In the 1840s, its commanding presence defined Nauvoo's character as the scriptural "city that is set on an hill" (Matthew 5:14). Then, it was desecrated, burned and toppled.
Today, the concrete walls of the Nauvoo Temple (they will be faced with limestone, the material that composed the original temple) have risen again, and it is already the dominant structure in what has become the central business district for this town of 1,250. And the 3.3 acre temple block is becoming to Nauvoo what Temple Square is to Salt Lake City, especially with the adjacency of a Church-owned facility across the street to the west, the Joseph Smith Academy occupying the former St. Mary's Academy purchased two years ago.
Reportedly, the walls are visible from across the Mississippi River in Montrose, Iowa, though they are not nearly as prominent as in Glen S. Hopkinson's idealized painting showing the original temple looming in the background as the Latter-day Saints depart across the river in flatboats during the 1846 exodus. Natural and man-made barriers combine to inhibit the visibility.
Still, as the temple takes recognizable shape, — it will be virtually identical to the original on the exterior — excitement and anticipation grow among local residents as well as watchers from afar.
In fact, this may be the most-watched temple construction in history. A "temple cam," located on the roof of Nauvoo State Bank to the east, captures the construction site minute by minute for viewing on an Internet site sponsored by Deseret Book, www.deseretbook.com/nauvoo.
Here, based on a conversation with Ronald Prince, project administrator, is an progress report and description of the construction.
The four concrete walls of the temple are up to the eaves, and the gable on the east end of the temple, which is to bear the distinctive tower, is taking shape.
The basement and first two floors are in. The fourth and fifth floor are yet to be done.
Stairways are up to the second level in the building. The stairway on the southwest corner is circular as are the stairways in the Manti Utah Temple, but it is larger than those. Made of reinforced concrete, it is free standing and cantilevered from the walls on each floor. The other three corners have stairways also, but they are not circular.
On the basement floor is a recessed area for the baptismal font. The font will be very close in appearance and structure the font that graced the original temple; the 12 oxen upon which the font rests are being carved from limestone as in the original. The bowl is also being made of limestone, with a fiberglass liner.
In addition to the font, the basement will contain a clothing-issue room, a laundry and a chapel area.
The exterior is being built to resemble as closely as possible the original temple; the interior however, will be different and will be functional by modern standards.
On the first floor will be a portico entrance with doors on the right and left leading to a foyer. From the foyer, one will proceed to the recommend desk. Behind the desk is a wall, on the other side of which is an assembly room with pulpits on either end, similar to the Kirtland Temple and the Salt Lake Temple. Seating in the room will not be fixed; it will be an open hall, as in the Salt Lake Temple.
The assembly room will rise to the top of the second floor, and on that floor, will be encircled by a mezzanine with offices on the outer perimeter and patrons' dressing rooms.
The northwest and southeast corners of the building will have elevators.
The third floor covers the entire building and will contain three endowment rooms with walls painted with murals, four sealing rooms, a chapel on the west end, and the floor of the celestial room.
The celestial room, on the east end of the temple, is based on the third floor, but it rises through the fourth floor and to the top of the temple. Its ceiling will be domed with a chandelier hang from the center. Based upon written historical accounts, a large venetian window will be installed on the east, or gabled, end of the temple that will be approximately 22 feet wide and will adjoin the celestial room.
The perimeter of the fourth floor, surrounding the upper portion of the celestial room, will contain locker and dressing rooms for temple workers, a marriage waiting room and a children's waiting room.
Level 5 of the temple, the gabled end on the east, will contain truss beams and mechanical equipment west of the Celestial Room.
The temple will have no cafeteria, although there will be lunch rooms with vending machines.
The temple will have a clothing-issue room, where temple clothing can be rented.
Built as closely as can be determined on the footprint of the original Nauvoo Temple, the structure will contain about 50,000 square feet. By comparison, the St. Louis Missouri Temple has 58,749 square feet, the Salt Lake Temple 253,015 square feet, and the Monticello Utah Temple 7,000 square feet. The outer perimeter of the new temple measures 90 by 130 feet. Its tower will be 158 feet from ground level.
The concrete walls will be faced with limestone quarried from near Russelville, Ala., a close match to the original temple limestone, which came from quarries in Nauvoo. Two of the original quarries are now under water because the Mississippi River is higher now than it was in the 1840s. Stone from another quarry was deemed unsuitable for use in the new temple.
Woodwork will be of the 1840s period. Most of the floors and the stairways will be covered with hardwood similar to what was available then. Furnishings will be of the late 18th and early 19th century.
The sunstones, moonstones and other distinctive stonework for the temple are being carved by State Stone based in Salt Lake City. Two sunstones from the original edifice are known to be in existence; one is in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.; the other is at the Church visitors center in Nauvoo. Window sashes and doors are being constructed by the Allyn Historic Sash Co. based in Nauvoo, which has done much of the work on Church historic sites in Nauvoo. Legacy Constructors of Salt Lake City, is the contractor for the new temple. Legacy was the contractor for the Church's new Conference Center. FFKR Architecture of Salt Lake City is the architect for the project.
Nine Church service volunteers, including Elder Price, are overseeing the project. Chosen for their expertise, they have been called as missionaries, along with their wives, for that purpose. They include a structural, mechanical and electrical engineer, a safety coordinator, inspectors, a stone worker and coordinators of volunteers.
Many people have volunteered their time and labor for the temple, including skilled workers such as carpenters and electricians. BYU students attending the Joseph Smith Academy also work on the temple as they can. On Nov. 8, the day before the cornerstone service, so many people volunteered to prepare the grounds that they could not all be accommodated.
