Tabernacle (LDS Church)

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The Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square ca. 1870 Mormon Tabernacle 1870s.jpg
The Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square ca. 1870

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a tabernacle is a multipurpose religious building, used for church services and conferences, and as community centers. Tabernacles were typically built as endeavors of multiple congregations (termed wards or branches), usually at the stake level. They differ from meetinghouses in scale and differ from temples in purpose. [1]

There were 79 total tabernacles built during the mid-to-late nineteenth and early twentieth century, usually within areas of the Mormon Corridor near the Rocky Mountains in North America that had predominantly Latter-day Saint populations. [2] The largest such tabernacle is in Salt Lake City on Temple Square. The last tabernacle commissioned by the church was the Ogden Stake Tabernacle, built in 1956.

While some tabernacles are still used for a few ecclesiastical and community cultural activities, stake centers are now normally used in their place. Many tabernacles have been demolished, sold, or renovated, with two repurposed into temples (Vernal Utah Temple, Provo City Center Temple).

Prior to 2000, the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square was used twice a year for the church's general conferences. In April 2000, the conferences moved one block north to the Conference Center.

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A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The name "stake" derives from the Book of Isaiah: "enlarge the place of thy tent; stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation; spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes". A stake is sometimes referred to as a stake of Zion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple Square</span> United States historic place

Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument, and two visitors' centers. The square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, recognizing the Mormon achievement in the settlement of Utah.

William Harrison Folsom was an architect and contractor. He constructed many of the historic buildings in Utah, particularly in Salt Lake City. Many of his most prominent works were commissioned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For a time he was sustained as the Church Architect, a calling in the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LDS Conference Center</span> LDS General Conference Meetingplace

The Conference Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the premier meeting hall for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Completed in 2000, the 21,000-seat Conference Center replaced the traditional use of the nearby Salt Lake Tabernacle, built in 1868, for the church's biannual general conference and other major gatherings, devotionals, and events. It is believed to be the largest theater-style auditorium ever built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Lake Tabernacle</span> Building in Salt Lake City, Utah

The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, in the U.S. state of Utah. The Tabernacle was built from 1863 to 1875 to house meetings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the location of the church's semi-annual general conference until the meeting was moved to the new and larger LDS Conference Center in 2000. Now a historic building on Temple Square, the Salt Lake Tabernacle is still used for overflow crowds during general conference. It is renowned for its remarkable acoustics and iconic pipe organ. The Tabernacle Choir has performed there for over 100 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple (Latter Day Saints)</span> Place of worship of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In the Latter Day Saint movement, a temple is a building dedicated to being a house of God and is reserved for special forms of worship. A temple differs from a church meetinghouse, which is used for weekly worship services. Temples have been a significant part of the Latter Day Saint movement since early in its inception. Today, temples are operated by several Latter Day Saint denominations. The most prolific builder of temples of the Latter Day Saint movement is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church has 335 temples in various phases, which includes 188 dedicated temples, 52 under construction, and 95 others announced. Several others within the movement have built or attempted to build temples. The Community of Christ operates two temples in the United States, which are open to the public and are used for worship services, performances, and religious education. Other denominations with temples are the Apostolic United Brethren, the Church of Christ, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vernal Utah Temple</span>

The Vernal Utah Temple is the fifty-first temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple is located in Vernal and is the tenth LDS temple built in the state of Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogden Utah Temple</span> Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple

The Ogden Utah Temple is the sixteenth constructed and fourteenth operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in Ogden, Utah, it was originally built with a modern, single-spire design very similar to the Provo Utah Temple. During a renovation completed in 2014, the exterior and interior were extensively changed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple architecture (LDS Church)</span>

On December 27, 1832, two years after the organization of the Church of Christ, the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, stated he received a revelation that called upon church members to restore the practice of temple worship. The Latter Day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio were commanded to:

"Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Lake Tabernacle organ</span> Pipe organ in Salt Lake City, Utah, US

The Salt Lake Tabernacle organ is a pipe organ located in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah. Along with the nearby Conference Center organ, it is typically used to accompany the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and is also featured in daily noon recitals. It is one of the largest organs in the world. Jack Bethards, president and tonal director of Schoenstein & Co., describes it as an "American classic organ" and "probably one of the most perfect organs ever built."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple (LDS Church)</span> Latter Day Saint movement place of worship

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord. Temples are considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in California. California has the 2nd most members of the LDS Church in the United States, behind Utah. The LDS Church is the 2nd largest denomination in California, behind the Roman Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provo Tabernacle</span> Historic church in Utah, United States

The Provo Tabernacle was a tabernacle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to 2010 in downtown Provo, Utah, United States. It was a historic icon of Provo and had been home to many religious and cultural events. All but the outer walls of the building were destroyed by fire in December 2010. The LDS Church preserved the remaining outer walls and built a new foundation and interior as part of the Provo City Center Temple, completed in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provo City Center Temple</span> Latter-day Saint temple in Provo, Utah, United States

The Provo City Center Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the same site as the former Provo Tabernacle in Provo, Utah. Completed in 2016, the temple utilizes much of the external shell of the tabernacle, all that remained of the original building after a fire in December 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Salt Lake Tabernacle</span>

The Old Salt Lake Tabernacle, was a tabernacle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that was built in 1852 in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. It stood on Temple Square where the Salt Lake Assembly Hall now stands. The building was 126 feet long and 64 feet wide and seated 2,500. It was constructed of adobe bricks. It was also called the Old Tabernacle and the Adobe Tabernacle. It was the original home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Improvements were made in 1860s, but it was demolished in 1877 and replaced with the Assembly Hall, a larger structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span> Overview of and topical guide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The following outline is provided as an overview of and a topical guide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Conference (LDS Church)</span> Biannual conference in Salt Lake City

General Conference is a gathering of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held biannually every April and October at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. During each conference, church members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to the faith's leaders. It consists of five general sessions. From April 2018 to April 2021, the priesthood session was held during the April conference, with a General Women's Session held during October's conference. The Saturday evening session was changed to a general session in October 2021. The conference also generally includes training sessions for general and area leaders. Although each general conference originates from Salt Lake City, the conference is considered an international event for the church. The sessions are broadcast worldwide in over 90 languages, primarily through local and international media outlets, and over the Internet.

The Pioneer Style was a popular style of Utahn architecture most utilized during the years 1847 to 1890. The pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also referred to as Mormons, trekked west into the Utah Territory to seek refuge from religious persecution in the mid-Western and Eastern United States. Because the Latter-day Saints were some of the earliest and significant settlers in the Utah area, the foundational architecture in Utah is largely influenced by these early settlers. Architecture in Utah is highly religious, consisting of temples and church meetinghouses, and European-influenced due to the origins of many of the settlers. Members of the Church valued the institution of education, an idea they carried with them from the Northern States, which resulted in many schools being established for their children. Entertainment was another highly appreciated and valued aspect among the early members of the Church which resulted in the establishment of many theatres and music halls.

The architecture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints includes the design and use of the church's temples, meetinghouses, historic sites, and other buildings and facilities. The LDS Church is known for its unique and often imposing architecture. The church's architecture differs based on the uses of individual buildings and varies in style throughout the world.

References

  1. "Fire Damages Historic Provo Tabernacle", mormonnewsroom.org, LDS Church, 17 December 2010
  2. McArthur, A. J., & Wrobel, D. (2005). The buildings at the center: Latter-Day Saint tabernacles in the Mormon culture region. Thesis (M.A.)—University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2005.