A Pictorial History of Mormonism | Temples of the LDS Church Part I

Scattered across the globe, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has constructed 168 temples, each one a beautiful house of the Lord where worthy members can come to worship and bind themselves and their families to God. Below I have included pictures of the first 20 of these beautiful houses of worship and included some interesting facts about each, and how they fit into the storied history of Mormonism. (More installments in this series to come)


1. St. George Utah Temple
Location: St. George, Utah, USA
Dedicated: April 1877 by Daniel H. Wells
Fun Fact: The St. George Temple is the oldest operating temple of the LDS Church. Other temples had been built before it, but these were either destroyed by arson or natural disasters or had to be abandoned when the Saints fled westward.

2. Logan Utah Temple
Location: Logan, Utah, USA
Dedicated: May 1884 by John Taylor
Fun Fact: The exterior walls, made of rough-hewn, dark limestone, were originally painted off-white to give the building a smoother texture, but in the early 1900's the paint was allowed  to weather away and show the temple's characteristic rough stone.

3. Manti Utah Temple
Location: Manti, Utah, USA
Dedicated: May 1888 by Lorenzo Snow
Fun Fact: Every year, a pageant celebrating the history of the Church is performed on the hillside on the temple grounds.

4. Salt Lake Temple
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Dedicated: April 1893 by Wilford Woodruff
Fun Fact: The Salt Lake Temple is perhaps the most well-recognized of all LDS temples. It was built over a forty-year period and was the first Mormon temple to have a public open-house before its dedication. By square-footage, it is the Church's largest temple and its distinctive architecture makes it an international symbol of the Church.

5. Laie Hawaii Temple

Location: Laie, Hawaii, USA
Dedicated: November 1919 by Heber J. Grant
Fun Fact: Construction on this iconic tropical temple came to a screeching halt when builders realized they were running short on lumber. The members were asked to pray for an answer to this predicament. In just a couple days, a freighter was found stranded on a nearby coral reef. The captain of the ship offered the Church all of his cargo if they would help unload it. He was carrying lumber, and enough of it to finish the temple.

6. Cardston Alberta Temple

Location: Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Dedicated: August 1923 by Heber J. Grant
Fun Fact: First temple built outside of the United States.

7. Mesa Arizona Temple

Location: Mesa, Arizona, USA
Dedicated: October 1927 by Heber J. Grant
Fun Fact: The Mesa Arizona Temple became the first to perform temple ordinances in a non-English language when Spanish ordinances were offered in 1945.

8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple

Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA
Dedicated: September 1945 by George Albert Smith
Fun Fact: The outside of the temple was completed in 1941 with completion of the interior planned for the next year. However, World War II shortages prompted the construction to wait until after the war.

9. Bern Switzerland Temple

Location: Zolikofen, Bern, Switzerland
Dedicated: September 1955 by David O. McKay
Fun Fact: First European temple.

10. Los Angeles California Temple

Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Dedicated: March 1956 by David O. McKay
Fun Fact: Construction was also delayed for many years by World War II

11. Hamilton New Zealand Temple

Location: Hamilton, Waikoto region, North Island, New Zealand
Dedicated: April 1958 by David O. McKay
Fun Fact: For many years, this temple offered over-night ordinances to accommodate weekend visitors who had traveled long distances.

12.London England Temple

Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Dedicated: September 1958 by David O. McKay
Fun Fact: The open-house for the London temple drew an unprecedented 76,324 visitors.

13. Oakland California Temple

Location: Oakland, California, USA
Dedicated: November 1864 by David O. McKay
Fun Fact: The Oakland temple's exterior features two 35 foot panels with relief sculptures of Christ preaching in Jerusalem on the north panel, and Christ preaching in the Americas on the south.

14. Ogden Utah Temple

Location: Ogden, Utah, USA
Dedicated: January 1972 by Joseph Fielding Smith
Fun Fact: This temple holds the distinction of the first to be dedicated in Utah after Utah became a state. The other four were dedicated while Utah was still a territory.

15. Provo Utah Temple

Location: Provo, Utah, USA
Dedicated: February 1972 by Joseph Fielding Smith
Fun Fact: Many consider this valley temple to be one of the busiest temples of the whole Church.

16. Washington D.C Temple
Location: Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Dedicated: November 1974 by Spencer W. Kimball
Fun Fact: The open-house of this temple was extremely successful, with over 750,000 visitors, among them then First Lady Betty Ford. The extensive open-house yielded more than 75,000 inquiries by non-members to the missionaries.

17. São Paulo Brazil Temple

Location: São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Dedicated: November 1978 by Spencer W. Kimball
Fun Fact: Prior to this temple's construction, the nearest temple for Brazilian Saints was the Washington D.C. Temple, nearly 5,000 miles away.

18. Tokyo Japan Temple

Location: Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
Dedicated: October 1980 by Spencer W. Kimball
Fun Fact: This was the first LDS temple built in all of Asia.

19. Seattle Washington Temple

Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Dedicated: November 1980 by Spencer W. Kimball
Fun Fact: The Seattle Temple was built close to the Bellevue Airfield, and because of this, the Church was asked to reduce the planned height of its steeple, and place a warning strobe light on the Angel Moroni statue. In 1983, the Bellevue Airfield shut down, so the strobe light was permanently shut off.

20. Jordan River Utah Temple

Location: South Jordan, Utah, USA
Dedicated: November 1981 by Marion G. Romney
Fun Fact: At the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jordan River Temple,  Prophet Spencer W. Kimball gave some remarks, offered a prayer, and then personally operated an enormous Caterpillar tractor to move the first large shovelful of dirt. The groundbreaking of temples is normally conducted with hand shovels.

Other parts in this series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
More to come...

Mormonism: Why is the temple so important?

Anyone familiar with Mormonism probably has had some sort of exposure to the concept of temples. But many people are somewhat mystified by these buildings. What is their purpose? What goes on in there? And why does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stress so much importance on the temple attendance of its members?
Everything that goes on in Mormon temples is centered around the family and their relationship with Jesus Christ. All things done inside are to ensure the salvation of all and to bind families together for eternity. Simply stated, members of the Church go to the temple to perform essential ordinances and to make covenants with the Lord. It is a place of peace, a House of the Lord. Members go there for clarity, to reflect, to be nearer to God, to pray.
Another key purpose of LDS Temples is the redemption of the dead. Ancestors who died without baptism or the other essential ordinances of the Temple can do so by proxy. A living member of the Church, worthy to enter the temple, may perform these ordinances on behalf of the deceased by being baptized, confirmed, etc. in their place. Some outside the Church take issue with this, as it seems to them that the Church is forcibly converting people after death. But this is not the case. Members can only submit the names of direct ancestors, and if they wish to submit someone else's ancestor, they need express permission from a living descendant. According to the teachings of the LDS Church, there is an element of choice inherent in these proxy ordinances. Those on the other side have the choice as to whether they accept the ordinances, just as a person would have a choice here on earth. Members serving in the temple are merely opening a door for their ancestors; whether they walk through it or not is their choice.
One question often leveled to the Church is "Why is there so much secrecy surrounding the temple?" Most of what happens inside remains a mystery to non-Mormons, and even to those Mormons who have not been through the temple yet. Those who do know, usually don't talk about it outside the temple. If it's such a great place, why can't everybody know the intricate details?
There are a few reasons for this, the first being the sacredness of the temple and the mysteries learned therein. The temple is a sacred place, and only members of the Church who are worthy--meaning they obey the teachings of the Church to the best of their ability--may enter inside. These individuals may enter because they have disciplined themselves, and have proven themselves in the eyes of God that they can respect and cherish the blessings and teachings they receive inside the temple. Those who go through the temple have usually learned enough that what happens in the temple makes sense on some level, and has context. This is another reason that the inner-workings of Mormon temples are not trumpeted from the rooftops. They lack context. Without an understanding of the background of these ordinances, and their symbolic and spiritual implications, it's easy to discount them, to make light of them, and disrespect their holiness. The perceived "secrecy" is to protect the holy covenants of the temple from ridicule, and also to protect those who might mock them from judgement, as they do not have the full picture.
This is not to say that one trip to the temple can give you all the knowledge you need or instantly make you perfect. Members often describe themselves as continually learning new things, gaining new insights on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and gaining personal revelation for their lives. Even prophets, the men who lead, and receive revelation for the whole Church, have said that they are still learning on each visit to one of these sacred houses of the Lord.

On other sacred ordinances of the LDS Church, read this article about the importance of the sacrament.

The Principle of Agency in Mormonism's Plan of Salvation

Often lumped together with other similar concepts, such as "free will", agency is a key component of not only Mormonism, but much of Christendom as well. But how does one define it, and what is the understanding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the subject?
A good place to start is to clarify the subtle but important difference between agency and freedom. Simply put, agency is our ability to choose our actions, and freedom describes our capability of carrying out those actions. We need both in order to think and act for ourselves, and they are both essential to our salvation.
Before we came to this earth, we lived with God. We noticed that He had a glorified and perfect body of flesh and blood, whereas we were only spirits. We asked our Father how we might obtain bodies of our own. The Lord taught us of a beautiful plan, whereby we could obtain bodies and be tested according to our personal  righteousness. If we consistently chose right, we would be able to return to live with God once more. But, being human, we are weak, and bound to slip up here and there. So God's plan included the divine help of a Savior, one who could allow us to be cleansed of our sins, and one to advocate with the Father on our behalf. Our elder Brother Jesus Christ, volunteered to perform this holy service for all mankind and to give glory unto God. But one other also volunteered. Lucifer asked to be sent as our savior, but had a different plan from that of the Father. He would have taken away our agency, and thereby give us no choice but to choose right. He claimed he could save everyone with this plan. It sounds tempting. Who doesn't want to be saved, right? Except our earthly life is meant to be a test. What is the point of testing someone if you force them to give all the right answers? It wouldn't be a test at all. Lucifer continued to rebel against God, and was cast out along with his followers, becoming Satan.
 This life is meant to be a time of learning and growing. This life prepares us for the next and allows us to choose between the freedom of righteousness and the bondage of sin. Without a knowledge of true pain and sorrow, we couldn't possibly know of happiness, love, or peace. This is why we need agency and freedom. We must be able to choose and act for ourselves, or we will never progress and become better. Without a choice, there is no law. Without law, there is no sin. Without sin there is no sorrow, and conversely there is no righteousness, happiness, blessings.
Simply put, if we have no choice cannot know true happiness. And we have a simple choice: Satan, evil, and the bondage of sin, or Jesus Christ, good, and the freedom of righteousness. Satan tries to muddy the waters and make the choice seem more complicated than it truly is, using confusion as a devastating weapon. But Jesus Christ will always shine through the darkness, and if we just look for it, we can choose and act upon it, drawing continually nearer. Thus, the wise use of agency can bring us salvation.

The pioneers: people who used their agency in a very bold way.

Principles of Mormonism: Learning by the Holy Ghost

In my mind, one of the most touching principles of Mormonism, and much of Christianity for that matter, is the influence of the Holy Ghost. As a member of the Godhead, and one who quite personally influences us, the Holy Ghost--or Holy Spirit--has much to teach us, and we have much to learn.
What other names does the Holy Ghost have?
The Holy Ghost has, over the eons, been called many different names by many different people. Each of these names testifies of His power, and can introduce many nuances of His roles and abilities. Here are just a few of His names:

• Holy Ghost
• Holy Spirit
• Spirit of Promise
• Spirit of Truth
• Spirit of Might
• Spirit of Counsel
• Spirit of Knowledge
• Comforter
• the Still, Small Voice
• Breath of God
• many other names

What does the Holy Ghost do?

The Holy Ghost does not have a physical body, whereas Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ both have bodies of flesh and bone. The Holy Ghost, being a spirit, is able to speak directly to our spirits. When a person is humble, obedient to God's commandments, and desires to know the truth, the Holy Ghost can speak to them, and if they are ready to hear it, a person can be taught and uplifted by its message. The Holy Ghost exists to testify of sacred truths, to bear witness the greatness and divinity of God the Father and Jesus Christ. In times of sorrow we can be comforted and strengthened by the Holy Ghost, or in danger (be it spiritual or physical) we can be warned, prepared, and/or guided to safety. The Holy Ghost can do many things for us--and through us--if we righteously, humbly ask for His presence.

What is the difference between the Holy Ghost and the "Light of Christ"?

 Though sometimes referred to by the same names and used almost interchangeably by many, the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ are two separate and distinct concepts. The Light of Christ is not being, but a force. Its nature is much like the name implies. It is the radiating, ever-permeating influence of God. This is God's power and love spanning the universe, all things, and all people. Anyone who is humble and righteous can feel the Light of Christ and its warmth.

On the other hand, The Holy Ghost is one specific being, the third member of the Godhead, who is able to become our constant companion after baptism, confirmation, and continued righteousness. The Holy Ghost brings us peace, knowledge and comfort and can direct our hearts and attention to the Light of Christ.

How does the influence of the Holy Ghost feel?

This is a common question among those looking into Mormonism. Though pure and simple, it can often be difficult to explain. A common metaphor used is to pose another question; "Describe to me the taste of salt--and don't say 'salty'."

 Though it's really quite a simple thing, you might be surprised at how difficult it is to tell someone how salt tastes. "Well... it's not sweet," you might answer, "and its sort of like... I don't know."

The feeling one gets from the Holy Ghost is much the same, in that it is hard to describe to someone who doesn't know what it feels like. What's more is that it can be different for anyone. Some describe it as a sweet, warm sensation in the chest, others as a general feeling of lightness. Personally, I normally feel it by the presence of an inner peace that I know I don't have the ability to feel on my own. I've tried to replicate this peace through other means, but it never comes close to what the Holy Ghost has to offer. I know that it is a feeling that came from outside me. There are many different ways to experience it. We just have to be open to it, and recognize it when it comes.

Much of the time, the Holy Ghost is soft and gentle. It requires one's attention in that it can sadly be overlooked when one is distracted. Many influences vie for our time, attention, and energy, and try to overpower the Holy Ghost by shouting their messages to us, often quite literally. Though the Holy Ghost as much to offer, it will not force a person to pay attention. Each of us have the ability to choose for ourselves whether to listen to the voice of good, or to the voice of evil. But in order to hear the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, we have to be listening for them.

Does the Holy Ghost literally "speak" to us?

It depends really. Though some describe physically hearing a soft voice of guidance at times, more often than not, the Holy Ghost "speaks" to us through feelings and promptings. He can lead our thoughts to what He would have us learn, and answer our questions gentle prods and careful nudges to the the truth. Though He can physically speak to us, He usually communicates to us by revelation and feelings of divine truth.

The Holy Ghost and Prayer

Simply by utilizing the power of the Holy Ghost, we can learn all the mysteries of God. When used in tandem with prayerful scripture study, the Holy Ghost can teach us nearly anything. But we must be willing to act. If we earnestly pray to our Heavenly Father, and exert our efforts to learn, think, and do what the Lord asks of us, the guidance of the Holy Ghost can solidify and confirm the truth of what we have learned, or teach us something more altogether. It is up to us to work for it, and on God's timetable, He can speak truth to us.

If you would like to learn a little more about Mormonism (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), the Holy Ghost, or other topics, please follow this link to chat live with real missionaries!

Mormonism, My Family, and Christmas

Though Mormonism is not unique for the mere act of celebrating the Christmas holiday, I feel that, throughout my life, the Christmas season  has always been a great bolster to my faith , as well as a blessing and uniting force over my entire family. Being conveniently located at the end of the calendar year, it provides a wonderful opportunity for reflection and personal growth. The family seems much closer, and the love is palpable.
One thing I am ever-thankful for is my father and mother's insistence that we keep the focus on the first syllable of the the word. "Christ". Like many children, we were also taught the magical, if silly, legend of Santa Claus, who lived up north, had a weight problem, and flew around the world to deliver presents to all the good little boys and girls. But my parents also stressed the Savior in all of our Christmas merriment. Being a family of history buffs, which may have been prompted by our father, we would often talk about the symbolic meanings and historic origins of the various decorations we were decking the halls with; how this or that pointed to Jesus Christ in some symbolically meaningful way, why people started doing it, etc.
At some point in the month, we schedule a time for what we call a "Back to Bethlehem" dinner. We discuss the Savior and His birth, and hold a feast, in which we put a large sheet on the family room floor, and have everyone sit in a big circle, while dining on finger foods, such as bread, meats, vegetables and fruits, somewhat like they would have eaten in the time of Christ, though we don't stress historical accuracy too much.
The festivities remind us of our roots, and make me thankful, not only for my Mormon upbringing, but for each of these opportunities to enrich my faith, and how often I am given the chance to testify of Christ, or have Him testified to me.
Every Christmas morning, before parading downstairs to see what "Santa" brought us, our parents would gather us all together in one room, and we'd kneel as a family and offer thanks to God for the ultimate gift that He had given us for Christmas: His Son. All in all, the Lord Jesus Christ features heavily throughout the whole affair, as well He should, and we try to use every opportunity to express our love for one another, and our gratitude for Jesus and His eternal sacrifice.

If you'd like to learn a bit more about Jesus or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please don't hesitate to follow this link to chat live with actual missionaries!

On the Christianity of Mormonism.

History of Mormonism: Who was John Rowe Moyle?

John Rowe Moyle (right) was an early member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout his life, Moyle sacrificed much for the Church, even when it seemed like he had little left to give. He lived as an extreme example of Christian fortitude, and though a relatively minor figure in the history of Mormonism, Moyle left a powerful legacy behind.
Born in England in 1808, John Moyle was a convert to the Church, and left his homeland behind for the Americas, and traveled across the plains as part of a handcart company. With all the strength they had, he and his family made the grueling trek to what is now the state of Utah. The Moyles settled down and built a home about 22 miles from the Salt Lake Valley.
John had previously earned a living as a skilled stone-cutter. In 1854,  as construction on the historic Mormon Salt Lake Temple was underway, Moyle's skill set was needed in the construction of the granite building. Willingly doing his part, he began making the 22 mile walk every week, leaving his house at 2 AM every Monday morning to be at his post by 8:00, and then walking home on Friday evenings to be with his family. This continued for several years.
One day while milking his particularly headstrong cow, tragedy struck. The cow gave a devastating kick to John's leg, irreparably damaging it. His family and friends were forced to amputate his leg with a bucksaw, just a little below the knee.
Nobody would have said anything if John had decided not to continue as a temple stone-cutter. It was perfectly understandable; loss of limb tends to be a pretty legitimate excuse. But John wen above and beyond the call of duty. While he lay in bed, waiting for his leg to recover, John began carving a wooden prosthetic leg, with a cleverly designed ankle joint. Walking on this new leg was extremely painful, but as Moyle built up resistance, he would soon continue the long weekly treks to Salt Lake City and work day in and day out as the temple stone-cutter for several more years.
John Rowe Moyle's hands carved the famous gold plated inscription (left) on the east facade of the temple: "Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord".

If you would like to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you can click here to chat live with actual missionaries!

For more stories of early Latter-day Saints overcoming great trials, read this post about Joseph Smith and his being tarred and feathered.
How Christ knows of our pain and can empathize with us on a deeply personal level.

The History of Mormonism: Where did the Pearl of Great Price come from?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints follows four volumes of holy scripture. In no particular order, they are: The King James Version of the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. It is this last book of scripture I wish to discuss today. In the history of Mormonism (more at http://www.mormontopics.org/eng/christ), this piece of scripture has a unique history of its own, and has a story worth telling. The book itself is split into a few different parts.
The Pearl of Great Price begins with:
Joseph Smith- History
This section chronicles some important events in the life of Joseph Smith Jr, the founder and first prophet of the LDS Church). Thee events include the "First Vision"--Smith's first encounter with God the Father and Jesus Christ--Smith's visitation from Angel Moroni, and the translation of the Book of Mormon. This autobiographical work is a great primary source for anyone researching Joseph Smith, or anyone wanting to know more about the Prophet.
The Articles of Faith
In 1842, "Long" John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat contacted Joseph Smith to ask him about his religion. Wentworth's questions were for the benefit of a friend who was writing a work on the history of New Hampshire. Smith happily replied with what is now referred to as the "Wentworth Letter". Within, the Prophet recounted the history of the Church up until that point and detailed some basic tenets of the beliefs of Mormonism. Part of the "Wentworth Letter" gave thirteen succinct bullet-point paragraphs which briefly described the core doctrines of the Church. These thirteen paragraphs would come to be known as the Articles of Faith and were included in the Pearl of Great Price. Being only about 400 words, they are an easy way to glean the basics of the LDS Church's beliefs and many members even try to memorize them.
Joseph Smith-Matthew
This excerpt from Joseph Smith's re-translation of the Gospel of Matthew contains many revelations pertaining to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Book of Moses
The Book of Moses are some selections of Joseph Smith's re-translation of the Old Testament. The book expounds on some key visions of Moses, and explains many doctrines concerning the meaning of life, our purpose on Earth, where we came from and where we're going, etc.
The Book of Abraham
The early nineteenth century saw a meteoric rise of interest in ancient Egypt, due in large part to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799. Scads of explorers and excavators flocked to the historic desert ruins in search of ancient Egyptian artifacts. One of these was an Italian-born excavator named Antonio Lebolo.
Lebolo led a team of archaeologists in a dig near Thebes, which would yield several mummies. Some time before Lebolo's death in 1830, the mummies would be sold, and eventually find their way to New York and into the hands of a man named Michael Chandler. Found within the wrappings were several papyri, inscribed with Egyptian hieroglyphics, which Chandler was told, no one could translate. Chandler displayed the sarcophagi and the mummies within in many venues throughout the area. Many people would tell Chandler, often jokingly, that he ought to take the papyri to the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith, as Smith had a reputation for being able to translate ancient writings.
In 1835, Chandler decided to make contact with Joseph Smith, who was then with a large body of the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio. Traveling to Kirtland that summer, Chandler showed Smith the mummies and supposedly undecipherable writings. As Smith began to translate, he felt prompted by the Lord that he should purchase the mummies, sarcophagi, and papyri from Michael Chandler, although the Prophet was not yet entirely sure what these inscriptions said. Chandler agreed to Smith's terms, and the Church raised money and purchased the lot, gaining ownership of the finds. As the Prophet continued translating, he was ecstatic to learn that the inscriptions came from the hand of the Old Testament Prophet Abraham. The resultant manuscript was published as a serial in the Church's magazine at the time, Times and Seasons, in 1842, and officially canonized by the Church and included in the Pearl of Great Price in 1880

To learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please click this link to chat live with actual Mormon missionaries!