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The Early Temples of the Mormons: The Architecture of the Millennial Kingdom in the American West
This book is a study of the six temples which the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints constructed in the nineteenth century. Though sharing the characteristics of various revival styles, the buildings demonstrate a progressive modification of these styles so as to express the functions of the temples and to reflect the theology and politics of the Mormons.
The four temples in Utah, designed by the church president Brigham Young and his builder-architects, symbolize the merging of spiritual and temporal concerns and, the author believes, were meant to play an instrumental role in the transformation of America into a millennial kingdom of God and a second Garden of Eden. Thus, the temples are studied within the specific context of Mormonism and the broader spectrum of American cultural history as well.
The account begins in Ohio, where the believers in Joseph Smith's restored gospel erected a temple resembling the New England meetinghouse in form and use. It follows the Mormons to Nauvoo, Illinois, where the second temple was built in the 1840s. The author demonstrates how the developing theology and the introduction of secret rituals began to change the meaning and the architectural form of the temple, as the style and architectural symbols were incorporated on the exterior of the temple. From Illinois the Mormons moved to Utah, where four temples were built. The most important, at Salt Lake City, is discussed in detail.
The author evaluates the contributions of Brigham Young to its design, illustrates and discusses the drawings of the architect, and offers an interpretation of the symbolism of the building. She also discusses the attempt of the Mormons to establish an independent "Kingdom of God" in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, and relates the Salt Lake City temple and the other Utah buildings to this effort. Her conclusion is that the Salt Lake City temple was to have a civic as well as religious function as the governmental center of the Kingdom of God. The other three Utah temples were intended to extend the authority of the Mormon government throughout Utah.
The four temples in Utah, designed by the church president Brigham Young and his builder-architects, symbolize the merging of spiritual and temporal concerns and, the author believes, were meant to play an instrumental role in the transformation of America into a millennial kingdom of God and a second Garden of Eden. Thus, the temples are studied within the specific context of Mormonism and the broader spectrum of American cultural history as well.
The account begins in Ohio, where the believers in Joseph Smith's restored gospel erected a temple resembling the New England meetinghouse in form and use. It follows the Mormons to Nauvoo, Illinois, where the second temple was built in the 1840s. The author demonstrates how the developing theology and the introduction of secret rituals began to change the meaning and the architectural form of the temple, as the style and architectural symbols were incorporated on the exterior of the temple. From Illinois the Mormons moved to Utah, where four temples were built. The most important, at Salt Lake City, is discussed in detail.
The author evaluates the contributions of Brigham Young to its design, illustrates and discusses the drawings of the architect, and offers an interpretation of the symbolism of the building. She also discusses the attempt of the Mormons to establish an independent "Kingdom of God" in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, and relates the Salt Lake City temple and the other Utah buildings to this effort. Her conclusion is that the Salt Lake City temple was to have a civic as well as religious function as the governmental center of the Kingdom of God. The other three Utah temples were intended to extend the authority of the Mormon government throughout Utah.
218 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1978
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 23, 2024
The strength of this book lies in its architectural analysis of the first six temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The author has a keen eye for the details and styles of these buildings and clearly has a wealth of knowledge on which to draw upon to place these temples in their architectural context.
The glaring weakness to me is the author’s use of Latter-day Saint history. The chapter on the Nauvoo temple presented a lot of interesting information but unfortunately was diluted by its reliance on Fawn Brodie’s “No Man Knows My History”.
While the Kirtland, Nauvoo, and Salt Lake temples all had their own dedicated chapters St. George, Logan, and Manti were all lumped into one. Having a deep love and connection to two of these last temples, I was disappointed to see that they received the least amount of commentary. Combining them into one was still probably the best option even if it left me unsatisfied; the chapter already felt filled with recitations of Utah history.
I’m not aware of a better examination of the architecture of these temples in one place. If you are looking for a history of these temples, you would be better off reading “Temples Rising” by Richard E. Bennett.
The glaring weakness to me is the author’s use of Latter-day Saint history. The chapter on the Nauvoo temple presented a lot of interesting information but unfortunately was diluted by its reliance on Fawn Brodie’s “No Man Knows My History”.
While the Kirtland, Nauvoo, and Salt Lake temples all had their own dedicated chapters St. George, Logan, and Manti were all lumped into one. Having a deep love and connection to two of these last temples, I was disappointed to see that they received the least amount of commentary. Combining them into one was still probably the best option even if it left me unsatisfied; the chapter already felt filled with recitations of Utah history.
I’m not aware of a better examination of the architecture of these temples in one place. If you are looking for a history of these temples, you would be better off reading “Temples Rising” by Richard E. Bennett.
June 28, 2019
Insightful, beautifully written and groundbreaking. A classic book about Mormon Architecture that deserves to be more widely read.
April 15, 2013
This book chronicles the construction of the six Mormon Temples built in the nineteenth century: Kirtland, OH; Nauvoo, IL; St. George, UT; Logan, UT; Manti, UT; and Salt Lake City, UT. Not only does Andrew discuss the development of the architectural styles and religious rituals, moving from the New England meetinghouse to the castellated neo-Gothic masonic-like rites, but she also interprets what the unique Mormon style of architecture revealed about the Mormons' formulating theology. In general, the four Utah temples, with their civic (and domestic) rather than ecclesiastical precedents (i.e. resembling medieval castles and Second Empire-styled homes rather than Church buildings or cathedrals), were built as not only symbolic representations of the political kingdom of God but also as prepared literal "House(s) of the Lord" to be the palatial residence of Christ during His incipient return at the Second Coming. Andrew believes that the lack of castellated details, which she asserts connote a fortress for the Millennium, from twentieth century Mormon temples shows a cultural shift toward becoming an American Christian denomination (rather than the political kingdom of God) and a theological de-emphasis on the incipient Millennium.
Probably my favorite chapter, the Salt Lake City Temple is discussed as connected to Masonic architecture not just for its obvious exterior symbols (the all-seeing eye, clasped hands, statue niches by the entrance, cosmological stones, etc.) but also the style that was perhaps borrowed from the Philadelphia and Boston Masonic Temples. Brigham Young did not explicitly list the precedents for his design (and even by inference the result is unquestionably original), but Andrew speculates that he probably did visit these temples in the 1840s as a missionary (and a Mason--initiated in NE before converting to Mormonism in the late 1820s). The photos of these two Masonic Temples speak for themselves. The neo-Gothic style was appropriate from the Masons for Mormon Temples for similar reasons: breaking from "corrupted" religious archetypes in architecture to symbolize a return to the Temple of Solomon.
Although this type of study is a 5-out-of-5 stars on my interest scale, I gave it a 4 mainly because it is a bit too broad and generalized with its assertions about Mormons' relationship to nature and architecture. It could have set up how quotations from religious leaders often reflect the general sentiment of the Mormon people as a whole, but she fails to do so explicitly. Furthermore, she overlooks the more nuanced statements that complicate even this reductive method of associating an entire people with its leaders (i.e. Mormon leaders often speak in "almost-contradictions" in many of their sermons trying to emphasize certain aspects of the duality of nature at different times). But overall, her architectural arguments are very compelling and the narrative is fascinating in the bulk of its structure and organization. I hope to research a more nuanced version of nineteenth century Mormon architecture that builds off of this and chronicles its development (Mormon temples and other buildings) through the twentieth century and into the present century during my time in grad school at Boston University in the American Studies Ph.D program.
Probably my favorite chapter, the Salt Lake City Temple is discussed as connected to Masonic architecture not just for its obvious exterior symbols (the all-seeing eye, clasped hands, statue niches by the entrance, cosmological stones, etc.) but also the style that was perhaps borrowed from the Philadelphia and Boston Masonic Temples. Brigham Young did not explicitly list the precedents for his design (and even by inference the result is unquestionably original), but Andrew speculates that he probably did visit these temples in the 1840s as a missionary (and a Mason--initiated in NE before converting to Mormonism in the late 1820s). The photos of these two Masonic Temples speak for themselves. The neo-Gothic style was appropriate from the Masons for Mormon Temples for similar reasons: breaking from "corrupted" religious archetypes in architecture to symbolize a return to the Temple of Solomon.
Although this type of study is a 5-out-of-5 stars on my interest scale, I gave it a 4 mainly because it is a bit too broad and generalized with its assertions about Mormons' relationship to nature and architecture. It could have set up how quotations from religious leaders often reflect the general sentiment of the Mormon people as a whole, but she fails to do so explicitly. Furthermore, she overlooks the more nuanced statements that complicate even this reductive method of associating an entire people with its leaders (i.e. Mormon leaders often speak in "almost-contradictions" in many of their sermons trying to emphasize certain aspects of the duality of nature at different times). But overall, her architectural arguments are very compelling and the narrative is fascinating in the bulk of its structure and organization. I hope to research a more nuanced version of nineteenth century Mormon architecture that builds off of this and chronicles its development (Mormon temples and other buildings) through the twentieth century and into the present century during my time in grad school at Boston University in the American Studies Ph.D program.
April 18, 2009
By far, the greatest book on LDS architecture I've come across. If you have to write an essay on the Salt Lake Temple, this has a wealth of information. Very well researched!
November 5, 2010
This is a fun book because it is an early book on the Temple yet written by a non-Mormon. I did not feel the book was anti-Mormon in nature. It was historical and interesting.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews