Blog #86

By Kevin V. Hunt

The Temple built in Nauvoo, Illinois by the pioneer Saints of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was one of the greatest structures of its time. It was one of the most magnificenmt structures of the United States, and maybe the world. It stood in magestic grandeur atop of a hill overlooking the Mississippi River.

As my wife, Lou, and I served as missionaries in Nauvoo, we could see the Temple from almost every point on the hill below the Temple. We often attended to perform sacred ordinances in the Temple. Each time that we were near or entered into the Temple, we marveled again how such a grand and fabulous structure could have been created by the Saints of 180 years ago – and cettainly with their now primitive tools and processes. (And we thought that workers today may have lost the skills that workers had to create such a building.) We stood in constant awe of the beautiful building “Illuminated” (quoting Joseph Smith) as he sat on top of the hill. Words cannot describe its beauty and grandeur.

The Pioneer Saints constructed this Temple to their God as a symbol of their love for Him, their obedience to His commands, and in the faith that bound them together in the brotherhood of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The building was envisioned by the Prophet Joseph Smith and construction began in 1841 as the Prophet Joseph worked with architect William Weeks to create what Joseph had seen in vision from the Lord.

Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred on June 27, 1844 so Joseph did not live to see the Temple completed. Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles – and indeed the entire Nauvoo community – continued to labor (each man giving “one day in ten” as a tithe of his time) for the construction.

Finishing the Temple became the task and focus of every member of the Church. Though not totally finished, the Saints began performing sacred ordinances in the Temple: Baptisms in 1841, Endowments in December of 1845, and Sealings of spouses in January of 1846.

Sadly, the Latter-day Saints were driven from their beautiful homes by mobs and wicked people who opposed their views and the “Covenant Community” that they had labored so dilligently to create. The Saints began leaving Nauvoo in February of 1846 and the completed Temple was actually dedicated (officially as a House of the Lord) May 1-3 after most of the Saints had already made their exodus for the West.

A major feature (or 30 of them) were the 30 carved “pilasters” as they were called. Each of these columns had a base, then a carved Moon Stone, a long column, a Sun Stone, and finally, a star stone.

The three kinds of stones represented the kingdoms or degrees of heaven that all faithful Saints (now living and all deceased) might attain to in the next world. The Sun Stone was seen in very specific vision by the Prophet Joseph Smith and he helped the Temple architect and the stone cutters to catch his vision to create what he had received. The stone cutters together worked to create these marvels in the limestone rock that was taken from quarries in and around Nauvoo.

One stone cutter was pleased to present his carving toJoseph and asked, “Is this way you envisioned it?” And Joseph replied that it was indeed very close.

The Sun Stone with its expanding rays represented symbolically the glorious dawning of the Restored Gospel shining its light to the world. It was topped with “horns of plenty” which symbolized the Lord extending his hands and His blessings, – the “horns of plenty” to his children. They were as trumpets sounding to the world the news of the Restored Gospel. The Moon Stones symbolized the relation of the moon and the planets to our earth. The stars represented the millions of stars created by the Lord Jesus Christ and which light our galaxy (and many others.)

This is a historic article about the Temple construction and specifically the beautiful limestone that faced the Temple, and the carved stones that made it so distinct and beautiful on the Nauvoo hill.

A “Stone Cutter’s Pavilion” has been constructed as a part of the modern “Temple City Tour” and in this Pavilion, guests can experience just a bit of the stone cutting experience and process. The Pavilion is an interactive place where guests can cut, carve, and lift the Temple stones just as their own pioneer ancestors may have done back in the 1840’s.

Previously I published blogs about the Nauvoo Women’s Garden, the Nauvoo home of Heber C. Kimball – and then one about Sarah Granger Kimball. This article joins those others in a series that features the homes and shops of old Nauvoo.

These articles are a part – a snippet – of a grand book that I have in current production. The book, now named: “The Comprehensive Photo History of Nauvoo Homes, Shops, and Experiences” will feature a multitude of historic photos (vintage photos from past eras, photos which I took on my “young mission” to Nauvoo, as well as photos from the present day in Nauvoo). The book will actually show and detail almost every room in each of the historic homes and shops of Nauvoo.

Watch for the book – nearly done – to make its debut!

Kevin