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During its lengthy open house period, thousands toured the Nauvoo Illinois Temple each day, all highly impressed by the temple's beauty—a crowning jewel of the Midwest.The original baptismal font, supported by 12 carved limestone oxen, was duplicated as nearly as possible with the addition of a metal lining to prevent deterioration. The floor of the Baptistry, the largest of any temple in the Church, is done in red brick tile (as in the original temple). A dome and chandelier are featured in the ceiling and art glass window on the east end. Intricate moldings are attached along the ceiling.The Allyn Historic Sash Company in Nauvoo had charge over the different-sized arched windows and round windows near the temple's roof line that include framework for six-pointed stars. Red, white, and blue glass was used to replicate the originals. All but 11 of the total 138 installed windows were constructed by the "Allyn House."The limestone used for the original temple was quarried from a site just west of the temple. Much of that quarry, however, was submerged by rising water behind the Keokuk Dam in 1912. Therefore, Russellville, Alabama, subsidiary of Minnesota's Vetter Stone Company, was chosen by the Church to provide stone for the temple. Church officials say the quarry was selected because it will provide stone that is a close match to the limestone originally used.
Construction
Construction of the original Nauvoo Temple commenced April 6, 1841 and its final dedication was in May of 1846. The temple was designed in the Greek Revival style by Mormon architect William Weeks, under the direction of Joseph Smith, Jr. Weeks' design made use of distinctively Latter-day Saint motifs, including Sunstones, Moonstones, and Star stones, representing the Three Degrees of Glory in the Mormon conception of the afterlife.
At its base the building was 128 feet (39.0m) long and 88 feet (26.8m) wide with a clock tower and weather vane reaching to 165 feet—a 60% increase over the dimensions of the Kirtland Temple. Like Kirtland, the Nauvoo Temple contained two assembly halls, one on the first floor and one on the second, called the lower and upper courts. Both had classrooms and offices in the attic. Unlike Kirtland, the Nauvoo Temple had a full basement which housed a baptismal font.
Even before its completion, the church knew it would have to abandon the temple. The work continued regardless, and despite the members' diligence, the temple was officially dedicated by Orson Hyde after the Mormon Pioneers left for the Salt Lake Valley. Unlike other temples, individual portions of the temple were dedicated and put to use as soon as they were completed. The baptismal font in the basement and the attic both facilitated ordinance work. The first floor assembly hall was used for worship services, but the rest of the temple went unused.[3]
A Sunstone from the original Nauvoo Temple in a case in front of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Visitor Center in Nauvoo, Illinois.
A Sunstone from the original Nauvoo Temple in a case in front of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Visitor Center in Nauvoo, Illinois.
After the church moved on to Utah, the temple was sold, but an arson fire gutted the structure in 1848. Later a tornado toppled one of the exterior walls in 1850. Two other walls were torn down for safety reasons leaving only its western facade standing. The citizens who occupied Nauvoo after the Mormons left finally razed the Temple's remaining wall in 1865. Local builders reused temple stones; many of these stones can still be seen throughout Nauvoo today. The LDS Church eventually reacquired the site where the temple stood, erecting a monument to the temple, including a scale model and examples of some of its architectural features. The Church authorized a number of archaeological digs of the Temple's foundation, which uncovered significant information about the building For details information: Nauvoo Temple
The floors are hardwood with rugs, runners, and furnishings typical of the time. The first floor Assembly Room, featuring ten chandeliers, was duplicated on a smaller scale allowing enough area for planned administrative offices. The second floor has dressing rooms, and the upper floors house the endowment rooms and six sealing rooms. It was done in progressive style featuring a Creation Room, Garden Room, World Room, Terrestrial Room, and Celestial Room with murals being used for the first time since the construction of the Los Angeles California Temple. A little more than 153 years ago, Latter-day Saints had to abandon the temple they had recently dedicated. "Soon," President Hinckley said, "there will grace this sight a magnificent structure, a re-creation of that which existed here and served our people so briefly during that great epic [Nauvoo] period of the history of the Church." Looking back on that era of Church history, not long after the Prophet was martyred, President Hinckley said, "I can just see the people in 1846, the wagons that bitter, bitter cold day going down Parleys Street to the water's edge, getting on a barge, moving across the [Mississippi River] up on to the higher ground and looking back on this sacred structure which they had labored so hard to build and realized that never in this life would they see it again. It is difficult to imagine their emotions." President Hinckley called the time of the groundbreaking a "happy day" in Nauvoo "where it all really began." He noted that although the Kirtland Temple was the first built in this dispensation, "there was no ordinance work in that temple," as there was during a brief period in the Nauvoo Temple. Referring to the Nauvoo Temple as beautiful and large, he shared an experience from an earlier visit when Elder Hugh W. Pinnock of the Seventy and North America Central Area president used weather balloons on the temple lot to outline the area and height of the sacred building. "I was amazed at the height of it," President Hinckley said. "I knew the dimensions in feet, but I'd never envisioned that height." The temple will be built again to that height and with the same exterior look as the original, he said, funded largely by contributions "from those who love the Lord and love this work." Noting some changes in construction from the original, he said it will be built of reinforced concrete faced with the same kind of stone as the original. "It will be stronger and will last a very long time," he said. Inside, some changes will be made to accommodate current building codes and ordinance work, he said. The first floor of the five-story temple will include an assembly room as in the original, but the second floor, which was also originally an assembly room, will be occupied by ordinance rooms. President Hinckley said, "I hope to live long enough to participate in the dedication of this wonderful building which means so very much in the history of this Church, in the history of my family, in the history of your families, so very, very many of you who are gathered here today." The idea of rebuilding the temple is not a new one. President Hinckley said that his father, while president of the mission that included Nauvoo in 1939, suggested to the First Presidency that the Nauvoo Temple be rebuilt. But the idea wasn't accepted at that time when the country was just coming out of the Depression and the Church didn't have a lot of money. His father was disappointed at that time, President Hinckley said, adding, "But I count it something of a strange and wonderful coincidence that I've had a part in the determination of rebuilding this temple." President Hinckley continued his remarks: "This will be the House of the Lord. It will be dedicated as His Holy House. It will be reserved and set aside for the accomplishment of His divine and eternal purposes. It will occupy a special place in the belief and testimony and the conviction of this people. It will have great historic significance. It will be a thing of beauty and, I hope, a joy forever." |
