The Back Story on a Fabulous Painting inside the Brigham City and the Layton Temples

                                                    

No, this isn't the actual painting inside the Brigham City and Layton Temples, but it is a re-enactment of the baptism and confirmation of Shoshone tribe members in1873 -- and this photograph utilized actual descendants of the Shoshone tribe -- and is reminiscent of the painting used in the two temples.

                                               --Photograph is from the Deseret News on January 24, 2013.

 IF you happen to be a Latter-day Saint and go to the Layton Temple, or the Brigham City Temple, there’s a fabulous painting inside of Native Americans being baptized in 1873. Below is the back story on that artwork, that was prompted by the legendary “Three Nephities” --

The U.S. military wiped out more than 300 Native Americans – even women and children -- near Preston, Idaho on January 29, 1863. Now known as the Bear River Massacre, it was the largest loss of life for Native Americans in any military battle.

The survivors, part of the Northwestern Shoshone tribe, faced poverty and poor conditions for years afterward.

Sagwitch, a Shoshone Chief, was one of the few survivors of the that Massacre. In 1873, one of his fellow chiefs had a vision in which three white men visited him. One of the men told him “that the Mormon’s God was the true God … that he must be baptized, with all his Indians … stop Indian life, and learn to cultivate the earth and build houses.”

(The three white men were almost certainly the "Three Nephites.")

All the other chiefs believed the dream was true. They searched for George Washington Hill and found him in Ogden. Hill had been a missionary to the Native Americans, was trusted by them and even spoke their language. As the “Man with Red Hair,” they wanted him to preach to the tribe.

Hill was able to obtain President Brigham Young’s permission to preach to them. So, on May 5, 1873, Hill boarded a train in Ogden for Corinne and then walked 12 miles to their camp. By the day’s end, he had baptized 102 people.

Later, some of the tribal chiefs met with President Young and were soon ordained as elders. By 1875, some received their endowments in the Salt Lake Endowment House.

During the next four years, almost 1,200 members of the tribe had been baptized, buried their weapons and started a new way of life farming and ranching.

 

                                        The Layton Temple's east side.

Prior to the dedication of the Brigham City Temple in 2012, artists Linda Christensen and Mike Malm, with help from Cheryl S. Betenson, painted a mural depicting missionaries and a group of Indians during a baptismal confirmation on the banks of the Bear River in the 1870s.

The colorful mural now hangs in the Brigham City Temple baptistry – and a copy of it is in the Layton Temple baptistry too -- as a fitting tribute to the Native Americans and missionary work. (In the Layton Temple, this painting is directly east of/and across from the Baptistry Office.)

The Brigham City Temple, where the original painting depicting the baptism and confirmation of Shoshone tribe members in 1873 resides.

“The painting is a beautiful work of art,” Christensen said. “It represents the cooperation of two peoples in the settlement of Box Elder County and the establishment of service in the temple in northern Utah. It’s a wonderful, full-circle moment to see that event from the 1870s acknowledged in that temple, which is located just a few blocks from the Northwestern Shoshone tribal headquarters.”

SOURCE: Based on a January 24, 2013 article in the Deseret News by Trent Toone, titled, “Bear River Massacre's unexpected aftermath includes forgiveness and hope.”

 

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.

The history of a Temple in Layton, Utah

PRIOR to April 1, 2018, mention anything about a temple in Layton, Utah and you were talking about the Layton Buddhist Temple, 644 East 1000 North in Layton – as that was the lone “temple” inside the City’s boundaries.

This temple opened way back in 1979.

The new Layton Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened in June of 2024, giving the city its second "temple."

                      The "Layton Temple," a Buddhist shrine.

Announced on Sunday, April 1, 2018 in General Conference, this temple was the 19^th in Utah.

                                                        The new Layton Temple.

                                        The artist's rendering of the Layton Temple, before construction.                                             Courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“We are now pleased to announce plans to construct seven more temples,” said Church of Jesus Christ President Russell M. Nelson during the Sunday, April 1, 2018 afternoon session of General Conference. “Layton, Utah,” President Nelson both smiled and laughed when he announced the name Layton, which was met with awes and cheers.

(In one Layton household, a woman listening to General Conference yelled, “What? What?” after the announcement was made.)
 It was announced on July 15, 2019, that the temple site is indeed where this blog stated it would be 15 months earlier -- the corner of Oaks Hills Drive and Rosewood Lane. It sits on an-11.8 acre site and is 4 stories tall and 87,000-square feet (or 75 percent as large as the Ogden Temple is).

                                               The Layton Temple as viewed from the east.

Mark and Elaine Morgan sold their home and surrounding land to the Church in April of 2018. They have lived there since 1952 and their family homesteaded the property back in the 1850s.

They didn't feel comfortable selling the land to developers, despite many offers over the years.

  The Temple's completion was delayed, nearly two years. This was because of a combination of three different factors:

1. Having to redo some of the roof, walls and windows thicker, to mitigate jet aircraft noise.

2. A shortage of ultra skilled craftsman, to complete the temple.

3. Delays in obtaining necessary building materials.

  The Layton Temple was constructed to withstand an 8.0 earthquake.

  According to some Internet sources, the Layton Temple may also be the last Temple to receive an Angel Moroni Statue atop its tallest spire.

  The Temple's district includes Layton, Kaysville and Fruit Heights.

  The Temple was dedicated on June 16, 2024, by Elder David A. Bednar. It opened on June 18, 2024, for ordinances.

--Here's some Layton Temple trivia:

 Layton Temple Trivia  

 

1.  What was the date when the  LDS Layton Temple was first publicly announced? 

__________________________________________________________________________   

2.   What are the two main streets that surround the Temple?

__________________________________________________________________________

 3.   What is the name of the Layton family who sold the Temple property to the Church?

__________________________________________________________________________

 4.   What is the name of the Temple President ? (Last name accepted)

__________________________________________________________________________

5.   What feature does the Layton Temple have that some new temples lack?

___________________________________________________________________________

6.   How long did it take for the Temple to be Completed?

 __________________________________________________________________________

7.   What is the Local History element incorporated into this Temple?

___________________________________________________________________________

8.    Are the tower spires the same height? 

___________________________________________________________________________

9.    What number is this temple? 

___________________________________________________________________________

10.   The original ground breaking ceremony was to be 5/30/20. What was the actual date and why was it changed?

___________________________________________________________________________

11.   How does the size of the Layton Temple compare to Ogden and Bountiful? (bigger, smaller, same)

___________________________________________________________________________

12.   What are the boundaries that will attend this temple?

___________________________________________________________________________

13.   What facilities is the church removing from temples?       

___________________________________________________________________________

14.   How much does it cost for the church to build a temple?

   ___________________________________________________________________________

15.   What date will the Layton Temple be dedicated and by whom?

    ___________________________________________________________________________

Bonus Question: How many Temples are in operation, construction or  have been announced as of 4/7/2024

 

                                                                                                                                                       

 

Answers for Layton Temple Trivia 

1. On Sunday, April 1, 2018 in General Conference, to be the 19th Temple in Utah, 2nd in Davis County
2. The SW corner of Oaks Hills Drive and Rosewood Lane.
3. Mark and Elaine Morgan sold their home and surrounding land to the Church in April of 2018.Two days before it was announced in General Conference. They had lived there since 1952 and their family homesteaded the property back in the 1850s. They didn't feel comfortable selling the land to developers, despite many offers over the years.
4. President Jay R. Bangerter with Sister Kathleen R. Bangerter as Temple Matron
5. An Angel Moroni Statue. In 2018. Pres Nelson became President of the Church and presented a shift in focus to elimination of the Angel Moroni as a standard. 
6.  Just over 4 years from ground breaking to dedication
7. The cherry tree will be a theme carried throughout the temple in honor of the region's history of fruit production. Round stained-glass windows have been installed in the east and west towers, featuring prominent cherry blossoms. 
8. The west tower, which supports a statue of the angel Moroni, is exactly ten feet taller than the east tower. Spanning an area of 87,000 square feet, the temple stands three stories tall and is constructed with concrete.
9. The Layton Temple is #195
10. The original groundbreaking was held in a small gathering 1 week prior on 5/23/20 due to COVID-19 and the need for small gatherings. There was no public notice. 
11. Only about 78 percent as large as the Ogden Temple is, 112,232 square feet on 9.96 acres; 84 percent the size of the Bountiful Temple, 104,000 square feet on 9 acres. Note that the Layton Temple has more acreage than either temple at 11.8 acres
12. Layton, Kaysville and Fruit Heights   
13.  A cafeteria and most laundry facilities. Patrons are encouraged to have their own temple clothing.  A simple laundry will take care of baptismal clothing. There will be no eating facilities. Temples have proliferated since smaller designed Temples were announced in 1998.
14. Anywhere between 7 million and 70 million dollars.
15. Sunday, June 16, 2024 (Father’s Day), by Elder David E. Bendar of the Quorum of the Twelve. There were 2 sessions  

Bonus Question: 350 Temples are in operation, under construction or have been announced as of 4/7/2024

 (-From Greenleaf Ward Relief Society program, April 2024, by LeAnn Arave.)

Layton, Utah brief history:

-Layton is a relatively “new” city in Utah, based on pioneer settlements, being an outgrowth of Kaysville, Utah.

Layton community residents de-annexed from Kaysville City, from 1902-1907, to become their own, separate unincorporated area. Layton finally incorporated as a town in 1920.

However, the move for Layton to become its own community had actually started a decade earlier in 1892.

According to the Davis County Clipper newspaper of May 6, 1892, members of the Kaysville Second Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints really resided in what most recognized as Layton territory and not Kaysville. Hence, some Church members circulated a petition in 1892, asking Church leaders to rename the ward to what it really is -- the Layton Ward.

"We do not live in Kaysville City, nor Kaysville precinct, and why it is called the 2nd Ward of Kaysville we cannot understand," the newspaper report stated.

Just less than 4 months later, the Ward name change did take place.

“The members of second ward of Kaysville last Sunday decided to change the name to Layton Ward to so as to conform with the precinct and post office And hereafter it will be known by that name.” (-Davis County Clipper, Aug. 31, 1892.)

                                             The Layton Temple when it was under construction.

When Layton became its own official town in 1920, Kaysville’s population was 809, while Layton had less than 400 residents.

Even by 1940, Layton only had half the population of Kaysville, with 646 residents.

It was World War II and rise of area military installations, like Hill Air Force Base, that produced a surge in Layton’s population.

It was probably around 1943 when Layton surpassed Kaysville in total population. By 1950, Layton’s population was 3,456, as compared to 1,898 for Kaysville.

Layton City reached another milestone in 1985, when it surpassed Bountiful as the largest city in Davis County, with an estimated 36,000 residents.

In 2018, Layton has more than 76.000 residents, as compared to Bountiful’s 45,000 and Kaysville’s 32,000 populations.

              

  The Layton Temple site, east of the Smith's Store, near Rosewood and where Oak Hills Drive and Gentile Street split off., BEFORE the Temple was built.

                                Another view of the temple site in Layton, BEFORE construction.

                  Street sign view, with temple site to the right.

     Horses graze on sacred ground, just south of Gentile and Oak Hills streets, before the Temple.

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.