Logan, Utah - Mormon Temple
On May 17, 1877 the building of the Logan Utah Mormon temple was announced and the day before, the site had been dedicated, and construction began quickly. The site of the Logan Temple had been held in reserve for many years. It was used as a park and public grounds before being dedicated as the site for the temple.
A call was sent out for workers. Brigham Young asked that all of the people that worked on the temple volunteer their time or other aid. "We require the brethren to go with their might and erect a temple and from the architect to the boy who carries the drinking water and the men who work on the building, we wish them to understand that wages are entirely out of the question. We are going to build a house for ourselves and we shall expect the brethren and sisters, neighborhood after neighborhood, ward after ward, to turn out their proportion of men to come here and labor as they shall be notified." He also encouraged the saints to have the temple done in three and a half years.
25,000 people worked on the temple. Rocks were hauled from Logan Canyon mostly during winter because it was easier to haul the rocks by sleigh than on a wagon. As completion of the temple neared women in the area were asked to make carpet for the temple, because commercially made carpet could not be bought in Utah. The women spent two months working to hand make two thousand square yards of carpet.
The Logan temple was only the second temple to be completed in the Utah area and is the sixth largest temple. Its design made by the Church’s head architect Truman O. Angell, had two towers and was based on the Salt Lake Temple, with a large assembly hall and other similar rooms. On May 17, 1884 the Logan temple was dedicated. Unfortunately just a few years later in 1917 a fire destroyed much of the southeast stairway of the temple. Forty thousand dollars was spent to repair it in three months. In 1949 the temple was remodeled and received updated lighting, heat, air conditioning, elevators and other modern conveniences. In 1977 another remodeling began. The interior was completely gutted and redone. President Spencer W. Kimball said that although the remodeling was necessary he regretted the loss of the original interior. After remodeling the temple was rededicated on March 13, 1979 by Spencer W. Kimball.