LDS Temple cornerstones preserve artifacts for the ages

SOUTH JORDAN — For the past year, Amy Bailey helped collect information and artifacts regarding the new Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple. For months, she carefully ensured the collection would all fit into a makeshift cardboard box measuring precisely 24 inches by 26 inches by 8 inches.

Today, everything in Bailey's box has been sealed in a similar-sized stainless-steel box and placed out of sight, with no timetable to be opened.

The collection is now stored in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple's "cornerstone box" — a time capsule — with its interior dimensions mimicked by Bailey's box so she knew exactly how much space to fill.

The cornerstone will be the primary public focal point of today's opening temple-dedication session, the first of nine this weekend to be directed by President Thomas S. Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Shortly after the start of today's 9 a.m. dedication, President Monson will leave the members-only session inside and go outside to the southeast corner to conduct a symbolic cornerstone ceremony — the only part of any dedication session witnessed by the public.

Before today's era of concrete and steel, large cornerstones were used at the key junction points of foundation walls, the final one called the chief cornerstone.

Cornerstones were placed with celebration in the construction of ancient buildings as well as temples in the early days of the LDS Church. The church has long used the Apostle Paul's New Testament analogy of Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone of the true church and apostles and prophets as the foundation.

"It's a hearkening back to the tradition of the fathers to recognize and render tribute to the Lord Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of our faith," said Thomas E. Coburn, managing director of the LDS Church's Temple Department.

The modern cornerstone ceremony also commemorates the conclusion of the temple's construction. Today, President Monson will be joined by invited leaders and guests in placing mortar around the "coverstone" — an outer facing cut from the southeast cornerstone.

The cornerstone box is placed and secured the day before the dedication, without fanfare and without set plans or intent to ever open it.

"There isn't any particular religious symbolism in the items and the artifacts that go into it other than to continue the tradition of documenting the construction of the temple and the current trends of the church," Coburn said.

People assigned to fill temple cornerstone boxes and church-related time capsules often call the Church History Department with a common inquiry: "What goes in?"

And Chris McAfee, a senior conservator in that department, offers a common response: "It's up to you."