--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Talmage, James Edward collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 17 number: 8 published: 1914-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'James E. Talmage, "Why do the Latter-day Saints Build Temples?," *Improvement Era* 17, no. 8 (June 1914): 712–723.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1708unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1708unse start_page: 712 end_page: 723 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1708unse publication_year: 1914 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1914, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Why do the Latter-day Saints Build Temples? — ;; Why do the Latter-day Saints Build Temples? 1!Y JAMES E. TAEMACE, OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE [As the author of the following excellent article makes plain, the subject is one of great scope and supreme importance, while the space available for its elucidation is limited. For a comprehensive trcdt- ment we refer our readers, with earnest commendation, to the splendid work, "The House of the Lord," written by Dr. James E. Talmage, and published by the Church. The book named embraces "A Study of Holy Sanctuaries, Ancient and Modern," and deals specifically with the Provisional Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the Third Tabernacle of Israel's early history, together with the suc- — ceeding temples, of Solomon, of Zerubbabel, and of Herod; and more particularly witji the temples of the present dispensation, the work therein performed, and the doctrine of temple ministration. Moreover, the book includes numerous half-tone plates, each of full- page size, showing exterior and interior views of modern temples. Excepting offtces, storage closets, and other minor apartments, every room in the great Temple at Salt Lake City, is pictured. Latter-day Saints should be informed concerning the purpose and scope of tem- ' ple service as at present administered. Editors.] The Latter-day Saints are known and distinguished as a temple-building people. Among the numerous churches, sects, societies and associations professing belief in the principles of Christianity, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is alone in the acceptance and practise of the doctrine of temple service. Other religious bodies build houses of worship, ranging from humble chapels to great synagogues and stately cathedrals but for none of these edifices, however great or imposing they may be, is the claim advanced that they are intended for use as temples, in the true and specific sense of the term. Be it remembered that temples are not designed for purposes of general assembly or congregational worship, as are church buildings in general, but for the administration of ordinances in service regarded as sacred. It is both interesting and instructive to note that this characteristic applies alike to heathen temples anl to sanctuaries reared to the name of the true and the living God. The altar of sacrifice in pagan temples of old was erected in front of the entrance to the structure ; and though devotees thronged about the altar, none but the priests were admitted to tb.e actual shrine, or inside the temple itself. So also with the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was a portable sanctuary constructed by the people of Israel in their migration from Egypt and so with the imposing Temple of Solomon, the Temple of THE LOGAN TEMPLE This imposing structure is located upon an elevation above the city ofLogan in Cache county, Utah. The corner stone was laid on the 19th of September, 1877. The mason work was completed De- cember 22, 1882, and the building was dedicated on the 17th of May, 1884. The structure is built of dark-colored siliceous stone; the water tables, string courses, and the caps of the battlements and towers, are of a light bufif sandstone. The dimensions of the out- side of the building are 171 by 95 feet and 85 feet high to the square. The octagon towers on each corner are 100 feet high and the large sciuare towers at each end are respectively, on the west 165 feet high. : 714 IMPROVEMENT ERA and on the east 170 feet to the top of the vane. There are 51 rooms, the large assembly room seating 1500 people, and the cost of the building was approximately $665,000. Truman O. Angell, Jr., archi- tect. There are eight acres of land connected with the temple. The immediate surroundings of the temple are planted in lawns, orna- mental trees, flower beds and shrubs. Other portions of the grounds, on the west and south, are at present undergoing a general improve- ment with the idea in view of making the temple block one of the most beautiful spots in Cache county. The interior of the building is kept scrupulously clean by the voluntary services of the Cache Stake Relief Societies, and annually a renovation of the whole build- ing is conducted by the Relief Societies of the Logan temple district. The grounds are cared for by an experienced gardener who has kept tliem neat and attractive. Zerubbabel, and the greatest of all, the Temple of Herod in each ; of these, spacious courts were enclosed by an outer wall, with altars and other equipment, within which courts the people con- gregated according to prescribed rule and order but the sanctuary ; itself was a relatively small structure, reserved for the most holy ordinances and ceremonial ministry. Profitable as would be a study of the sanctuaries erected by Israel of old, the purpose of the present writing and the space limits imposed forbid the undertaking here, and the reader is referred to special works treating this important and interesting subject." Temples are a necessity in the present dispensation. Without them the revealed purposes of God would fail in fulfilment. In the long ago the Lord said unto Moses — "Behold, this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the im- — mortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.) We affirm that temples are indispensable to the accomplish- ment of this Divine undertaking, and in support of this affirmation present the following facts. Mortal man is in a fallen state, shut out from Heaven, the abode of God, as surely as were our first parents shut out from Eden after their transgression. The power of death, which came to human-kind through the Fall, is robbed of its permanency by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whereby the resurrection of the dead was inaugurated. The resurrection of the dead will be universal, the victory of Christ over death thus being extended to all men irrespective of their righteous or sinful state. The resurrection, however, constitutes the redemption of the soul from death, deliverance from the temporary victory of the oSee "The House of the Lord," particularly Chapter I, for a brief treatment of temples in general, and Chapter II for a more detailed description of holy sanctuaries of earlier dispensations. WHY DO THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS BUILD TEMPLES? 715 g'rave, and not salvation from the etTects of individual sin. The resurrected sinner will have to meet the just and inevitable results of his evil career, as surely as will the righteous stand in their resurrected bodies to receive the eternal blessings that constitute the fruitage of their devoted lives. The atonement wrought by Jesus Christ provides not only for the redemption of the soul through the breaking of the thrall of death, but also for the saIi'atio)i of every soul who accepts the conditions prescribed and established, which conditions are sum- marized in the requirement of "obedience to the lazvs and ordi- nances of the Gospel." Great and glorious as is the boon of redemption from the power of the great destroyer manifest in the resurrection of the dead, greater and more glorious as is the provision made for the salvation of the soul, the revealed Gospel of Jesus Christ provides yet more transcendent blessings in the plan of exaltation, whereby resurrected man may advance from one stage of relative perfection to another, until he attains the rank and title of God-ship with powers of eternal increase and never ending progression. The laws and ordinances of the Gospel so far as required for salvation.— specifically the individual exercise of saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the manifestation of true repentance involv- ing the actual renunciation of sin, submission to the duly author- ized ordinance of water-baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and to the higher baptism of the Spirit through the au- thoritative imposition of hands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost, — these requirements may be met and the saving efifects thereof may be secured, without temples. But the endowment incident to the Holy Priesthood with its boundless possibilities of progress, in short, compliance with the laws and ordinances of the Gospel requisite to exaltation in the eternal worlds, are obtainable only in the House of the Lord, for so the Lord hath declared. Among the ordinances of particular import and solemnitv ad- ministered exclusively within the temples is that of Celestial Mar- riage, or Sealing in the marriage covenant. The distinguishing feature of this, the holiest order of matrimony, is that it involves covenants by the parties so sealed, and pronouncement of the validity of the marriage contract by the officiating authority, for time and for all eternity, and not merely for the period of mortal life as provided for in ceremonies of marriage under the civil law, or as performed by other churches. The Latter-day Saints recog- nize as legal and binding all marriages duly solemnized in accord- ance with the laws of existing government and furthermore the ; Church sanctions and performs marriages for time only, among its members who are not eligible to enter the Temple, or who choose the lesser and temporal status in marriage. But, knowing as we know, through specific revelation from Heaven, that the 716 IMPROVEMENT ERA family rfldtionships established on earth under the authority of th'jHoly Priesthood, shall be lasting and binding beyond the grave, provided, of course, the individuals maintain their worthiness through righteous living, we regard as the full and complete or- dinance of marriage only that by which the parties are wedded for eternity as well as for the period of mortal existence. Persons so united by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood are said to be scaled, whereas those who wed for time alone are said to be married only. The state of union under the higher order of mat- rimony is generally known as Celestial Marriage, though the term is not found in any of the revelations comprised within the stand- ard works of ths Church. No marriage is solemnized within the temples among the Latter-day Saints which is in any particular at variance with the civil law as far as the marriage ordinance ap- ; plies to mortal life, it recognizes and complies with all the require- ments of earthly law and legal government. Sealing ordinances other than those of marriage are admin- istered within the temples. Children born to parents legally mar- ried, though at first under secular law only, may be sealed to those parents, provided the parents, subsequent to their civil marriage, have been sealed to each other in the order of Celestial Marriage. No living persons can be sealed for eternity within the temples who are not lawfully married, for the period of mortal life in ac- cordance with existing laws of the land, either by prior ceremony or at the time the seaHng ordinance is performed. This, then, is one answer to the question as to why the Latter- — day Saints build temples that they may therein receive the en- dowments associated with the Holy Priesthood, and the sealing ordinances through which the perpetuity of family relationship shall be binding even after death, which blessings, if faithfully lived up to throughout life, shall make possible an exaltation in the Kingdom of our Father. The possibility of securing such assurances, which are beyond the power of man to comprehend in their fulness, makes the labor and sacrifice involved in the erection and maintenance of temples today appear incomparably small, and enhances the privilege or opportunity to take part in this di- vinely-appointed work as beyond any material wealth the world affords or honors that man can bestow. However, the beneficient purposes of temples are not for the benefit of the living alone. The temples of the present dispensa- tion are maintained for the blessing of both the living and the dead and the holy ministrations performed within their sacred ; precincts outnumber for the dead many fold the ordinances therein adminiFtcred for the living. Vicarious labor in behalf of the departed, providing means for their salvation and exaltation in the Kingdom of God, is peculiar to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While — ; 'I'll !•: .MAN'ii 'ri'.iMi'i.i': This l)faulifiil stnicttirc is located on a liiuii (.Icvalion in Manti Cily. It was begun in 1.S72, and dedicated on the 21st day of May, 1HS8. It is built of oolite stone of a light cream color, and cost ap- l)roxiniately $1,0()0,()()(). The outside dimensions of the building arc 171 by 95 feet, and 82 feet to the square. There arc forty-three rooms. William H. Folsom architect. Tn connection with the temple there are 26 acres of land which are beautifully laid out in lawns. The whole slope by which the temple is approached is carpeted with an excellent lawn beautified with trees and flowers. I-lach tree is set in a great artificial flower pot liollovved out for its accommodation in solid rock. tl^edoctrine of salvation for the dead was understood in earlier today in the creed of no (lis])ensations, belief therein is set forth church aside from the Church that builds temples and provides for the savini^ ordinances pertaining thereto. Argument to su]i- port the doctrine that obedience to the lazvs and ordinances of the Gospel is absolutely essential to individual salvation need not be attempted here.'' If, however, compliance with these prescribed laws and or- dinances be the only way by which man may be saved and the — scrii'tures both ancient and modern, are explicit in so declaring is it not equally essential that the same requirements shall be made of those who once lived and now are numbered with the dead? When our Lord declared, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God" (John 3:5). He made no distinction between the living and the dead. Further- more, He declared that God "is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him." (Luke 20:38.") It would be difficult for the mind of man to conceive of the justice of God in a plan of salvation accessible only to the com- parative few who have heard the glad tidings while in the flesh, to the exclusion of the myriads who have died without a knowledge of th-^ Gospel.'^ Peter declared that the Gospel was preached "to them that are dead, that they mieht.be judged according to man in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (I Peter 4:6.) The inaug- uration of the work of declaring the Gospel to the dead was effected by the crucified Christ between the time of His death on the cross, and that of His triumphal coming-forth from the tomb as the resurrected Lord. The Apostle last cited specifically de- clares that our Lord "went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime w^ere disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the davs of Noah." (T Peter 3:1^, 20: compare 4:6.) *See "The House of the Lord." Chapters III and IV. "^For a treatment of the duties of the living in respect to their vicarious labor for the dead, see "The Art-iclcs of Faith," pp. 148-159. WHY DO THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS BUILD TEMPLES? 719 In view of scriptural afifirmation that the disembodied Christ (Hd visit and minister among the spirits who had been disobedient, and who, because of unpardoned sin were still held in duress, it is pertinent to inquire as to the scope and object of our Savior's ministry among them. His preaching must have been purposeful and positive moreover, it is not to be assumed that His message ; was other than one of relief and mercy. Those to whom He went were already in prison, and had been there long. To them came the Redeemer, to preach, not to further condemn, to open the way that led to light, not to intensify the darkness of despair in which they languished. Had not that visit of deliverance been long pre- dicted? Centuries before that fateful time Isaiah had prophesied of proud and wicked spirits "And they shall be gathered together, : as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." And again, referring to the appointed ministry of the Christ, the same inspired voice of prophecv declared part of that work to be "to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." David, filled with the emotions of contrition and hope, sang in measures of mingled sadness and joy: "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory re- joiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell."'' In support of the statement that baptism for the dead was un- derstood and practised in an earlier dispensation, the authority of Paul the Apostle is ofttimes cited. In his letter to the Saints of Corinth he treats in a masterly manner the subject of the resurrec- tion of the dead, and by way of illustration asks, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Whv then are they baptized for the dead?"-^ (I Cor. 15 :29.) If it be necessary that the ordinance of water-baptism and the authorized laying on of hands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost ''See "TJic House of the Lord," p. 69. '^"This passage has been the subject of much controversy. Dr. Adam Clarke, in his masterly Commentary of tlic Scriptures, says: 'This is certainly the most difficult verse in the New Testament; for, notwithstanding the greatest and wisest men have labored to explain it, there are to this day nearly as many different interpretations of it as there are interpreters.' Yet, notwithstanding its supposedly enig- matic meaning, this passage of scripture is part of the prescribed burial service in the Episcopal church, and is duly spoken by the priest at every interment. But wherein lies the difficulty of comprehension? The passage is of plain import, and only when we attempt to make it figurative do difficulties arise. It is plain that in Paul's day the ordi- nance of baptism for the dead was both understood and practised, and the apostle's argument in support of the doctrine of a literal resurrec- tion is sound: If the dead rise not at all, why then were the people of that day baptized for the dead?" See "The House of the Lord," p. 92. : 720 improvF':mrnt era l)c performed vicariously by the living in the interests of the salva- tion of the dead, it is plainly evident that the hij^i^her ordinances requisite to the possible exaltation of the departed shall be likewise attended to by the livinijf as jiroxics for the dead. This, then, is a further answer to the question as to why the Latter-day Saints build temples and minister therein, that they — thus provide the means whereby their departed ancestors who lived and (lied without a knowled,Q'e of the saving Gospel of Christ in its fulness may be saved and exalted, provided they accept the Gosjiel as it is preached unto them in the spirit world, and thus make it possible for the dead to be "judged according to man in the fle!-h, but live according to God in the spirit." Plainly, the commission to minister in behalf of the dead, if indeed the vicarious labor is to be of any efifect beyond the grave, must be given of God for it is impossible that men could create ; or assume such authority. It is therefore pertinent to our present subject to inquire as to the source and validity of the authority claimed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to so offici'ite. In the last chapter of Malachi we find a vivid description of the condition of mankind in the last days, and a prophecy of glad- some promise in which the Lord says "Behold, I will send you : Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the : children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5, 6.) Consider in connection with this scripture the following: On April 3, 1836, in the first temple erected in modern times, that at Kirtland. Ohio, a glorious manifestation was given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. in the course of which Elijah appeared to the two mod- ern prophets and declared unto them "Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying: that he (Elijah) should be sent beforc' 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 dispensa- tion are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even r.t the doors." (Doc- trine and Covenants, Section 110:14, 16.) in solid rock. This, then, is the authority under which the Church is operat- ing in its administration of saving ordinances in behalf of the dead. Of old the Lord promised to send Elijah to bestow the requisite power and authority for this particular work; Elijah has come in the discharge of his special function and mission. Is there not apparent a striking order and fitness in the fact that this great work of uniting the interests of the living and the dead was au- thorized and establislTrd through the ministry of Elijah, the THE ST. GEORGE TEMPLE This edifice is located in St. George, Washington county, Utah. The first stone was laid on the 10th day of March, 1873, and work was continued until January 1, 1877, when the lower part was dedi- cated. Ordinance work began January 9, that year, with 223 bap- tisms for the dead. The final dedication was made April 6, 1877. The basement, or lower story, is of volcanic stone from the "black rock quarry" west of town. The two upper stories are of red sand- stone, the whole plastered with lime mortar and whitewash. The cost of the building was about $500,000. The length is 141 feet 8 inches and the width 93 feet four inches. From the ground to the top of the parapet the height is 84 feet; from the ground to the top of the tower, 175 feet. The two large rooms measure 99 by 78 feet. There are 54 rooms in the building, not including the halls, vesti- bules, etc. The architect was Truman O. Angell, with Miles Romney in charge of construction. There are twelve and four-fifths acres of land in connection with the building. The block upon which the temple is located is laidwalks, lawns and flowerbeds, with off in shrubs, vines, trees, etc., kinds in addition. of various The temple stands in the center of a city block which contains si.x and two-fifths : — ; 722 IlMPRDVl'lMI.N'I' KRA acres of land. A cily l)l()ck of land adjoiniiij;; the temple block on the east also belongs to the temple, but has not been improved or culti- vated. An annex 25Vj by 86 feet on the north side of the temple con- tains eight rooms, only three of which are in use. The tower, after the dedication, was remodeled, the present tower being designed by William 11. Folsom. prophet who was taken Ijodily from earth without iindergoini^ the who. then'fore, stood in a special and peculiar chaiii^c of death, and relationship to hoth the living inhahitants of earth and the de- parted? The scriptures proclaim the mutual dependency of ancestors and posterity in the plan of eternal advancement and exaltation without the co-oj'jcration of hoth the fathers and the children the ])lan lacks ftdfilment. The £:^reat truth revealed and outlined through Malaclii has heen made clear in its simplicity and fulness in the present ai^e. The Prophet Joseph Smith thus taught: "The earth will be smitten with a curse, unless there is a welding link of some kind or other, between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other, and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect." (Doctrine and Covenants, Section 128:18.) As already stated in brief, certain ordinances for the living such as the endowment associated with the Holy Priesthood, and — the sealing ceremonies, ^together with all the vicarious service for and in behalf of the dead, are administered nowhere outside the sacred precincts of temples duly erected and dedicated, for these purposes, to the Most High. As early as 1841 the Lord made it plain through revelation that a house must be erected to His name, if the people would be partakers in the blessings of eternal riches offered them. In explanation of this necessity, and by way of in- struction as to procedure, the Lord said "For there is not a place found on earth that he may come and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the Priesthood; for a baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead; for this ordinance belongeth to my house, and cannot be acceptable to me, only in the days of your poverty, wherein ye are not able to build a house unto me. But I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me, and during this time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto me. But behold, at the end of this appoint- ment, your baptisms for your dead shall not be acceptable unto me; and if you do not these things at the end of the appointment, ye shall be rejected as a church, with your dead, saith the Lord your God. For verily I say unto you, that after you have had sufificient time to build a house to me, wherein the ordinance of baptizing for the dead belongeth, and for which the same was instituted from before the foundation of the world, your baptisms for your dead cannot be ac- ceptable unto me, for therein are the keys of the Holy Priesthood, or- WHY DO THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS BUILD TEMPLES? 723 dained that you may receive honor and glory. And after this time, your baptisms for the dead, by those who are scattered abroad, are not acceptable unto me, saith the Lord; for it is ordained that in Zion, and in her stakes, and in Jerusalem, those places which I have ap- pointed for refuge, shall be the places for your baptisms for your dead. And again, verily I say unto you. How shall your washings be accept- able unto me, except ye perform them in a house which you have built to my name? For, for this cause I commanded Moses that he should build a tabernacle, that they should bear it with them in the wilderness, and to build a house in the land of promise, that those ordinances might be revealed which had been hid from before the world was; therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices, by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places, wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the begin- ning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name. And verily I say unto you, Let this house be built unto my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein, unto my people; for I deign to reveal unto my church, things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times." {Doc- trine and Covenants, Section 124:28-41.) On the grounds heretofore specified, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims to the world the absolute necessity of temples in this the dispensation of the last days and; furthermore affirms that the commission and appointment to erect temples and to minister therein, together with all authority re- quisite thereto, have been placed upon the Church. As to the devotion and fidelity with which this sacred charge has been met, the history of temple-building and maintenance already made is sufficient answer. Six temples have been reared by the Latter- day Saints, and a seventh has just been begun. These, in the order of their completion are the temples, at (1) Kirtland, Ohio; (2) Nauvoo, Illinois; (3) St. George, Utah; (4) Logan, Utah; (5) Manti, Utah; (6) Salt Lake City; and, (7) the one now in course of construction at Cardston, Canada. Of the temples already completed, that at Nauvoo was de- stroyed by incendiaries the others are standing today, though the ; Kirtland structure is no longer used as a temple, nor is it in the possession of the Church whose devoted members built it in pov- erty and suffering. The temples in Utah are in constant service for the administration of holy ordinances. In conclusion let it be here repeated, as elsewhere written in relation to modern temple- work : "This labor has already attained a magnitude at once impres- sive and surprising. Ordinances of baptism with accompanying confirmation, ordination in the Priesthood, and sealing both in the relation of husband and wife and in that of parents and children,