05-04-2025
Deseret News archives: Salt Lake Temple completed on April 5, 1893
A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On April 5, 1983, the historic Salt Lake Temple was deemed completed. The front page of the Deseret Evening News detailed the process to prepare the temple for dedication on the following day.
A total of 70,000 people attended the 31 dedicatory sessions that extended from April 6-24, 1893. Latter-day Saints who traveled with the first pioneer groups into the Salt Lake Valley had dreamed of this day.
According to historical accounts, it had been a herculean struggle to get the temple ready for dedication 40 years to the day since the cornerstone laying on April 6, 1853, and 63 years after the Church's organization on April 6, 1830.
One year earlier, on April 6, 1892, the capstone was placed as an estimated 40,000-60,000 people crowded shoulder-to-shoulder on the 'temple block' gazed upward.
Now, as Latter-day Saint faithful look forward to a complete restoration/renovation project of the temple in downtown Salt Lake — now set for completion in 2027 — it is wonderful to look back at coverage from Deseret News and Church News archives of that historic time and reporting on the landmark temple since then:
'The coins and the scaffolding that unite 2 prophets atop the Salt Lake Temple 128 years apart'
'Salt Lake Temple site held 1847 artifacts'
'Church News: Surprising stories, fun facts and other things you might not know about the Salt Lake Temple'
'Temple took decades of hard labor to complete'
'Temple work: Century of progress'
Temple finished; hearts purified'
'Temple Square ... where visitors will find peace and serenity'
''Epic' Salt Lake Temple renovation 'is the biggest preservation project' in Latter-day Saint history'
