Architectural Features, Various Temples

All temple worshippers who enter the temple are impacted by its various architectural elements. As they approach the temple from a distance, they view a perfectly majestic, monumental landmark. As they draw closer (depending on the temple), they look heavenward and see a steeple, great towers, or perhaps a large statue of Moroni, with its gold gleaming in the sunlight. Once they arrive on the temple grounds, worshippers set their eyes on battlements, crenellated towers, various stained-glass windows, sunstones, or carved friezes. Water features and beautifully landscaped gardens, which demonstrate fruitfulness, may serve to recall the garden of Eden itself. The words “Holiness to the Lord” and “House of the Lord” inscribed on the temple greatly impact the mind of worshippers—they are about to enter the Lord’s own home.

Once they cross the threshold and move into the temple’s interior, a number of architectural elements suggest holiness, impacting worshippers and preparing them for sacred ordinances. These elements include decorative motifs, flower designs, columns, arches, elegant light fixtures and chandeliers, railings, carpet sculptings, various panels or murals, floor-to-ceiling windows, marble floors and walls, grand staircases, and much more.

Below are representative examples of architectural features of specific temples that may have symbolic values. Unfortunately, because of space limitations, I cannot write concerning the features of all temples. Many of the features listed below, including starstones, sunstones, moonstones, the Big Dipper, North Star, etc., are treated individually elsewhere in this book. Some temples feature localized cultural themes (for example, the Rexburg Idaho Temple wheat stalk or the historical architectural influence in the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple), while other temples have symbols that are not associated with the local culture, such as sunstones and moonstones.

Albuquerque New Mexico Temple: Starstones, sunstones, moonstones, sun image in art glass on east side of temple.

Art glass, Albuquerque New Mexico Temple.

Anchorage Alaska Temple: Repre-sentation in granite of Big Dipper and North Star on exterior wall. Huge seven-hundred-pound chandelier, with thousands of crystals, featured in celestial room.

Buenos Aires Argentina Temple: Reflects aspects of Argentine historical architecture of Buenos Aires and art glass with the colors of the Argentine flag.

Columbus Ohio Temple: Exterior consists of Imperial Danby White marble that was quarried in the greater vicinity of Sharon, Vermont, which was the birthplace of Joseph Smith.

Concepción Chile Temple: Interior includes artwork that features Chilean landscape and themes.

Copenhagen Denmark Temple: A renovation of an older building, the Priorvej chapel, constructed in 1931 and dedicated by Elder John A. Widtsoe. Portions of the building’s architecture recall this early chapel. Other renovated buildings that became temples include the Vernal Utah Temple and Provo City Center Temple.

Draper Utah Temple: Windows feature log cabin quilt patterns, reminiscent of pioneer quilting practices. Utah’s state flower, the sego lily, is a theme in this temple.

Edmonton Alberta Temple: Representations of Alberta’s wild rose are located on the temple front. Also, wheat shafts, recalling Alberta’s farming community, are located there.

Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple: Features sun motifs and palm tree motifs. Temple and its steeple, columns, and arches are reminiscent of Neoclassical architecture.

Hartford Connecticut Temple: The architecture is New England style and reflects the famous First Church of Christ Congregational Church, which was built in Farmington, 1772.

Hong Kong China Temple: Features Hong Kong colonial-style architecture, with a single spire on the top of a gold dome.

Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Architect John Fetzer Sr. was inspired to design the temple to reflect his idea of an ancient Nephite temple.

Kansas City Missouri Temple: Olive branches signify a dominant theme; they are represented on the exterior of the temple on panels and stained-glass and etched-glass windows; the interior of the temple features them in art glass, light fixtures, railings, carpet sculptings, walls and panels, and various other places in the temple.

Laie Hawaii Temple: Exterior consists of native lava rock and coral, which was crushed and incorporated into concrete. Sculptor Avard Fairbanks created friezes that exist at the top of the temple’s four sides, depicting four historical eras: the Old Testament (west), the New Testament (south), the Book of Mormon (north), and the latter days (east).

Las Vegas Nevada Temple: The celestial room features floor-to-ceiling windows; when the natural light flows through the windows, beautiful rainbow-like colors appear in the celestial room.

Logan Utah Temple: This and other temples, including Salt Lake, Manti, San Diego, and Washington D.C., feature battlements, crenellated towers, and other castle-like architectural features, giving the appearance of a fortress.

Lubbock Texas Temple: Exterior windows feature stained glass, and granite walls include etchings.

Manhattan New York Temple: Many door handles bear the shape of the Statue of Liberty’s torch.

Manti Utah Temple: Two renowned spiral staircases wind upward for five stories in the octagonal towers on the temple’s west side. They are open-centered and self-supporting, with walnut hand railings. Considered to be a pioneer engineering marvel.

Meridian Idaho Temple: The syringa, Idaho’s state flower, is a common motif throughout the temple. Also, large murals present Idaho’s wilderness and mountains.

Mesa Arizona Temple: A grand staircase leads to the celestial room. Carved friezes depict gathering of Israel themes from Isaiah’s writings. Each of the temple’s four corners (exterior) features a sculptured frieze that illustrates the Saints’ gathering from the earth’s four corners. Eight friezes of Saints gathering to the Rocky Mountains, including Welsh, English, Dutch, German, Swiss, French, Native American, and Pacific Islander.

Mexico City Mexico Temple: Architect Emil B. Fetzer designed this temple to reflect Mayan culture and motifs; representations of ancient Maya are therefore presented on the temple’s exterior.

Nauvoo Illinois Temple: A faithful reproduction of the earlier Nauvoo Temple. A statue of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, both on horseback, is located near the temple. Both were martyred during the original temple’s construction. In fact, this temple’s dedication occurred on the anniversary—the exact day and hour—of their martyrdom.

Oakland California Temple: Two sculpted panels, each thirty-five feet in length, exist on the temple’s north and south sides. One portrays Jesus Christ’s appearance to the Nephites (south) and the other His teaching in the Holy Land (north).

Palmyra New York Temple: Built on a site having historical significance (compare the Nauvoo Illinois Temple and the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple); the major theme is the Sacred Grove, which is depicted in multiple stained-glass windows; a stained glass also portrays the First Vision.

Palmyra New York Temple, windows depicting the Sacred Grove.

Paris France Temple: Art glass surrounding the temple doors features plants native to France and the flowers of Claude Monet’s gardens.

Paris France Temple art glass.

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple: The granite building reflects classic designs and architecture of some of Philadelphia’s significant historic buildings; for example, the temple’s spires recall Independence Hall’s clock tower, and the temple’s walls are the same height as both the Philadelphia Free Library and the Philadelphia Family Court, which are located west of the temple. Also, the temple’s furniture is reminiscent of the early period of Philadelphia.

Rexburg Idaho Temple: A central theme of the temple is the wheat stalk, depicted in art-glass windows, bringing to mind the agricultural setting of the region. Also, murals in the ordinance rooms depict landscapes and wildlife of the Snake River valley.

Rome Italy Temple: Interior walls, floors, and countertops feature Italian-quarried Perlato Svevo marble. Aspects of Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio are featured in the floors of the temple’s grand foyer and baptistry and also sculpted into the off-white carpets located in the sealing rooms and celestial room.

Salt Lake Temple: Several symbolic architectural features, including cloudstones, starstones, earthstones, moonstones, sunstones, the Big Dipper, an all-seeing eye, a handclasp, and others.20

San Salvador El Salvador Temple: The building recalls the area’s Spanish colonial architecture, with conches, arches, and other styles and designs. El Salvador’s national flower, the flor de izote, is depicted in motifs in art-glass windows and other places.

Santiago Chile Temple: Motifs and depictions of Chile’s national flower, the copíhue, are featured in art-glass windows, on door handles, and in flooring designs. Chilean marble and lapis lazuli (a beautiful native blue stone) are also used in the temple.

Sapporo Japan Temple: The building is inspired by Asian architecture, and the grounds include plants and trees that are distinctively common to the area.

Seoul Korea Temple: Features a tiled roof similar to Korean “hundred-year” roof, silk wall hangings, and other elements common to Korea.

Snowflake Arizona Temple: Interior parts of the temple feature pioneer themes or Native American history and cultural traditions, including pottery, baskets, and handcrafted rugs. For example, some of the custom-built furniture includes Native American designs that are carved. The temple also presents stained-glass windows portraying Jesus Christ instructing women, men, and children.

Taipei Taiwan Temple: Architecture inspired by local architectural themes. For example, its blue tile roof brings to mind the neighboring National Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall.

Tijuana Mexico Temple: Architecture recalls old Spanish mission structures, especially the San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson, Arizona.

Tijuana Mexico Temple.

Tucson Arizona Temple: A prominent dome-shaped cupola was inspired by the dome belonging to the famous Florence Cathedral in Italy.

Twin Falls Idaho Temple: The spectacular Shoshone Falls, located about five miles from the temple, inspired architects to include a waterfall theme in the temple’s stained-glass windows, walls, and landscape. Also, Idaho’s state flower, the syringa, is featured as a motif in many of the two hundred art-glass windows, which consist of some twelve thousand pieces of glass.

Washington D.C. Temple: “The seven floors represent the six days of creation and the day of rest.”21 The magnificent six spires recall the Salt Lake Temple’s spires. The gates and doors feature eight bronze depictions, representing creation, mortality, and the degrees of glory. Also featured are the North Star, Big Dipper, the sun, stars, moon, planets, the earth, and “seven concentric pentagons,” which perhaps recall the seven dispensations.22 The temple’s main lobby has huge, thirty-foot-long mural of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, with a representation of the temple found in the mural.

Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple: Three panes of glass in the baptistry are sculpted to depict an olive branch, a fig branch, and an almond branch. The temple’s front doors also depict olive branches.

Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple artistic designs, front entrance.