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Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 1:39 pm
by Kishkumen
I dunno, I think this temple is kind of a dog. I have seen a couple of the more recent temples with a similar design. They are most definitely not to my taste, and I feel badly for the people of Cody that they got saddled with this eyesore.
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/ ... otographs/
It looks, well, kind of phallic, honestly. And it really does dominate the scene.
Oh well, de gustibus non disputandum est.
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 4:22 pm
by Shulem
Kish, it's not to my liking and immediately made me think of architecture abroad which makes it a hard fit for the American frontier.
In Cody, everyone is forced to have to look at it -- adore it?
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 7:08 pm
by drumdude
I don't think that building is ever going to end up in a book of noteworthy or great architecture.
It honestly looks like The Brethren asked for the absolute minimum cost design to accomplish building a temple.
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:07 pm
by Res Ipsa
The spire is out of proportion — too tall. I think the design of the Cardston temple is much better for prairie settings.
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:22 pm
by I Have Questions
It looks a lot like a repurposed Taco Bell.
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:23 pm
by Shulem
Res Ipsa wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:07 pm
The spire is out of proportion — too tall. I think the design of the Cardston temple is much better for prairie settings.
And it serves no practical purpose other than to add an aesthetic tower that does absolutely nothing except promote a building ego with the appearance of reaching upward. Mormons focus too much on appearances when all anyone really needs is to use their own heart which is within a temple not made with hands. Isn't that right?
I AM a temple in my own right. You too, Res-baby.
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:29 pm
by Marcus
I Have Questions wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:22 pm
It looks a lot like a repurposed Taco Bell.
Lol, now I see it. Are they not finished? The pics in the op link show a wooden top, looks like horizontal, antiqued wood slats for a mini log cabin. It doesn't seem to fit in with the idea of a temple. Although, this one is concrete slabs, not granite, so who knows. I looked up the temple on the official church site, there are no photos, just the rendering:
Image from the official lds site:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/tem ... e?lang=eng
Different top?
It was originally officially described as this:
"The temple will feature a multi-tiered steeple capped with a gold pyramidal spire."
"News for Temples in Five Nations," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 27 Mar. 2023.
By the way, that last reference is circular. I can't find a press release, search for the news release title just goes back to the site where it was cited as a source.
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:37 pm
by Doctor Scratch
I remember a time--perhaps it was when Hinckley was still leading the Church--when temples like this were referred to as "McTemples." For whatever reason, it seems that the term has gone out of fashion, but I think it definitely fits here. Cody, WY has a population of, what? 10,000 people or so? It is basically a small town. So why do they need a temple? How big is the LDS population there? I mean: the LDS Church has as much right (I suppose) as Starbucks, Pizza Hut, or Taco Bell to put in new "franchises" wherever they want, but this involved quite a bit of protest from the locals, If I recall correctly.
But yes: I agree that the aesthetics of this "McTemple" can very reasonably be described as "objectionable." Sort of a phallic Stalinist edifice plopped down into the prairie landscape.
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:49 pm
by I Have Questions
Doctor Scratch wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:37 pm
I remember a time--perhaps it was when Hinckley was still leading the Church--when temples like this were referred to as "McTemples." For whatever reason, it seems that the term has gone out of fashion, but I think it definitely fits here. Cody, WY has a population of, what? 10,000 people or so? It is basically a small town. So why do they need a temple? How big is the LDS population there? I mean: the LDS Church has as much right (I suppose) as Starbucks, Pizza Hut, or Taco Bell to put in new "franchises" wherever they want, but this involved quite a bit of protest from the locals, If I recall correctly.
But yes: I agree that the aesthetics of this "McTemple" can very reasonably be described as "objectionable." Sort of a phallic Stalinist edifice plopped down into the prairie landscape.
Wyoming has a total of 67,518 LDS members on the list, according to the facts and statistics page of the Church website. The number of active, temple recommend holding members will be a lot less than that. The design doesn't shriek that it's built for huge volumes of attendees...
Re: Homely Temple in Cody
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2026 9:17 pm
by Doctor Scratch
The Church's strategy concerning building new temples--especially building them in places where the locals object--has seemed to me to be akin to a dog marking its territory. There's not really any indication that the temples need to be built because there is a big *demand* for them or anything. Again, this Cody, WY temple is a perfect example: How many people are going to use it each month? Did the Church build it because driving an hour (or whatever) to the nearest temple in Utah (or wherever) was super-burdensome? It seems like these questions are irrelevant, and that the Church is just going to do whatever it feels like doing.