Pioneer Day, 24 July, a holiday only recognized in Utah and a few heavily Mormon towns in Idaho and Arizona and celebrated by LDS faithful the world over. It is a holiday to celebrate the day Brigham Young and the first company of Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. In Utah this summer and working at at Utah living history museum, I’m all over this holiday. We’ll be celebrating big at This is the Place! This holiday has been celebrate in Utah since the early days. One of my ancestors wrote about attending the special 10th anniversary picnic at Silver Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon where Brigham Young presided over the celebration.
Since I’ve been in Utah for the summer, I’ve visited several Utah temples, and a couple of them have a special place for me and my personal pioneer heritage. In May, I visited the Payson Utah Temple open house just a few miles from where my grandfather grew up. Then in June, I made the trip to one of my favorite temples in Manti. It is an amazing piece of pioneer craftsmanship and artistry, and my third great grandfather helped with it. Here’s a little more about the temples I’ve visited since I’ve been in Utah including pictures.
Payson Utah Temple
When I first got to Utah for the summer, another temple was just being completed, the 15th in Utah. As with all temples, a special open house allowed public visitors to tour the special edifice before formal dedication. I went with my uncle and cousins to experience this special experience. It was my fourth temple open house in the last year and a half. The architecture and size are very similar to the Gilbert Arizona Temple, but the design motifs are very different. I like to think of Payson’s style as classical pioneer revival as it has a lot of details from early Utah architecture that is clearly classical in style but with several patterns that feel like quilt blocks in the windows, carpets, furnishings and other details.
I wish I could go to all of them. Already this year, there have been three temple open houses and dedications—the Payson Utah Temple, Trujillo Peru Temple and Cordoba Argentina Temple. And, there are four more open houses within the next six months, one of them happening right now in Indianapolis, Indiana. I encourage you to make it if you can. The others announced are the Mexico City Mexico Temple from August 14, through September 5 before rededication in September; the Tijuana Mexico Temple from November 13, through November 28, to be dedicated in December; and the Provo City Center Temple from January 15, through March 5, 2016.
Other Utah Temples
Since I’ve been in Utah this summer, I’ve made a visit to five other beautiful temples including the Manti Utah Temple that my third great grandfather helped lay the carpet and complete the upholstery prior to being dedicated in 1888. And, of course, I’ve been to the Salt Lake Temple a couple of times where my grandparents and parents were married. Here are a few pics of these special places.
Las Vegas Nevada Temple
An exciting adventure for me in Las Vegas was a trip to the Las Vegas Nevada Temple. I had been to the outside before, but not inside. It is a beautiful building high above the city in the foothills. From the grounds you can see Las Vegas, but while inside you forget about glitz and glamour that is Sin City. I found it a peaceful morning to do a little sacred service in the House of the Lord. Here are some pics.
