The LDS Church has 335 Temples around the world in various phases of operation.  Some are in full operation; others are under construction or being remodeled. I’m not a member of the faith and in all the years I’ve been in Utah I’ve never actually been inside Mormon holy ground. When a Temple is being built or remodeled it will be formally dedicated and blessed before it’s sealed to the public. Once that happens then only card carrying members can enter the holy space.

They have just announced that the Church purchased one of the most cherished pieces of history the faith has ever known, the Kirtland Temple in Ohio. It was previously owned by the Independence, Mo. -based Community of Christ. Both church groups trace their roots back to Joseph Smith. This Temple will not be used as a private Latter-day Saint space but will be open to the public for tours as a historic building as of March 25^th. This former house of prayer was dedicated in 1836 and is now seen as a National Historic Landmark. It was built using local sandstone and native timber from surrounding forests.

The new St. George Temple known as the Red Cliffs Utah Temple was closed forever to the public on March 3^rd. I was able to tour it the day before and frankly was blown away by the simple elegance of the interior and the homage to local surroundings. When you approach the grounds, you might think you’re in Egypt as the palm trees planted on each side of the walkways leading to the building give a Middle eastern feel. Of course, per Mormon design, there are lovely fountains out front as well.  The building itself is made of a pinkish precast concrete complimenting the colors of the sandstone mountains surrounding the area. There are drop dead art glass motifs running throughout with massive stained glass images designed and fabricated by Holman Studio of local succulents, bearclaw poppies (only found in Utah), and Indian paintbrush. The stone and tile patterns complement the layered structures of the local mountains and the exterior is capped with a running braid of raised cottonwood leaves. The interior wallcoverings feature simple but elegant paintings of swirls of local vines and flowers and leaves. Oddly enough, due to expansive soils on the site, the temple had to be placed on a deep stone-pier foundation with imported soil to move the Temple out of the existing water table.  Frankly, it’s beautiful inside.

There are now 17 operating temples in Utah with four  under construction in Saratoga Springs, Layton, Taylorsville and Orem. The main Temple in Salt Lake City was scheduled to reopen next year but the church has said the project won’t be completed until 2026. After being damaged by an earthquake the Church decided to do a complete renovation and seismic upgrade to the Temple itself and re-design Temple Square and create a better visitor experience.