The Logan Utah Temple (formerly the Logan Temple) was completed in 1884, and is the fourth

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

built by

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

. Located in the city of

Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gov ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, it was the second temple built in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

, after the St. George Temple, which remains the only Latter-day Saint temple that has been in operation longer than the Logan Temple. The temple in Logan was announced on October 6, 1876, with its groundbreaking taking place on May 18, 1877. The groundbreaking was shortly after dedication of the St. George Temple on April 6, 1877. The site of the Logan Temple had been held in reserve for many years. It was used as a park and public grounds before being dedicated as the site for the temple. The

Salt Lake Temple The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At , it is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth templ ...

had been announced in 1847, but construction was still underway and would not be completed until 1893, so the Logan and St. George temples were built to satisfy the church's need for temples. More than 25,000 people worked on the Logan Temple. Timber for the building was hauled from the Temple Fork area of

Logan Canyon Logan Canyon is in the western United States in northeastern Utah, a canyon that cuts its way through the Bear River Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range. It is popular for both summer and winter activities, especially rock-climbing, hiki ...

. Lime and

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...

was quarried out of nearby Green Canyon. Most materials were extracted during winter when farm duties were low and because transporting material was easier on sled than wagon. A combination of hired hands and volunteers were used with wards providing quotas of volunteers. As completion of the temple neared, women in the area were asked to make carpets for the temple as funds did not allow them to purchase store made carpet for the entire building. The women spent two months working to hand make 2,144 square yards of carpet. The Logan Temple was the second temple to be completed in the Utah area and is the church's sixth largest. It was built on a plot selected by church president

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as chu ...

and has 4 ordinance rooms and 11 sealing rooms, with a total floor area of . The design by the church's head architect,

Truman O. Angell Truman Osborn Angell ( "angel"; June 5, 1810 – October 16, 1887) was an American architect who served many years as the official architect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The brother-in-law of Brigham Young, he ...

, had two towers and was based on the same pattern as the Salt Lake Temple, with a large assembly hall and other similar rooms. On May 17, 1884, the Logan Temple was dedicated by church president John Taylor. The design incorporates an unusual amount of Gothic detailing compared with other temples, which are more Renaissance or Byzantine-inspired. In 1917, a fire started in a closet under the grand staircase in the central north part of the main building. It completely destroyed this oval staircase which connected the first through the third floors. It caused about $40,000 in damage and took about three months to repair. In 1949, the temple was remodeled and received updated lighting, heating, air conditioning, elevators, and other modern conveniences. In 1977, more remodeling was undertaken and the interior was completely gutted and redone. After remodeling, the temple was rededicated on March 13, 1979, by church president

Spencer W. Kimball Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1985) was an American business, civic, and religious leader who was the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The grandson of early Latter-day ...

. The Logan Temple was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on November 20, 1975. Logan2

Temple presidents

Notable

temple president Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual ...

s have included: Marriner W. Merrill (1884–1906);

William Budge William Budge (May 1, 1828 – March 18, 1919)Andrew Jenson. LDS Biographical Encyclopedia'. Vol. 4, p. 511–12. was a member of the Council of Fifty as well as the Idaho Legislature and was a mission president and stake president in the Church ...

(1906–18);

ElRay L. Christiansen ElRay LaVar Christiansen (July 13, 1897 – December 2, 1975) was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1951 until his death. Christiansen was born in Mayfield, Utah, to Parley and Dorthea C. ...

(1943–52); and

W. Rolfe Kerr William Rolfe Kerr (born June 29, 1935) is an emeritus general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He served previously as the fifteenth Commissioner of Church Education and as president of the Logan Utah ...

(2008–11). Thomas M. Cherrington has been the current

since October 2020.

References

External links

*
Logan Utah Temple Official siteLogan Utah Temple at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org
{{Authority control 19th-century Latter Day Saint temples Buildings and structures in Logan, Utah Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah Churches completed in 1884 Temples (LDS Church) in Utah 1884 establishments in Utah Territory National Register of Historic Places in Cache County, Utah 1884 in Christianity

Temple presidents

See also

References

External links