I Love To See The Temple

We took advantage of Jonathan's 2 weeks off of work to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House one weekday morning. It is absolutely beautiful.

We took a risk taking Addy. We knew we may have made a mistake when she had a tantrum by the baptismal font because she couldn't go swimming. Not like it echoes in there or anything.

Watching the video before going into the open house...see how crowded it was?

We have a guy in our ward that works in the Temple and Special Projects division and was able to get us some great information about the Oquirrh Mountain Temple for our stake primary activity. This is from an email he sent to our request about what materials were used:

1. The wood in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple is rift cut white oak. Although the wood is not "exotic" or foreign like some of the other temples it does have a very special and selective cut (rift cut). This cut makes it very attractive so it was chosen for the look it would give the temple. It is also an American hardwood so it will perform well for many years.

2. The exterior surface is granite from China. We call it Uintah gold and it is the same granite used on the new Church History Library. Granite is used on most of our Utah temples due to its durability and beauty. Contrary to what some might say granite from China is used for its cost. China is the least expensive place to buy granite for these types of uses right now.
It may sound "exotic" to have granite from a far away country but the fact is that even temples are built with cost as a critical component. We don't "cheapen" the temple but rather we act frugally in order to treat the sacred tithing funds with respect. This also allows more temples to be built in other areas of the world.

3. The stone used on the floors is a limestone. This same limestone is in the recommend desk, base moldings and stairs. It has a very beautiful look and pattern that is not distracting but gives the inside a rich and lasting look. Stone on the floors is very typical of most all temples because of the heavy traffic and lasting quality.

4. The glass is probably one of the most unique and special things about the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. This is the first temple where carved glass is used in the place of more common art glass (lead stained color glass like Draper Temple). This glass was specifically chosen to capture and filter the light without drawing attention to the glass itself. This glass instead draws attention to the light, which has so many meanings to us as LDS members, and helps to highlight the ordinances. The carving was designed to kind of look like drapes and the stars get more plentiful as you go up each floor. The stars that are carved in the glass are so spectacular from the inside when the sun is shining through and at night from the outside they really add a wonderful touch.

5. The other materials such as wall coverings, carpet, lighting, etc. are all specifically chosen to go with this temple. They complement the color pallet and add to the beauty. One thing that is not always readily noticed is how the finishes "progress" as you progress through the temple. For instance the decorative painting (usually containing gold and silver) gets increasingly applied as you move up in the temple. The lighting, carpets and wall coverings do the same thing. For example, in the celestial room the carpet has unique carvings in it, which design ties into the ceiling decorative painting and carved windows. The intent is for the progress through the temple to be experiential as well as the learning and ordinance aspects.