Mormon church shows inside view of Salt Lake Temple through new exhibit

SALT LAKE CITY — Twelve decades after the completion and dedication of its Salt Lake Temple, the LDS Church is opening up the iconic Mormon landmark to the public for tours — in a virtual, visual and small-scale way.

With the actual 117-year-old gray-granite temple serving as a fitting backdrop, a 1/32nd-scale Salt Lake Temple model towering more than 7 feet tall was unveiled Friday morning by church leaders in the Temple Square South Visitors' Center.

And the hope is the replica — replete with cut-away walls and views of detailed depictions of the building's layout and rooms — will help visitors better understand the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Many people think our temples are like great halls or cathedrals," said Elder William R. Walker of the Quorums of the Seventy and executive director of the church's Temple Department. "Actually, they have a number of rooms designated for certain functions such as marriages, baptisms and instructional sessions."

Before temples are dedicated and then used by only LDS Church members in good standing, they are available for public visits in open-house tours that draw tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of visitors.

LDS leaders anticipate that many times more than those numbers of people will "tour" the existing Salt Lake Temple during the lifetime of the new replica.

"This replica will show the millions of visitors who come to Temple Square the beauty and majesty of this sacred and historic building," said Elder Richard G. Hinckley of the Quorums of the Seventy and executive director of the church's Missionary Department.

Once temples are dedicated, they are used by church members for sacred purposes and ceremonies. "But this exhibit will provide the public with a glimpse of the interior and a feeling of the Spirit that is present there," Elder Hinckley added.

The south and east exterior walls of the model have been cut away, allowing replicated views of many of the temple's rooms, such as the large assembly hall, areas where the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve meet regularly, the baptistry and other ordinance rooms.

The model is intricately detailed, with paintings, furniture and even working chandeliers and lamps imitating what is found inside the Salt Lake Temple.

Constructed by Peter McCann Architecture Models of Toronto, the replica building required 16 modelers and five months of elaborate efforts.