The Manti Temple: From Rattlesnake Heaven to Mummies to Bigfoot

                                            The Manti Temple.

By Lynn Arave

THE story of Adam and Eve and the Serpent probably has a little more relevance at the Manti Temple, than at any other Church Temple.
Why?

ACCORDING to www.ldschurchtemples.com, "The Manti Utah Temple was built on a rattlesnake-infested site, known as the Manti Stone Quarry."
The Temple's construction started in 1877 and was completed 11 years later in 1888, as the third temple in Utah.
Located on "Temple Hill," the exterior of the Temple was obtained from quarries in the hill where it is located.

                                          Some of the exposed rock just east of the Temple.

                Some above ground rock, left intact,  in a yard just to the south of the Manti Temple.

This hill was apparently rattlesnake heaven as not dozens, but hundreds of the poisonous reptiles called it home when the first pioneer settlers arrived there.
In fact, according to the Ensign Magazine of March 1978, settlers "battled rattlesnakes for possession of the valley." 
According to several pioneer diaries referenced on scholarsarchive.byu.edu, the Temple Hill had the greatest infestation of all.
The first pioneers arrived in the fall of 1849 and sought refuge by building dugouts on the south side of the hill that would later be known as "Temple Hill."
After what was one of the worst winters ever in the area (according to the local Native Americans), a warming spring brought hope to the settlers.
However, as temperatures warmed in the spring of 1850, rattlesnakes began to appear everywhere on the hillside -- even in people's dugouts, beds, etc.

             The famous, now cancelled, Manti Pageant used to be held on this open lawn.

One pioneer diary claimed 300 snakes were killed during the first night they appeared. Another stated at least 500 were killed. Still another claimed "1,500" were wiped out. The extermination of the reptiles continued several more nights too.
Settlers primarily used primarily torches and clubs to kill the snakes and the miraculous factor is that there was not one report of a snakebite.
According to Utah Pioneer Stories on Sanpete.com, the spring of 1850 brought this development:
"Soon hundreds of hissing rattlesnakes appeared in the dugouts. They were everywhere! As the sun began to go down the snakes became more plentiful and the battle was on. The settlers armed themselves with clubs, torches and anything else that they could use as a weapon against hundreds of snakes."

                   Manti is a Utah pioneer city older than any outside the Wasatch Front.

Some 27 years later in 1877, presumably most of the snakes were gone by then, as Brigham Young announced the temple site.

President Young reportedly said, “Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a Temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can’t move it from this spot; and if you and I are the only persons that come here at high noon today, we will dedicate this ground.” (LDS Church News, March 8, 1958.)

A section of the City's garden, southwest of the Temple. There used to be a "Mortal" Moroni statue standing nearby, but it was permanently removed in about 2012.

(Note that some now question that Moroni  actually dedicated the site for this temple. That's because it relies upon a single source and the occurrence was never included in any official Manti Temple histories, such as its dedication proceedings.)

Construction began that same year and the first step was to level out the hilltop so a temple could sit there. It required significant blasting as the hill contained a lot of rock.

Note that there is no Angel Moroni on either of the Manti Temple's spires. That's ironic, a lack of Moroni's image on the outside of the temple, given that from at least one source, the Prophet Moroni as a mortal, wandered the Americas and possibly dedicated the very spot where the temple is to be such.

(In fact, even today Temple Hill only has dirt that extends downward from a few inches deep to several feet before hitting all rock.)
When the temple builders were creating the western foundation for the structure, they discovered an extensive network of caves and tunnels, obviously where the rattlesnakes used to nest in winter several decades earlier.
Rattlesnakes have left a lasting impression on the Manti area. Indeed, one of the tallest mountain summits in the area is named Rattlesnake Peak, at 8,612 feet above sea level.

-There are also other, more fanciful tales regarding the Manti Temple.
There are unconfirmed stories of strange inscriptions on some of the rocks found inside Temple Hill's caves during the early construction.
Other tales speak of even metal plates and mummies found beneath the hill in its caves.
Some stories claim local Native Americans spoke about an ancient temple and altar being on the hill long ago. These Indians also warned of the dangers of going inside any of the caves.

-Even stranger story: At the timber camp in Ephraim Canyon, during the early construction of the Manti Temple, likely in the late 1870s, there was an incident one night where men of the camp were terrified by some creature in the forest. It made strange noises, killed some of their dogs and frightened their horses. They finally started a bonfire and shot guns in the darkness to try and get it to leave. It did finally depart.
Some believe this creature was Bigfoot and could have been the first recorded sighting ever of Sasquatch in Utah territory.

The enclosed arch where you used to be able to drive through the temple without a recommend.

-TRUE TALE though is that you used to be able to drive THROUGH the Manti Temple.

The original construction included an arched tunnel at ground level, just wide enough for a small automobile or wagon to pass through.

The archway was eventually filled in decades later and is now a large window and stone.

Still, people back in the day used to joke that Manti was the only temple you could go through WITHOUT a recommend.

(Some early photographs of the Manti Temple clearly show the archway.)

Another ironic occurrence to the construction of the Manti Temple was that much of its lumber came from the nearby “Hell’s Kitchen” area of a nearby forest.

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.

A capsule look at the 'Three Nephites'

 

                       Moroni was the last known mortal Nephite to live on the American Continent.

Elder Orson Pratt was the first leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to call attention to the famed “Three Nephites” to the general church.

He did so on April 7, 1855 in a sermon at the new bowery in Salt Lake City.

(The “Three Nephites” are translated beings, like John the Revelator from the New Testament. They cannot die and are beyond the powers of earth. They will remain on earth until Jesus Christ returns.)

Elder Pratt’s sermon said these heavenly beings can show themselves unto whomever they choose to. Otherwise, they remain unseen. They do come among us openly because the time is not right and there is work for humans to do to prepare to Christ’s return. They work in secret to promote righteousness.

Elder Erastus Snow and Brigham Young also gave sermons later that alluded to the existence of these Three Nephites.

However, Elder James E. Talmage, an LDS Apostle in the early 20^th Century stated the church members in his era were too eager to attribute any unusual happening to the Three Nephites. As such, he said they must be the most overworked of all individuals.

Later, it has been assumed that since physical struggles are so easy for us in modern times, that we don’t have the need to these individuals, at least for physical matters.

Notwithstanding, in many of the tales of visits by these beings, they are described as old men with white hair and beards.

From ghostly hitchhikers who appear, offer some spiritual advice and eventually just disappear from a back car seat, to beggars who ask for food to test our generosity, there are various such stories from Utah over the decades.

In others, someone is saved from death. For example, in the 1950s, a young boy fell into deep water at the Ogden Bay Bird Refuge, located west of Hooper. He might have drowned had not an older man appeared out of nowhere to save him. Then, the man vanished.

In another tale, two young girls were hiking in the mountains around Richfield in the early 20^th Century. They became lost and then a man appeared and led them back to the trail, before disappearing.

-Some of these stories are contained in a 1947 book by Hector Lee, “The Three Nephites: The Substance and Significance of the Legend in Folklore,” (1947), a Ph.D. dissertation for the University of New Mexico.

 

'Three Nephite' Web searches are complicated ...

                                                  Photograph by Rolf Muller on Wikipedia Commons.

THE Three Nephites are an essential element of The Book of  Mormon in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
However, even though the Internet has made finding stories -- and even fanciful tales -- of the Three Nephites easier, there is one complication.
That being Nephi, Utah.
A lot of newspapers stories in the early to mid-20th Century referred to residents of Nephi, Utah as "Nephites."
"Former Nephite dies in Salt Lake City" was a headline in the Times News, a newspaper from Nephi, Utah, on May 15, 1930.
-Notwithstanding, very recent -- 21st Century -- accounts of the actual Three Nephites visiting or helping someone seem to be at an all time low.
Is the world too wicked?
What are the Three Nephites doing right now?
There aren't a lot of answers, but these three translated beings are definitely still out there ....

Should Church members celebrate Halloween?

A ward's "Trunk or Treat" decorated vehicle, as part of a Halloween party, with inside the cultural hall events too.

THERE are some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints who DO NOT believe in celebrating Halloween, mostly because of its dark beginnings. That is their freedom of choice to do so.
When I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, Halloween was mostly about scary and the equivalent in costumes.
However, today that is NOT the universal case. When some 170 children came to my door on Halloween night of 2019, I'd estimate that 95 percent-plus were wearing super-hero and fantasy costumes -- not scary ones.
Halloween today is mostly about candy and cute or inventive costumes. Yes, there are some haunted houses one can visit and even Lagoon Park in Farmington, Utah, hosts "Frightmares" each fall, with a scary twist.
However, even some of the most popular decorations of Christmas have strong roots in pagan rituals and so does one forsake Christmas because of that shady past?
The choice is yours, but about the only advice on Halloween in Church Handbooks has been that masks are not allowed inside a Church building.
So, Halloween is what you make it.

Forget about decaff products or only health issues -- The Word of Wisdom is also designed to separate Latter-day Saints from the world

                   

                                  A cup of coffee                                 Wikipedia Commons photograph


THE Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints recently re-clarified some of the taboos of the Word of Wisdom.
A lot of the member reaction focuses on one forbidden ingredient: caffeine.
In my opinion, this is where all too many Church members miss a key purpose of the Word of Wisdom: to separate Latter-day Saints from the rest of the world.
(This is just like the ancient Israelites' health code separated them from the world ... But too many Church members only read The Book of Mormon and have never studied the Old Testament.)
The Word of Wisdom isn't just about health, in my view and not enough young church members are taught that.
Members can argue health studies all they want, or feel fine if they drink a decaff coffee, tea or even cola. But the spirit of "separation from the world" in the Word of Wisdom to me says NO to any coffee, tea or cola -- and says to stay out of any coffee shop period.
-My wife thinks the Church should firmly come out against energy drinks, which I do see many in the younger generation consuming daily. They are, of course, not a healthy alternative and a no-brainer to avoid regularly.
-Also, others notice that some Church members eat too many unhealthy snacks, or don't exercise. We can't lengthen our lives, yet we can certainly shorten them by unhealthy habits.



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.

Why such a fixation in the Church on handcarts, when they were not the norm?

 Handcart lore is so popular in Utah, that the Rainbow Greenery Restaurant, in Ogden,  now uses it          in their latest logo -- even though handcart travel was only used by less than 4 percent of pioneers.

MY Ward's Sacrament meeting program (for July 21, 2019) carried the prominent drawing of a handcart, used by Mormon pioneers.
For history's sake, I think handcarts are way over emphasized in the LDS Church. Handcarts have very incorrectly become the iconic symbol of pioneer Mormonism.
First, consider that no more than 4 percent of the estimated 70,000 people who immigrated to Utah Territory between 1847 and 1869 (when the railroad was opened) came by handcart. Thus, handcarts are NOT anywhere near the norm in numbers.
 Why so much focus on what a lesser number of people did?
(I guess they are sort of the "Titanic" of disasters among all the pioneers ... And, they overrule most Church members' proper understanding of history.)

-Also, handcarts didn't carry everything such pioneers had. All handcart companies traveled with supply wagons that carried tents, extra food and other provisions, too. One wagon was usually allocated for about every 100 members of a handcart company.

-And the well-known Willie and Martin handcart companies are dwelled upon way too much. There are other such handcart companies that came across the plains with few deaths -- but they are rarely mentioned.

-PLUS, the Willie and Martin companies were warned before they left that their departure was TOO LATE IN THE SEASON, but such advice was ignored. 


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.

History of the Ogden and Layton Deseret Industries stores

DESERET Industries opened its Harrisville Store, 435 North Wall Avenue on Sept. 24, 2009.

That meant the DI left Ogden City after more than 6 decades there.

The first DI in Ogden opened in 1941 on the south side of 24^th Street, between Grant Avenue and Washington Boulevard. It later moved to 2360 Washington Boulevard, just north of where ZCMI used to be located. Finally, the old Williamson Auto Body property was secured and the Ogden DI moved to 2048 Washington Boulevard.

That third store location meant the DI remodeled almost annually. Also, in that era, the DI repaired TVs and electronics and even recut and reused broken mirrors. Used shoes were also repaired and shined. Old furniture was repaired and rugs were made from rags, as waste was kept to almost zero.

“Nothing is wasted when sent to the Deseret Industries” was almost a DI motto in the 1970s.

humanitarian-services program throughout the world.

                Two photos of the Ogden DI from“The Church in Ogden Yearbook for 1978.”) 

-Deseret Industries was born during the post-Depression era when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent two officials to Los Angeles in 1938 to study Goodwill Industries and determine how the church could create similar employment opportunities through a thrift-store business.

                                              The Ogden DI manager in the late 1970s.

Deseret Industries was born later that year under the direction of LDS Church President Heber J. Grant.  It was originally part of the Bishop’s Storehouse. It became its own separate entity in early 1941.

Today it is one of the largest thrift store chains in the nation, behind Goodwill and Savers stores, with 46 stores in seven Western states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

The stores operate on the principles of thrift, work, giving and self-reliance, and their primary purpose is employment rehabilitation.

-According to information from the organization, Deseret Industries is composed of three related parts. First, employees receive training and find long-term employment. Second, the public may purchase inexpensive, quality merchandise in a clean, safe retail environment. To those in need, merchandise is provided at no cost. Third, all people may provide meaningful service through the donation of time and merchandise.

Richard L. McKenna, director of Deseret Industries, said the ultimate goal of Deseret Industries is to provide temporary employment and job skills to people who need them.

"We serve without regard to religion," he said. Currently, D.I. stores probably employ about 50 percent non-LDS workers.

He said selling used clothing and items is what keeps the DIs funded — they have to be self-sustaining.

McKenna said the DI system hasn't expanded with new stores in recent years, because it is oriented toward quality and not just to opening more outlets.

"We have a desire to be the best," he said.

He also said the DIs have no desire to set a price at the maximum amount, but simply a fair price.

(-Adapted from an Oct. 16, 2008 story by Lynn Arave in the Deseret News and a Sept. 6, 2009 Deseret News story. Additional information came from “The Church in Ogden Yearbook for 1978.”)

-LAYTON DI:

The Layton, Utah DI originally opened May of 1998 at 1010 West Hill Field Road. This was a leased building of about 30,000-square feet.

About 11 years later in October of 2008, the DI moved eastward, a few hundred yards, to 930 West Hill Field Road and into a new building that was about twice the size as its original Layton store.

                                The Layton DI.

This DI was part of the Welfare Service Center, which included six components besides the D.I. — LDS Family Services, LDS Employment, the Distribution Center, Bishop's Storehouse, Family Home Storage Center and a humanitarian volunteer room — all under one roof.

The new facility was dedicated by Presiding Bishop H. David Burton of the LDS Church. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 9:45 a.m. today. The grand opening celebration continues through Saturday.

Also, the process of moving the estimated 12,000 items that are donated each day to the sales floor became much faster in the new facility.

Every morning, Monday through Saturday, a line of up at least several dozen patrons forms outside the Layton DI, as they await a chance to see what new items have been donated.

(-Adapted from an Oct. 16, 2008 story in the Deseret News.)