Every stone in it is a sermon to me,” Elder J. Golden Kimball said about the Salt Lake Temple. In celebration of the centennial of the “Great Temple’s” dedication (6 April 1893), this book—carefully researched and generously supplemented with historic photographs (many never before published)—is a tribute to the sacrifice and commitment of those who labored to complete this unique and holy edifice. While the book provides a thorough historical account of the forty-year efforts of the Saints to erect the Salt Lake Temple, it also focuses on the feelings, reactions, and experiences of both members and nonmembers of the Church who visited or were involved in events at the Temple Block during this period. Drawing on the diaries, letters, and news-paper -articles written by these people, the author gives readers a multi--dimensional perspective not only on the temple construction and dedication but also on late nineteenth--century culture and on attitudes prevalent in Utah and in the United States. Included also are many -little-known and fascinating items concerning the -temple corner-stone laying, the capstone service, and the dedication ceremonies, as well as a special section detailing the design of both the exterior and the interior of the building. Written in a spirit of respect and reverence for those whose devotion and determination resulted in a glorious house of the Lord, Every Stone a Sermon is a witness to the fulfillment of Brigham Young’s desire that the Salt Lake Temple “stand as a proud monument of the faith, perseverance and industry of the Saints of God in the mountains, in the nineteenth -century.”