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Photograph by Clark Hinckley
It was the very picture of a bitter winter day,
with blustery winds, bleak views and a steel-gray sky, but those
who arrived at the bluff beneath the Oquirrh Mountains at the southwestern
edge of the Salt Lake valley on Saturday morning, December 16, were
in joyous spirits.
President Gordon B. Hinckley arrives in warm spirits.
The entire First Presidency, many members of
the Quorum of the Twelve, auxiliary leaders, and stake presidents
and their families were in attendance for the ground breaking of
the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple.
President Thomas S. Monson warms all he meets.
President James E. Faust asked if he would really
need his hat.
President Gordon B. Hinckley presided at the
meeting, which was conducted by Elder Russell M. Nelson.
Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Twelve.
The ceremony was held in a large, white, heated
tent, complete with lights and sound system. Even the gold shovels
and soft earth to turn were in the tent.
Invited guests stayed warm in this large tent on
the barren bluff.
“We couldn’t
have a better Christmas present,” said President Gordon B.
Hinckley and President Faust noted that President Hinckley was the
greatest temple builder in the history of the world.
President Hinckley noted that originally the
name of the temple was going to be the South Jordan Utah Temple,
but concern over confusion with the nearby Jordan River Temple had
made Church officers reconsider.
President Hinckley spoke with power and strength.
“People won’t know how to spell
it,” quipped President Hinckley, in remarkable form given
his 96 years, “but they don’t have to spell to come
to the temple.” He said many don’t know how to spell
“Timpanogos” and some don’t know how to spell
“Salt Lake” but it is with “rejoicing and gladness”
that we initiate this process of temple building.
President Faust reminded us of a prophecy of Brigham
Young.
The west side of Salt Lake Valley has seen explosive
growth, and Elder James E. Faust referred to a prophecy by Brigham
Young, who said that one day three million people would live west
of the Jordan River. “We are beginning to see the realization
of this prophecy,” he said.
In fact, as of now, it appears that the temple
district will include 23 stakes that encompass about 83,000 members,
but the boundaries are still not definite for a very interesting
reason. In the two years it will take to build the temple, it is
difficult to say how many additional wards and stakes may be added.
At least 15,000 more homes are on the books in this area.
The winds were blowing bitter-cold air on this obscure
bluff in the Salt Lake Valley.
South Jordan Utah will have the distinction
of being the only city in the world with two temples — and
from the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, three other temples in the Salt
Lake Valley will be visible. It is a part of the vision of a world
dotted with temples. The 60,000 square-foot temple on 11 acres will
become the 13th temple in Utah. Construction will begin in the next
two to three weeks.
President Hinckley breaks ground with the artist’s
rendering of the temple in the background.
President Hinckley said that people sometimes
ask, “Why are there so many temples in Utah? Why are there
no more in the Philippines, Central America, or South America?”
He answered that we will build more where and as they are needed.
The first shovel-full of dirt is turned for the temple
by President Hinckley.
In Guatemala City, for example, the temple is
so well attended that another temple is needed in the country. During
his remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony, President Hinckley announced
that a temple will be built in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.
He said that the temple will bless the people as no other structure
in the world can bless them. In his prayer dedicating the land,
he expressed gratitude for those whose tithing makes temples possible
and prayed that the Latter-day Saints will have the means and the
will to continue to carry this great work forward.
CMichael Neider, 2nd Counselor in the Young Men’s
General Presidency, with wife, Rosemary (center) and eight children
participate in turning dirt for the temple.
Ground for the Draper Utah Temple was broken
just five months ago. The Jordan River Temple is 120,000 square
feet and has had 110 stakes in its temple district. Both the Draper
Temple and the Oquirrh Mountain Temple have 60,000 square feet.
Though both have a similar design, each will have unique features
inside and out.
Many stopped and admired the artist’s rendering
of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple.
The sacred edifice will feature a single copper-clad
spire soaring to a height of 193 feet, topped by a 9-foot statue
of the Angel Moroni. The building will be faced with light beige
granite, quarried and milled in China.
President Hinckley said that another
temple will be built in the Salt Lake Valley, but there will be
a longer time frame before the next one is begun.
President Monson describes a plane flying into the
Salt Lake Valley from the south.
President Thomas S. Monson said that today when
you fly into the Salt Lake Valley, a pilot may say, to the West
is the largest open pit copper mine in the world. He envisions a
future where a pilot might say, “To the west is the largest
copper mine in the world, but in front of it is the gleaming, white
temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with an
angel on top of it.”
Elder John Madsen of the Seventy and wife Diane enjoy
the groundbreaking ceremony.
He quoted John Ruskin, who said, “When
we build, let us build forever.” Then he challenged the audience
to do a little temple-building of themselves, reminding them that
Paul had told the Corinthians, “Know ye now that ye are the
temple of God?” The gospel offers the perfect blueprint.
“The sweetest feeling in all
of mortality is to be on the Lord’s errand and know that he
has directed your path.” He said, “We are engaged in
a magnificent project here that affects all of eternity.”
Mule deer pause just below the site of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah
Temple on the day of groundbreaking.
The land for the temple is near the new Daybreak
housing development and was donated by the Kennecott Land Corporation.
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© 2006 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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