Navoo temple reconstruction well underway, forum speaker says

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    By Lincoln Hubbard

    In 1848, fire destroyed the Latter-day Saint temple at Nauvoo. Now, after decades of research and planning, re-construction of this historical LDS building is well underway.

    “While it’s exciting, the call to rebuild the temple provided Church architects and others with an awesome challenge,” said Robert Freeman, assistant professor of church history and doctrine in the forum on Tuesday, July 25.

    Freeman’s forum presentation detailed ways in which obstacles in building the Nauvoo temple have been overcome.

    Freeman cited historical events that have lead up to the temple’s rebuilding, notably the story of Easton Blake who was given some of the original construction plans to the Nauvoo temple by a non-member while serving a mission in Boren, Calif., in 1946.

    Freeman also related how just weeks before President Gordon B. Hinckley’s announcement of the temple’s reconstruction, a rare daguerreotype was found that showed better than any other details of the Nauvoo temple’s exterior.

    “This served as the most important photographic image for the new temples design,” Freeman said.

    Because records about the temple building are rare, church architects have had to piece together the new design using clues from many sources like journals and finds like the daguerreotype.

    Attending the forum was Robert Dewey, recently retired project administrator for the Nauvoo temple.

    Dewey said that even though there are no existing images of the east side of the temple, every effort was being made to have the exterior of the building look like the original.

    Freeman said that the temple exterior would have sun, moon and star stones, as well as a working four-faced clock, like the original.

    “The determination has recently been made to return the historic Nauvoo bell back to Illinois and have it placed in the belfry of the new temple,” Freeman said.

    Freeman said that the interior of the building would be different, including four ordinance rooms, a bride’s room and a lunchroom.

    “The objective today is not to rebuild the same temple that stood in Nauvoo during the 1840’s, but to build a modern temple in the same spot as the original,” Freeman said.

    Freeman paid tribute to the saints who completed the temple in the face of increasing adversity.

    “During the four year period of temple construction, thousands of church members dedicated themselves to building the holy edifice,” Freeman said.

    He noted that work went on even after the martyrdom of the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum.

    “Although the saints realized that the remainder of their time in Nauvoo was to be brief, they committed themselves to finishing the temple,” Freeman said. “This beautiful temple rose out of days of trouble and hardship.”

    Even before the temple was fully functional the saints began the pioneer trek west, leaving behind the building for which they sacrificed so much.

    Freeman said that over time the temple site was divided into several parcels of land and in 1937 the church re-acquired the first of these.

    “For the first time in nearly ninety years the church once again owned a significant portion of the temple block,” Freeman said.

    Freeman said that in response to the creative vision of rebuilding the temple the Nauvoo Restoration Inc. was formed in 1962 “to acquire, restore, protect and preserve…the story of Nauvoo.”

    “Over the several decades that followed, important research was conducted,” Freeman said. “These studies would become of great assistance to architects who would plan the rebuilding of the temple.”

    Freeman noted that the volunteer spirit, which marked the original temple construction, could be seen today.

    “Many individuals are donating their time, materials and expertise to the rebuilding project,” Freeman said.

    If current plans hold, the temple will be dedicated sometime between Fall of 2001 and Spring 2002.

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