A Wonderful, Glorious History of LDS Temples!!!!!

by Teri - reviewed on July 08, 2010

Temples Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints by Christopher Bigelow When I received the great news that this most anticipated book was out, and who the author was, I had to purchase a copy from Chris. The book is everything I hoped it would be. This book is exquisite,the pictures absolutely beautiful. I was contacte last Jan of '09 to send some photos we'd taken of some Temples, but they weren't used, but that was ok. This unique book has a fold out section at the front that shows and tells in detail what the symbols on the exterior of the Salt Lake Temple. It up close and personal the cloudstones, sunstones, all seeing eyes, earthstones, alpha and omega scrolls, handclasps, moonstones, big dipper, battlements, doors, starstones, capstones and terminals and dedication plaque, towers and pinnacles and keystones. This book talks about the purpose of Latter-day Temples, that they are The House of the Lord, that they provide the basic Ordinances of the deceased. They also provide higher Ordinances for both living and dead and they can draw families together eternally and not just for time. Chris gives an overview of the architecture of the Temples. He describes the two Temples Joseph Smith had built and tells about the early Temple Architects. It talks about the four nineteenth century Temples, the three spireless Temples, our modern Center-spired Temples, traditional single-spired Temples, smaller single-spired Temples, six-spired slope-roofed Temples, single-spired Classic-Modern Termples and then the era of smaller Temples. Chris tells us about Modern-Day Temples with Unique Designs and that the Temple is a "Class of Its Own." Each Temple is in chronological order and you can read special tidbits about each, especially by me finding that the Newport Beach California Temple in Orange County where my mom lives, tells that the Temple Spire was shortened from 124 feet to 100 feet and to turn off the Temple's flood lighting by 11:00 pm. Before the Newport Beach City Council gave final approval, they had to shorten the spire's height again to 90 feet. The Columbia River Washington Temple is my Temple and I'd never seen such a more peaceful and spiritual shot of my Temple It is a night shot. I've had the opportunity of being inside 14 Temples, which are as follows: Los Angeles Temple (where I was endowed and married to Bob), Salt Lake Temple, Jordan River Temple, Oakland Temple, Seattle Temple, Portland Temple, San Diego Temple, Idaho Falls Temple, Boise Temple, Spokane Temple, Provo Temple, Columbia River Temple, Nauvoo Temple and St. Louis Temple. Bob had been inside the same amount of Temples, but he'd been inside the Manti Temple and not the San Diego Temple. We attended the Capstone, Open House and Dedication of both the Jordan River and Columbia River Temples, were specially chosen by our bishop to represent our ward with 4 other couples the day our Los Angeles Temple celebrated its 25th Anniversary. I took my mom to the San Diego Temple's Open House in '93, and we attended the Open House of the Spokane Temple and attended via satellite, the Palmyra Temple Dedication. I still have those two tickets from both the dedication and Open House. This book should be in every Latter-Day Saint home's library. It would be a great Missionary tool. I very highly recommend it. It is well worth the price, though I got it at a good discount from Chris. Forever Friends Rating A very big 5 stars by Teri Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook. Published by: Thunder Bay Press