The LDS Church’s Evolution to Smaller Temples

                                                    The Star Valley, Wyoming Temple.

   ACCORDING to Fred Baker, former head of Church Physical Facilities, it was President Spencer W. Kimball who first started the idea of the Church having small temples, not President Gordon B. Hinckley. Yes, President Hinckley may have announced publicly the smaller temples, but it all started with President Kimball. President Kimball and Emil Fetzer (Church Architect, 1964-1984) had designs made for as many as 20 small temples, of all different sizes. (And, Brother Baker said Brother Fetzer had also made a plan for stake centers to have an annex added on for a limited temple, as another possible small temple possibility, though that plan was apparently never utilized…) 

  Brother Baker also recalled this: “President Kimball said in my presence one day, ‘We’re totally spoiled about temples. You think you can take your suitcase, go down to the Salt Lake Temple at anytime, and do whatever. That’s not going to happen forever. One day the temples will operate twenty-four hours a day, and you will have to call and say, ‘I would like to come on Thursday.’ And they’ll say, ‘Let’s see. We have an opening at 4:00.’ ‘I’ll take it.’ ‘Okay. You’re in seat fifty-two in room six. Be there.’” That was his conception of what is going to come when we finally get to that point.’”

   (It is worth noting that President Brigham Young never allowed the sealings for deceased people in the Endowment House – he believed that ordinance should only be done in full-sized temples.) Yes, Brother Baker said there was never any concern like that in more modern times. 

  Brother Baker also stressed that it was always decided by the First Presidency ultimately on every temple design and action – and Church Building employees had to be careful not to reveal future temple plans, BEFORE a First Presidency announcement was made. 

  Brother Baker recalled this: “Now that put us in an interesting situation, because the Presidency would give us instructions, ‘We want to build a temple here, but it’s confidential until we make a public announcement.’ We were told, ‘Not even the General Authorities can know.’ So if a Seventy or a member of the Twelve called up and said, ‘Do you have anything planned for Arizona?’ We’d say, ‘Not to our knowledge,’ because we were told it was confidential. But the decisions of when, where, size, and public announcement came from the First Presidency’s office directly to us.”

  -Fred Baker, of Ogden, was the director of Church Physical Facilities from 1965-1991. He passed away in 2015 at age 89. He was the author’s stake president at one time, as well as a family friend. 

   -The above photograph is of the Star Valley, Wyoming Temple, from Wikipedia Commons. 

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.