our endowments."[37]
{133} Then followed the solemn and sacred shout: "Hosanna! Hosanna!
Hosanna! To God and the Lamb! Amen! Amen! and Amen!" This was repeated
a second and a third time; and in conclusion the President said: "So
let it be, thou Lord Almighty."[38]
The somber clouds of persecution were gathering and thickening about
the devoted people. Under counsel from their leaders the people
prepared once again to leave their homes; and this time they resolved
to go beyond the boundaries of civilization. A general exodus was
imminent; and as early as February, 1846, this had begun. Most of
the Saints, however, remained for a short time; and with these the
completion of the Temple was the main purpose and object of life.
Though they knew the sacred edifice would soon be abandoned, they
labored diligently to complete it, even to the smallest detail.
By October, 1845, the building was so well advanced that large
assemblies therein were possible. The general autumnal conference
of the Church for that year was held within the walls; and the
congregation present on October 5th numbered fully five thousand souls.
During December, 1845, and the early months of 1846, many of the Saints
received their blessings and endowments in the Temple, for which
purpose parts of the structure had been duly consecrated; but not until
the end of April was the building as a whole ready for dedication.
The Nauvoo Temple was constructed for the most part of a close-grained,
light-gray limestone, a material at once hard and durable, yet easily
tooled, and therefore readily adapted to ornamental finish. The entire
building was one hundred and twenty-eight feet by eighty-eight {134}
feet, and sixty-five feet high in the clear. The top of the spire was
one hundred and sixty-five feet above the ground and bore the figure
of a flying herald sounding a trumpet. The plan of construction was
that of a solid and stable four-walled building, two and a half stories
high, with a hexagonal tower at the front rising in four terraces and a
dome. Over the front center door, and immediately beneath the base of
the tower, appeared an inscription:
THE HOUSE OF THE LORD
Built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Holiness to the Lord
On the outside were thirty pilasters, nine on each side and six at each
end. At its base each pilaster presented in hewn relief the crescent
moon, and ended above in a capital of cut stone depicting the face of
the sun allegorically featured, with a pair of hands holding horns.
Above the capitals was a frieze or cornice in which appeared thirty
star-stones. In the late hours of April 30, 1846, the Temple was
privately, yet officially, dedicated, in the presence of such general
authorities of the Church as could be convened. President Joseph Young
of the First Council of Seventy offered the dedicatory prayer. The
semi-private character of the dedication was due to the thought that
possibly there would be interference in a public ceremony, so active
was the spirit of intolerance and persecution. On the day following,
that is to say May 1, 1846, services of a general and public nature
were held in the Temple, under the direction of Elders Orson {135} Hyde
and Wilford Woodruff of the Council of the Twelve Apostles.
The Saints had met the requirement made of them by the Lord in the
building of another House to His name. Ordinance work continued a few
months more, even though the exodus of the people was in progress. In
September, 1846, the Nauvoo Temple was in possession of the mob; and
the people whose energy and substance, whose sweat and blood had been
spent in its rearing, were driven into the wilderness or slain. For
two years the once hallowed structure stood as an abandoned building;
then on November 19, 1848, it fell a prey to the wanton act of an
incendiary. After the conflagration, only blackened walls remained
where once had stood so stately a sanctuary. Strange to say, an attempt
was made by the Icarians, a local organization, to rebuild on the
ruins, the professed intent being to provide for a school; but while
the work was in its early stages a tornado demolished the greater part
of the walls. This occurred on May 27, 1850. What remained of the
Temple has been taken away as souvenirs or used as building material
for other structures. Stones of the Temple have been carried into most
of the states of the Union and beyond the seas, but upon the site where
once stood the House of the Lord not one stone is left upon another.
Before the demolition of the Nauvoo Temple was complete, the Latter-day
Saints had established themselves in the vales of Utah, and were
already preparing to build another and a greater sanctuary to the name
and service of their God.
FOOTNOTES
1. Doctrine and Covenants 36:8; compare Malachi 3:1.
2. Doctrine and Covenants 42:36.
3. See Doctrine and Covenants sec. 52; see also sec. 54.
4. History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Vol. I,
p. 189.
5. See Doctrine and Covenants 57:1-4.
6. See "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,"
Vol. I, p. 199; also the "Life of Joseph Smith" by George Q. Cannon, p.
119; see also "History of Utah" by Orson F. Whitney, Vol. I, p. 91.
7. Doctrine and Covenants sec. 88:119, 120.
8. See Doctrine and Covenants sec. 95.
9. See "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,"
Vol. I, pp. 349, 350.
10. Doctrine and Covenants 97:10-17.
11. See "Life of Joseph, the Prophet" by Edward W. Tullidge, pp.
187-189.
12. See "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,"
Vol. I, page 400.
13. See "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Vol. II, pp. 205, 206.
14. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
II, pp. 368, 369.
15. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
II, pp. 380-382.
16. See Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 109, where the prayer appears in
full.
17. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
II, pp. 427, 428.
18. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
II, p. 428.
19. Doctrine and Covenants sec. 110. See also "History of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Vol. II, pp. 434-436.
20. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
II, p. 505.
21. Doctrine and Covenants sec. 115:7-11.
22. See "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,"
Vol. III, pp. 41, 42.
23. Doctrine and Covenants 118:5.
24. Doctrine and Covenants 105:2; see also 103:23, and compare 105:8,
9; the two sections should be read in full.
25. See "The Story of Mormonism" by the author, p. 35.
26. See Joseph Smith's Journal, April 6, 1841; see "History of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol. IV, pp. 327-329.
27. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
IV, p. 329.
28. See "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,"
Vol. IV, p. 330.
29. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
IV, p. 331.
30. See "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,"
Vol. IV, p. 517.
31. In the "Times and Seasons" of May 2, 1842, appeared an editorial
dealing with the progress of work on the Temple, and this writing has
been incorporated in the prophet's journal. See "History of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Vol. V, pp. 608-610.
32. See Doctrine and Covenants 124:28-31. For an extended extract see
pages 73-74 of this book.
33. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
IV, pp. 446, 447.
34. "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Vol.
V, p. 182.
35. See "History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,"
Vol. VI, pp. 612-631; also Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 135.
36. "Historical Record," Salt Lake City, June, 1889, Vol. VIII, pp.
865, 866.
37. See "Historical Record," Salt Lake City, June, 1889, Vol. VII, p.
870.
38. "Historical Record," Vol. VII, p. 870.