Salt Lake Tabernacle dedicated 150 years ago, in 1875

Since the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, members and friends have gathered to meet in a variety of places — cabins, stores, groves of trees, in the open air and also in the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples.

When they came west to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, Brigham Young invited members to build a gathering place. A bower of logs and branches was built, protecting those who gathered from the sun, according to “History of the Tabernacle” on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

After several bowers were built and deconstructed, a more permanent gathering place — later called the Old Tabernacle — was built on the southwest corner of Temple Square. Next to it was built a larger, domed Tabernacle — which was dedicated 150 years ago on Oct. 9, 1875, by then-Elder John Taylor of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as part of general conference. (He was President of the Church from 1880 until his death in 1887.)

It was dedicated and set apart “for the purposes of praise, thanksgiving and worship of the Most High God,” Elder Taylor prayed (see “The New Tabernacle Dedicatory Prayer,” Deseret News, Oct. 20, 1875, p. 594).

People gathered for general conferences in the Salt Lake Tabernacle from 1867, prior to the dedication, to 2000, the year the Conference Center was dedicated.

It has been a gathering place for Church members for general conferences, other Church meetings, community gatherings, concerts and other public events.

Twelve presidents of the United States have spoken from the Tabernacle’s pulpit, as well as leading suffragist Susan B. Anthony, trans-Atlantic pilot Charles Lindbergh, Helen Keller and many other prominent people, according to information on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

It is currently where The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square rehearses and also records its weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast. There are daily organ recitals and other concert programs.

The building’s acoustics allow a pin drop to be heard from 170 feet away without the use of a microphone.

Building the Tabernacle

The Old Tabernacle was an adobe meetinghouse designed by architect Truman O. Angell — who also designed the Salt Lake Temple — and had twin, sunburst-decorated gables, a vaulted ceiling, a sloped floor and eventually a circular band shell at either end.

“New members needed a place to meet, a place where they could hear the words of the prophet,” explained Richard G. Oman, curator of acquisitions at the Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City, in “History of the Tabernacle."

In 1861, plans were discussed for a second Tabernacle, with dimensions of 250 feet by 150 feet and a curved ceiling — Brigham Young’s “turtleback design.” Henry Grow, a recognized bridge builder in the Salt Lake Valley, was solicited to help with building the Tabernacle.

With resources at a premium, workers used lumber from local canyons and excess stone from the Salt Lake Temple building site, and nails and washers were forged from leftover military equipment.

The organ was designed by Joseph Ridges and utilized ponderosa pine from Pine Valley, Utah. It initially had 700 pipes. In 1885, additional pipes were added to bring the total to 2,648.

Tabernacle renovation

There have been many upgrades and renovations throughout the years, including to modernize the building and expand the organ. The most recent was 2005 to 2007 for seismic upgrades and other additions, including recording studios.

It was rededicated during the Saturday afternoon session of the 177th Annual General Conference of the Church in March 2007. Attendees took seats on new benches that “are as hard as the old ones,” President Gordon B. Hinckley quipped, exhibiting his trademark sense of humor.