Rusty Nelson’s cultural revolution - gutting the Salt Lake Temple

[drumdude]

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2024/09 ... -lake-lds/

Sometime after 2019, when Latter-day Saint officials assured the public that crucial elements of the Salt Lake Temple’s interior would be preserved during its massive makeover and seismic upgrade, President Russell M. Nelson made a momentous decision.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would no longer perform live temple rituals — in which patrons move from room to room in a richly symbolic reenactment of the creation, Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden, humankind’s mortal journey and ultimate return to God’s presence — that had been central to the experience since the 1840s.

In the wake of Nelson’s decision, the whole architecture that supported the narrative had to be “reconfigured,” triggering a domino effect.

Steps leading upward to reflect eternal progression? Gone.

Wall murals visually depicting the stages of human development? Gone. Historic woodwork, doorknobs, chandeliers and needlepoint chairs? Mostly gone.

“The renovation of the Salt Lake Temple honors the past,” said church spokesperson Doug Andersen, responding to questions from The Salt Lake Tribune, “addresses safety and seismic concerns, enhances accessibility, and creates more space for larger numbers of Latter-day Saints from around the world to worship God for generations to come.”

It was done, Andersen added, “for function and accessibility.”

While giving the temple a feel of that era, preservationists point out that when it opens to the general public sometime in 2026 — for the first time since just before its original dedication — visitors will not see the Mormon pioneers’ beliefs about eternity crafted into the space, and Latter-day Saints won’t necessarily enter into their ancestors’ sense of beauty and wonder.

What they will see is a modern temple — more like the ones in Taylorsville and Layton — with a patina of Victorian-era fabrics, carpets, drapes and lights, along with some restored historic furniture and hardware and other added period pieces.

“The furnishing of the temple will look and feel,” Andersen said, “similar to the recently renovated [and rededicated] St. George Temple.”

The Salt Lake Temple will accommodate more patrons, with 100,000 square feet of additional space. It will have two baptistries instead of one. It will have 22 sealing rooms, up from 13. It will include five instruction rooms with increased seating space.

It is all a reflection of the 100-year-old Nelson’s drive to make all the faith’s temples more efficient and more accessible across the globe.

I’m sure it will save the church a lot of money.

[Gadianton]

Imagine if you went to McDonalds and no Big Mac was available. Even if another burger was available with better ingredients, it would be unacceptable. It wouldn't taste right. The whole point is to walk into any McDonalds anywhere, order a burger, and it tastes exactly as it does anywhere else. You're paying for consistency of experience.

[Dr. Sunstoned]

Knowing Nelson's fondness for revisionist history, I would not be surprised to find the original carvings on the temple's exterior, such as the all-seeing eye, clasped hands, constellations, etc., gone.

[Dr. Shades]

Knowing Nelson's fondness for revisionist history, I would not be surprised to find the original carvings on the temple's exterior, such as the all-seeing eye, clasped hands, constellations, etc., gone.

(Not that I have a dog in this fight anymore, but) Good. Most of those carvings were creepy.

[I Have Questions]

The SLC redevelopments seem more about accommodating tourist temple goers than safety. I’d be interested in knowing what percentage of temple visits in SLC are by non residents. From the sounds of it Nelson has removed all the reasons why the SLC temple might be worth a visit.