In May I visited the Oquirrh Mountain Temple construction site. Last week I visited again and took photographs. As you can see the angel Moroni is now atop the temple. The 60,000 square foot temple sits on 11 acres and its exterior will be finished in a light beige granite from China. It was announced 1st October 2005 and the groundbreaking and site dedication was 16th December 2006 by Gordon B. Hinckley. Originally named the South Jordan Utah Temple the name was changed 16th December 2006 to avoid confusion with the Jordan River Utah Temple also in South Jordan.
The temple has 63-foot high walls and a single spire reaching 193 feet, topped by the angel Moroni. South Jordan is the only city in the world with two LDS temples (the other being the Jordan River Utah Temple, located approximately 3½ miles to the northeast). The temple will serve 83,000 Latter-day Saints living in the western Salt Lake Valley. The temple is the thirteenth temple built in Utah and the fourth built in the Salt Lake Valley. The temple site property was donated to the church by Kennecott Land.
Utah Temples Tour Details
First Day
Before I begin I will mention that we won’t be traveling in any of the rickety old cars you see on this page. The first day we get to sleep in our own beds. We start and end in Kaysville. This will work for those of you who just want a day trip. We drive north 18 miles to take in a session at the Ogden Temple. North again for 47 miles to the Logan Temple. Then it is back south for 76 miles to the Bountiful Temple. Back home with a drive of 14 miles. That adds to a total of three sessions and 155 miles. The drive time is approximately 3 hours and 17 minutes.
Second Day
We start off in Kaysville driving 20 miles to get an early session at the Salt Lake Temple. Another 20 miles takes us to the Jordan River Temple. In the same city is the site of the Oquirrh Mountains Temple just 3 miles away. Just a 13 mile drive takes us to the site of the Draper Temple. South for 14 miles delivers us to the Mount Timpanogos Temple. After we are finished at Mount Timpanogos it is a leisurely drive to the Provo Marriott where we will stay the night. For the day the total miles is 85 taking about 2 hours 23 minutes. Three sessions will have be completed and a look at two temples under construction.
Third Day
You could walk the three miles from the Marriott to the Provo Temple for the first session of the day. After a session we go east 153 miles to the Vernal Temple. We are not done yet as we drive the 272 miles to the Monticello Temple. Once the session is complete we stay over at the Days Inn just a mile away. Total for the day is three sessions and 429 miles that will take 8 hours and 3 minutes.
Fourth Day
We are in for a lot of driving today to pick up the last two temples. The St. George Temple is 392 miles away so we start early. You can take a nap on the way but no snoring. After St. George our last stop is the Manti Temple for a drive of 213 miles. Soon we can head home with 143 miles before us. This leg would add two more sessions and 749 miles. Total driving time for today would add up to 11 hours 32 minutes.
When?
Two people who have signed up are attending the University of Utah. So it looks like we will go sometime during Fall break (Monday 13th October to Sunday 19th October). The four days will be 13th to 16th of that week. An alternative would be to do day 1 on Saturday 11th and days 2, 3, and 4 on 13th, 14th, and 15th. Or we can come up with another date. Incidentally the times for each day is the drive times only. I would allow 2 1/2 hours for each temple visit. 90 minutes for the session and another hour for changing and wait times and outside photography. Jake reminded me that we would need time to eat. It will be good to have one or two hungry RMs along!
Related Posts
Utah Temples Tour
Utah has eleven temples with two more under construction. I am planning a road trip to visit all the Utah temples, including those under construction. By the time I get going perhaps the temples being built will be finished. I am considering going through a session at each temple, except of course those under construction.
Dan at the Bountiful Temple
The Bountiful Temple showing the entrance at the north
Yesterday Daniel, my youngest son, went to the Bountiful temple to receive his endowments. For my readers that are not familiar with temple endowments I will give a short overview.
The Gift of the Endowment
Daniel at the Bountiful Temple
An endowment is a sacred ordinance. Endowments take place in a dedicated House of the Lord, or temple. Temples were centers of religious worship anciently and Mormons build temples today to administer the ancient ordinances of salvation that have been restored to the earth.
The dictionary defines an endowment as a gift given by a higher power. The temple endowment is a gift of knowledge that helps Mormons understand who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. It helps members understand what they should do to prepare to meet God, and how Jesus Christ offers salvation to each of us.
The temple endowment conveys information in a highly symbolic manner. Symbols used in the temple endowment and the meanings of those symbols are sacred to Mormons. Mormons don’t talk about the details of what goes on in the temple—it is too sacred to be discussed, except in the most holy of places.
Temple Covenants
When presenting the endowment, Church members are required to make very specific covenants with God. A covenant is a two-way promise. In religious terms, a covenant is a sacred promise made between an individual and the Lord:
The ordinances of the endowment embody certain obligations on the part of the individual, such as covenant and promise to observe the law of strict virtue and chastity, to be charitable, benevolent, tolerant and pure; to devote both talent and material means to the spread of truth and the uplifting of the race; to maintain devotion to the cause of truth; and to seek in every way to contribute to the great preparation that the earth may be made ready to receive her King, the Lord Jesus Christ. With the taking of each covenant and the assuming of each obligation a promised blessing is pronounced, contingent upon the faithful observance of the conditions. (James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, p. 84)
A Family Gathering
All endowed extended family members met at the Bountiful temple to be with Daniel when he received his endowments. Not present were Jake who is serving a mission in Mexico and Derek who is building a school in Guatemala.
All available endowed extended family were at the temple
We gathered after the ceremony in the Bountiful temple grounds and took some photographs. In parenthesis is the relationship to Daniel. Left to right: Rick (father), Jill (mother), Daniel (himself), Miguel (Melissa’s fiancé), Susan (aunt), Melissa (cousin), Kent (uncle), Connie (cousin), Mark (Connie’s husband), Sarah (sister), Paul (brother), Steven (brother), and Adelaide (Steven’s wife). By now it was 8 pm and we were very hungry so we headed out to Chuck-a-Rama to eat all their food and ruin their profits for the day. For Jill and I it was a great feeling to have all five of our children endowed and active in the faith.
About the Bountiful Temple
In 1897 John Haven Barlow Sr. purchased forty acres of land from the United States government. There was little that could be done with the land until in 1947 some of the land was cleared and four hundred apricot trees were planted. Bountiful City requested the use of the soil from the site to build a dam and over two hundred thousand cubic yards of soil was removed, leaving the area an ideal spot on which the temple would later be built. The temple is the 47th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I remember well helping to direct traffic at the open house and being one of 200,000 members attending the temple dedication. Sarah and Derek were married in the Bountiful temple. Some temple details:
Announced: 28 May 1988.
Site: 11 acres.
Exterior finish: Bethel white granite.
Architect: Allen Ereckson.
Rooms: Baptistry, celestial room, four endowment rooms, eight sealing rooms.
Total floor area: 104,000 square feet.
Dimensions: 145 feet by 198 feet. 176 feet spire.
District: 30 stakes in central and south Davis county.
Groundbreaking: 2 May 1992 by President Ezra Taft Benson.
Dedication: 8-14 January 1995 by President Howard W. Hunter; 28 sessions.
Source: 2008 Church Almanac, p 518
The Bountiful Temple showing the entrance at the north
Missionary Jake – Part 1 of 10
This is part one of a ten part series chronicling Jake’s Mission. It is told mostly in his own words using excerpts from his letters and photographs sent home.
Jacob
Jake is an Eagle Scout and an active member of his church since birth. He stands up for what he believes in and is also compassionate to those that are in need. He is a peacemaker and is someone you want to be around because he never looks for a fight and is helpful. He played in the school band and dabbled a little at the piano. He won three state championship events in track for Davis High School. He had a stress fracture on the day of the races and took off his support boot to run. In his 300 meter hurdles he seems to get a slow start and catches the third hurdle badly.
One of Jake’s qualifying heats is a great video, as he makes up ground in this 4 x 400 meter relay. Davis are in dark brown vests and yellow shorts, the first three runners are all Jakes, my Jake running the third leg. Davis had to place first, second, or third to qualify, and Carl makes it happen even though he is not a Jake.
View Jake’s 110 meter hurdles and an exciting 4 x 400 meter race. Jake runs the first leg but watch for a runner to fall and also the close finish. The cute commentary, “O man they are all on your tail”, is Jake’s mother, who also filmed Jake’s races.
Mission
Jake is serving in the Mexico Mexico City North Mission. He has a presidential scholarship at the University of Utah and completed a year in Computer Engineering before leaving for the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in August 2006. He worked to save the entire $9,600 needed for his mission, and also purchased with his own money the necessary attire. Here are a few excerpts from correspondence to our family, in his own words.
Oquirrh Mountain Temple
I was traveling back from a vacation in Zion National Park with my brother Mike taking him home along Bangerter Highway. I saw the Oquirrh Mountain temple under construction so I exited and took this photograph. It is located on a rise just off the highway so the temple is going to be quite a sight when it is illuminated at night.
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