After four years of construction, the Provo City Center Temple opened its doors on Jan. 15 as an open house for the general public until its dedication on March 20.
The LDS church’s 112-year-old building in downtown Provo, formerly known as the Provo Tabernacle, burned down on Dec. 17, 2010, according to reports from lds.org.
Firefighters from the scene said the probable cause of the fire was due to electrical failure within the walls. Reports of the incident stated the firefighters were quick to respond to the fire. Officials were unable to save the building and only the outer brick walls survived.
Reports documented city firefighters prepared their water cannons to knock down the remainder of the building of what the fire had left. The fire chief instructed his crew to back down, in turn preserving a legacy of 160 years of worship in Provo’s city center.
Less than a year later, in the October 2011 LDS General Conference, Thomas S. Monson announced the walls of the burnt tabernacle would be preserved and reconstructed as a second temple in Provo.
The Church came out with an official statement, saying, “The finished temple will serve as a place where Latter-day Saints can participate in sacred ordinances that will bless them and their kindred dead. It continues the legacy of worship that has taken place on this block over many generations.”
The Provo Tabernacle's life
- 1867 First dedication of tabernacle
- 1882 Ground Broken for re-construction and enlargement of the tabernacle
- 1898 Dedication of newly constructed tabernacle
- 2010 Tabernacle destroyed by fire
- 2012 Ground Broken for re-construction of tabernacle into temple
- 2016 Dedication of Provo City Center Temple anticipated for March 20th