INCLUDING FORTY-SIX PLATES ILLUSTRATIVE OF MODERN TEMPLES
By
JAMES E. TALMAGE
One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints
Published by the Church
Salt Lake City, Utah
1912
{iii} Among the numerous sects and churches of the present day, theLatter-day Saints are distinguished as builders of Temples. In thisrespect they resemble Israel of olden time. It is not surprising thatgreat and widespread interest is manifest respecting this peculiarityof the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nor that questionsare continually arising as to the purpose and motive behind this greatlabor, and the nature of the ordinances administered in these modernHouses of the Lord. To answer some of these questions, and to placewithin the reach of earnest inquirers authentic information concerningthe doctrine and practise of Temple ministration, this book has beenwritten.
By way of affording means of easy comparison between theTemple-building achievements of past and those of current time, abrief treatment of the sanctuaries of earlier dispensations has beenincluded. While detailed information pertaining to ancient Temples andrelated sanctuaries is accessible to all, through cyclopedias, Bibledictionaries and works of more special scope, but little concerningthe Temples of today and the sacred service therein rendered hasbeen published in separate form. The official "History of the Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" contains abundant data on thesubject; but the information is distributed through many tomes, and isof access to comparatively few.
Among the special publications in this field, most of which areprimarily devoted to the history and description of the Temple at SaltLake City, are the following:
{iv} "Temples: Descriptive and historical sketches of ancient andmodern sacred edifices," a pamphlet of 28 pages, by J. M. Sjodahl, SaltLake City, 1892. This covers the history of the Salt Lake City Templeto the time of the laying of the capstone, April, 1892. The pamphletcontains outline drawings.
"The Salt Lake Temple," an article by James H. Anderson, published in"The Contributor," Vol. XIV, No. 6, April, 1893, 60 pages with numerousillustrations of the Temple at different stages, together with detailsof construction, and portraits of Church officials and others connectedwith the erection of the great structure.
"Historical and descriptive sketch of the Salt Lake Temple," anillustrated pamphlet of 36 pages published by the Deseret News, SaltLake City, April, 1893.
"A Description of the Great Temple, Salt Lake City, and a statementconcerning the purposes for which it has been built," a pamphlet of40 pages, by D. M. McAllister, Salt Lake City, 1912. This containshalf-tone engravings of both exterior and interior views.
In the present undertaking the author has been the recipient of manycourtesies and much assistance from the officials of the severalTemples, the Church Historian and his assistants, the generalauthorities of the Church, and many others. To all who have assisted inthe pleasing labor his obligations are respectfully acknowledged.
The photographs showing interior views of the Salt Lake City Temple arethe work of the C. R. Savage Company, to whom thanks are tendered forliberal, courteous, and efficient service.
James E. Talmage
Salt Lake City, Utah, September 21, 1912.