My husband, grandson, and I visited Salt Lake City, Utah to attend a Model Railroad Convention. While there, I spent my days walking to Temple Square, where I marveled at the many Latter Day Saints buildings and monuments.
Only four days after Brigham Young lead his congregation of Mormon pioneers into the valley (1847) and announced it to be the “promised land,” he began planning the building of this temple. But construction didn’t begin until 1853 and took 40 years for completion. The present state of Utah, was, at the time of the Mormon settlement part of Mexico. In 1857 news broke out that a hostile United States Army would camp outside the city. This was during the time of the Mormon Rebellion from May 1857 to July 1858.
To hide the construction of the temple, Brigham Young had the foundations covered with dirt. However, when the dirt was removed, he saw that the firestone foundation would not hold the massive temple planned, so he replaced the firestone foundation with granite and sixteen foot thick footings. Finally, on April 6,1893, The Salt Lake Temple was completed and dedicated. Three other temples had been constructed and completed prior to the Salt Lake Temple.
According to the Deseret News (April 19, 2019), the temple will close December 29 for renovation. Because Salt Lake City sits on a fault line, a major earthquake is expected any day. The addition of special footings, and the strengthening of the temple walls and towers, with base Isolators will take four years“It actually will now be the foundation of the temple, so when the earth moves, the base isolation system takes all that movement,” Brent Roberts, the church’s director of special projects said. The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called the temple, “a stunning jewel in the crown of pioneer achievement.”
https://www.templesquare.com/blog/interesting-facts-you-didnt-know-about-the-salt-lake-temple/
