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Video Inside the New Twin Falls Temple

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The Church has produced a short video for the media describing the newest temple of the Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, and the open house that will be occurring there from July 11th through August 16th, 2008 (8am-8pm, except Sundays and Mondays after 6pm).

This video comes from Times-News at MagicValley.com.  It is introduced by Elder William Walker, member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and includes some commentary from the construction company (Big D Construction), Brent Nielson (Chairman of the Twin Falls Temple Committee), and some other members of the Church.  It also includes some video of the inside of the temple.  Typically the Church publishes photos of the interior, but this is the first time I’ve seen short video clips produced in connection with the opening of a new temple, which include the celestial room, baptistery, ordinance rooms, sealing rooms, and lobby.  The temple is a beautiful sacred place.

The Altar of Incense as an Altar of Prayer

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The high priest making an incense offering.

Some of our critics have been quick to contend that our modern temples and practices have no relationship whatever to the temples of ancient Israel. This is a quick judgment indeed. If one is willing to open their eyes that they may hear, and their ears that they may see, then many marvelous understandings of God’s purposes may be unfolded to their view (D&C 136:32; 3 Nephi 11:5; Isa. 35:5; 1 Ne. 10:19; Mosiah 2:9; D&C 6:7; D&C 11:7).  [Read more…]

Virtual Open House for Curitiba Brazil Temple

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The Curitiba Brazil Temple public open house began a couple days ago, on May 10th, and will run through May 24th. Can’t attend? Mike Batie has put together another well-done video of official photographs of the outside and inside of this new temple. It does the good service of feeling like you are there. Wouldn’t it be great if the Church put together virtual tours online of the new temples for the many members, and members of other faiths, of the world who are too far away to attend the open house? In the meantime, this does a pretty good job.

The temple in Curitiba Brazil was announced in August 2002, and groundbreaking was in March 2005. The dedication of the temple will take place on June 1st, following a cultural celebration that is expected to be attended by 25,000 people.

The excellent music in this video is by Lex de Azevedo, “If you Could Hie to Kolob,” on the album Variations on a Sacred Theme: Vol. 2, available at Deseret Book, or Amazon.com.

Inside the Salt Lake Temple

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Salt Lake Temple

Salt Lake Temple

Fifteen years ago, a great article appeared in the March 1993 Ensign entitled, “In His Holy House.” Several articles in this edition of the Ensign were focused on the Salt Lake Temple. This particular article had large photographs of the interior of the Salt Lake Temple that are not often seen today. ((There are other publications which have many more photographs of the interior of the Salt Lake Temple, including maps and other diagrams. The Salt Lake Temple: A Monument to the People, University Services Corporation, 1983. The Salt Lake Temple: A Centennial Book of Remembrance – 1893-1993, LDS Church, 1993.)) These photos were taken by Welden Andersen, a top Church photographer. ((On a side note, Welden Andersen is also an expert marksman and instructor in concealed weapons, and teaches Utah Concealed Carry Weapon Permit classes, which I have attended. You can visit Welden’s website here – www.self-defensesolutions.com. He is also a good friend of my father.))

See this link for the photos of the inside of the temple: ((The photos in the original Ensign publication are much larger and more detailed than are included online.))

  • The creation room
  • The baptistry
  • The garden room
  • The lower grand hallway
  • The world room
  • The upper grand hallway
  • The terrestrial room
  • The celestial room
  • A couple temple sealing rooms
  • The main assembly room
  • The council room of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles
  • The council room of the Twelve Apostles.
  • The council room of the Presidency of the Seventy.

Some of these rooms, such as the council rooms and assembly room, I don’t think I had ever seen before. The council room of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles is probably where the brethren met on February 3rd, 2008, in order to reorganize the First Presidency. President Packer gives us some more insight into this special room:

Here each week [I believe it’s usually Thursday morning] the Brethren assemble to sit in council. First the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles meets; later in the morning the First Presidency arrives and the Council of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is convened. Here the Brethren wrestle with the weighty matters of the kingdom of God upon the earth, for its management is upon their shoulders. Here, dressed in the proper way for temple ordinance work, they approach the altar in the true order of prayer to seek divine guidance and inspiration as they consider these matters. The Presidents of the Seventy meet in their council room as well. ((Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple, 3))