The Sixth Temple Visited: The Bountiful Utah Temple


On August 13th (Friday the 13th hehe), 2010, Tyler and I went to the Bountiful Utah Temple for the 4 o'clock session and then out to dinner. It was a nice evening and the temple was moderately busy with couples on temple dates for date night. In all a great night!

History:

The Utah Bountiful Temple is no surprise named after the town in which it is in, which interestingly enough is named after a Book of Mormon city. The town was actually first called Session's Settlement and was settled by Perrigrine Sessions and his family on Sept 27, 1847. It wasn't until 1855 that they changed it to be named after the Book of Mormon city and due to it being known for their gardens (I really don't blame them Bountiful is ten times cooler of name than Session's Settlement not too creative). This temple was announced to be built on April 6th, 1991. The ground breaking was on May 2, 1992 by Ezra Taft Benson. The open house was from Nov 4, 1994 to Dec 7th, 1994. The temple was dedicated on January 8-14, 1995 by Howard W. Hunter (one of the two temples he dedication during his short time as president of the church). Interestingly enough the Bountiful temple has the record of having the most people physically attend a temple dedication with a total number of 201,655 people in their 28 dedicatory sessions (fascinating to compare to temples today where wide broadcasts of dedications are made).

Architecture/ Decor

The Bountiful Utah Temple has some interesting and unique features about it. One is built on a mountain over looking the Great Salt Lake and the whole northern valley. It is also surrounded by some pretty nice multi-millionaire homes. It also has underground parking a feature not seen at any of the other temples I have been to so far on this temple challenge. It also has beautiful arches by the entrance and really cool formal sliding doors. Those doors feel like nice doors you should open but instead slide open for you (makes sense because there are no handles on them). The temple is also filled with many windows bringing in a natural light. This temple is very simplistic and not really historically based like many of the temples Tyler and I have gone too. It does have a slight 90's feel inside in the furniture that is used, especially with the chairs in the endowment room (kind of reminds me of 90's movies office chairs). The Celestial Room was Tyler's favorite Celestial Room yet (this was due to having small palm trees in it, he loves palm trees). One thing that surprised me is that I also thought Bountiful was a small temple but it is fairly large and the rooms are pretty large compared to a lot of temples.

Helpful things to know when visiting this Temple:

Location:

Not far off of 1-15 exit, just drive towards the mountain and their are signs to help point out where it is. Basically look for the mountain, Angel Moroni, and expensive homes.

Scheduling and Temple Clothes:

You don't need to call ahead because they have two Endowment rooms that are large. They also have sessions that start every 30 minutes. They do have temple clothing rentals for a small few

Other things to note:

If you're hungry and in the mood for cafeteria food they also have a cafeteria. I have to admit one of my dreams is to eat at a temple cafeteria. I will live this dream sometime during this challenge (probably at Provo Temple). They also have a lot of fast food restaurants in the area if you go down to Main Street but not so many sit down restaurants (that aren't shady). Also come early because parking lot is packed. Their parking spots are also very tight to get into compared to most temple parking spots that are abnormally painted large.

The sites I got my info and if you wish to learn more:







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The Fifth Temple Visited: Vernal Utah Temple


Last Saturday July 31, 2010, Tyler and I went on a fun road trip to Vernal, Utah to go to the Vernal Utah Temple. We went to the 1:30 session. We had a great time at the temple. It was cool in that the session we attended there was a pregnant lady who was very close to being due who was going in through the temple for the first time and her mom who had cancer was her escort. It was interesting to think of how the lady going through for the first time was going to be sealed that day to her husband and her soon to be child would be born in the covenant being sealed to both of them. It was also neat to think that her sickly mother could be there and that even if she died from cancer because of the temple she would be able to see her daughter, son-in-law, and her soon to be grandchild again. That truly is the power of the temple, to make it possible for ones family to continue forever. That no matter what happens if you are all true to your covenants made there in, dead has truly lost her sting and her bitterness but instead it just means a bit of a wait until you get to see them again.

History:

The Vernal Utah Temple is the first temple to be built in an already previously built building. The temple's outside is the renovated original Uintah Stake Tabernacle. The tabernacle was built in 1907 and fittingly was dedicated as a temple in 1997. While the tabernacle's outside still stays with a few new touches such as two domes instead of just one, the inside was totally changed to become that of a temple. The original tabernacle was dedicated by the prophet Joseph F. Smith which prophesied at that dedication of one day having a temple their with in their mists. The Vernal Utah Temple was announced to be built on Feb 13th, 1994. The ground breaking was on May 13, 1995 by Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley. The open house was Oct 11-25, 1997 and it was finally dedicated Nov 2-4, 1997 by Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley.

Architecture/Decor:

The Vernal Utah Temple was interesting in that the outside reminds me of a barn. It doesn't seem very templeish from the outside other than the angel Moroni statue on one of the domes. It just looks like a barn/ old tabernacle. Once inside though it defiantly feels like a temple and the way it is decorated is like a temple. It has beautiful stain glass windows. One is of the Savior below one of the domes and another is of a mountain and quaking aspens in the chapel. It also has a lot of grain designs in the painting on the walls. It is not at all like many of the other temples in Utah because this one is very simplistic. It is very simple yet elegant inside. It also has a very colonial feel to the furniture. One thing that is very beautiful is that there is a huge mural of the resurrected Savior in the Celestial room very pretty.

Helpful things to know when visiting this Temple:

Location:

The best way to get to Vernal, UT from the Provo/ Salt Lake area is to go through Heber. Once at Heber take the road South going out of town, continue following signs to get to Vernal. Once in Vernal the temple will be on your right in the middle of town, two blocks from Main St. You can't miss it if you look for the Angel Moroni. The trip is rather nice and scenic :)

Scheduling and Temple Clothes:

Although it is a small temple, it is still rather large. We didn't call ahead and I think that if you don't you will probably be fine just to go ahead and go. Interestingly enough they do have temple clothing to rent there (I really thought they wouldn't for the size of the temple, but they do).

Other things to note:

The town is actually bigger than Manti, so believe it or not they actually have places to eat. We ate at Cafe Rio, always delicious! They also have a lot of stuff for people who love dinosaurs in town. We went to the dinosaur museum there, it was a bit over priced if you ask me. (6 dollars for adults, 3 dollars for kids). Highlight of the museum include bones of the only juvenile stegosaurus, and it does have some cool early mammal bones, but over all hardly any dinosaur bones (lame!). The Dinosaur National Park aways out of town is also not worth going to because it is closed due to rebuilding the wall where most of the dinosaur bones were found. So if you want to drive out to a stone quarry to wonder around in your car, then by all means this is the place for you to go!

Where I got my info and if you want to learn more:
Vernal Utah LDS Temple: http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/vernal
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