Temple architecture (LDS Church)

On December 27, 1832—two years after the organization of Latter Day Saint church—the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., reported receiving a revelation that called upon church members to restore the practice of temple worship. The Latter Day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio were commanded to:<blockquote>"Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." (Doctrine and Covenants 1835 VII:36, LDS 88:119, RLDS 85:36b)</blockquote>More important, Latter-day Saints see temples as the fulfillment of a prophecy found in (KJV).

The Kirtland Temple was the first temple of the Latter Day Saint movement and the only temple completed in the lifetime of Joseph Smith, Jr. Its unique design was replicated on a larger scale with the Nauvoo Temple and in subsequent temples built by the church. As the needs of the church have changed, so has Temple architecture from large castellic structures adorned with celestial symbols, to smaller, simpler designs, often derived from a standard set of plans.

Kirtland Temple

The Kirtland Temple was built in Kirtland, Ohio. It was not designed as a church or even as a cathedral. The structure has two unique sets of pulpits, representing the Aaronic Priesthood and the Melchizedek Priesthood. It was a house of learning, where the School of the Prophets could meet. This temple was not built to accommodate the endowment...
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