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2nd dedicated temple still in operation
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Dedication of the Logan Utah Temple
The Logan Utah Temple was built entirely by volunteer labor and donations of early Latter-day Saints. More than $600,000 in time, goods and cash was donated to build the second temple in the Utah Territory.This house of the Lord was dedicated in three sessions from May 17 to May 19, 1884, by Church President John Taylor. This was the only temple that President Taylor dedicated. City officials from Logan planned for a large number of visitors, so they tidied up the city before the dedication. A committee was set up to provide food and sleeping quarters for travelers, and excursion trains ran with reduced rates to accommodate visitors.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We humbly seek unto Thee for Thy blessing to rest upon this house, that it may be indeed a house of learning under Thy guidance, direction and inspiration, as Thou didst ordain the laws of the universe. ... We ask that in this house a more full knowledge of Thee and Thy laws may be developed.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Logan Utah Temple here.
Rededication of the Logan Utah Temple
After a complete interior reconstruction in 1976 — a renovation that replaced all the temple’s interior walls and rooms — the Church held an open house for the Logan Utah Temple starting Feb. 5, 1979. Although around 90,000 people were initially expected to attend, the event brought in over 213,000 guests.From March 13 to March 15, 1979 — almost 95 years after the first dedication — President Spencer W. Kimball rededicated the Logan temple throughout nine sessions. President Ezra Taft Benson, Elder Howard W. Hunter, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley and Elder Thomas S. Monson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also addressed the congregation during a dedicatory session, meaning one current and four future Presidents of the Church spoke at the Logan Utah Temple rededication.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We are pleased that this glorious building has been in operation for near a hundred years to satisfy the needs of thy people. We are grateful that thy early saints did establish these monuments in the valleys of the mountains, as foretold by the prophets, and now other beautiful edifices are being planned and marked for many nations and many peoples therein.”
Read the rededication prayer of the Logan Utah Temple here.
Timeline of the Logan Utah Temple
October
06
1876
Announced
On Oct. 6, 1876, during the 46th Semiannual General Conference, President Brigham Young announced a temple for Cache Valley in the Utah Territory. President Young also announced that the Utah Territory had been divided into three districts, each district with the responsibility of building a house of the Lord. On Dec. 2, 1876, leaders in northern Utah received a letter specifying that the temple in Cache Valley would be built in the city of Logan.
May
18
1877
Groundbreaking
Church leaders broke ground for the Logan temple on May 18, 1877. Elder Orson Pratt of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the site, and President John W. Young, first counselor in the First Presidency, broke ground. This happened less than a month after ground was broken for the Manti Utah Temple, making it the first time in Church history that two groundbreakings happened in the same year.
May
17
1884
Dedication
President John Taylor, third President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dedicated the Logan Utah Temple from May 17 to May 19, 1884, throughout three sessions. Although space was limited, approximately 1,500 Saints attended the first dedicatory service.
December
04
1917
Fire damage
On the night of Dec. 4, 1917, the inside of the temple’s east side caught fire and damaged the walls, carpet, furniture, windows and paintings. The fire originated from faulty wiring in an electric switchboard inside a closet under the main stairway. Church members repaired the damages in around three months.
1976
Closed for renovations
The temple was closed in fall 1976 for a complete interior reconstruction. The interior was gutted and the roof removed, leaving only the interior floors and exterior walls intact. Technology was also integrated into the temple to allow a video presentation of the previously live endowment.
February
05
1979
Rededication open house
The Church held an open house for the Logan temple from Feb. 5 to March 3, 1979. The event brought a combined 213,184 guests, more than double the number of visitors originally planned for. The busiest day saw 19,205 guests, with the line to enter stretching seven blocks.
March
13
1979
Rededication
Church President Spencer W. Kimball rededicated the Logan Utah Temple from March 13 to March 15, 1979, throughout nine sessions. Over 1,250 people attended the service in person inside the priesthood room, and around 2,500 people watched the dedication on closed-circuit television.
2009
Temple grounds renovated
The temple’s grounds were renovated and modernized in 2009. A water feature from the 1970s was replaced with an oval reflecting pool, and heating sidewalks were added to make heavy snowfall more manageable.
April
07
2019
Renovation announcement
On April 7, 2019, during April 2019 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced that the Logan Utah Temple and other pioneer-era temples would be renovated in the coming years. Renovation plans for the Logan temple have not yet been released.
The Logan Utah Temple was announced by President Brigham Young on Oct. 6, 1876. Ground was broken for construction on May 18, 1877, and President John Taylor dedicated the temple on May 17, 1884.
This house of the Lord has since undergone several renovations, including reparations after a fire in 1917 and a complete interior reconstruction in 1976. The Logan temple was later rededicated by President Spencer W. Kimball on March 13, 1979. Temple grounds were renovated in 2009, and the Logan Utah Temple will undergo renovations in the coming years, once plans are released.
The building was originally painted in a pinkish color to hide the dark siliceous limestone exterior, but the paint weathered away in the early 1900s. Buff-colored limestone was also used for intricate shaping in the exterior since it can be carved more easily.
The five-story building was built in a castellated style. Atop both short sides of the rectangular house of the Lord sits a domed cupola with a square base. Each short side of the temple also has two octagonal towers that reach 100 feet tall. Rows of arched windows line the building, each with a white frame.
Inside the temple are 11 sealing rooms, four ordinance rooms, a baptistry and a celestial room.
This house of the Lord has since undergone several renovations, including reparations after a fire in 1917 and a complete interior reconstruction in 1976. The Logan temple was later rededicated by President Spencer W. Kimball on March 13, 1979. Temple grounds were renovated in 2009, and the Logan Utah Temple will undergo renovations in the coming years, once plans are released.
Architecture and Design of the Logan Utah Temple
The Logan Utah Temple sits on a nine-acre site and originally had a floor area of 59,130 square feet. After remodeling, the temple now has a base of 115,507 square feet. The building’s main structure reaches 86 feet high, and the tallest point of the building is a tower on the east side that reaches 170 feet.The building was originally painted in a pinkish color to hide the dark siliceous limestone exterior, but the paint weathered away in the early 1900s. Buff-colored limestone was also used for intricate shaping in the exterior since it can be carved more easily.
The five-story building was built in a castellated style. Atop both short sides of the rectangular house of the Lord sits a domed cupola with a square base. Each short side of the temple also has two octagonal towers that reach 100 feet tall. Rows of arched windows line the building, each with a white frame.
Inside the temple are 11 sealing rooms, four ordinance rooms, a baptistry and a celestial room.
Quick Facts
Announced
6 October 1876
Dedicated
17 May 1884
Dedicated by
Rededicated
13 March 1979
Rededicated by
Current President and Matron
Location
175 N 300 E
Logan, UT 84321
United States
Appointments
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This is the fourth Latter-day Saint temple built, the second still in operation and the second dedicated in Utah Territory.
Fact #2
Both the 1884 dedication and the 1979 rededication of the temple happened during three days.
Fact #3
It is the fourth Latter-day Saint temple rededicated after extensive remodeling. The other three were the Mesa Arizona, St. George Utah and Laie Hawaii temples.
Fact #4
This was the first house of the Lord to have muraled ordinance rooms for the endowment ceremony.
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This is the fourth Latter-day Saint temple built, the second still in operation and the second dedicated in Utah Territory.
Fact #2
Both the 1884 dedication and the 1979 rededication of the temple happened during three days.
Fact #3
It is the fourth Latter-day Saint temple rededicated after extensive remodeling. The other three were the Mesa Arizona, St. George Utah and Laie Hawaii temples.
Fact #4
This was the first house of the Lord to have muraled ordinance rooms for the endowment ceremony.