Draper Temple Open House

[Katzpur]

I went to the Draper, Utah Temple open house last night. Beautiful! Different in many respects from every temple I've ever been in. It was kind of a cross between the Salt Lake Temple and the newer temples. The celestial room was GORGEOUS! I wish everybody on RF could come to Salt Lake and see it -- especially the people who are so critical of our faith.

 

[Starfish]

I'm sure it is beautiful. I wish I could attend the open house.

I've been curious about one thing. I see the Draper temple in the news hear and there. It was featured on ABC and others. The latest thing is about the need for workers to staff it. I never heard anything about the Twin Falls temple, or much about the Rexburg temple, for example.

Is there something different about the Draper temple that has captured media attention? (Offhand, I don't even know where Draper is.)

 

[Katzpur]

I'm sure it is beautiful. I wish I could attend the open house.

I've been curious about one thing. I see the Draper temple in the news hear and there. It was featured on ABC and others. The latest thing is about the need for workers to staff it. I never heard anything about the Twin Falls temple, or much about the Rexburg temple, for example.

Is there something different about the Draper temple that has captured media attention? (Offhand, I don't even know where Draper is.)

I haven't personally heard that they're having a difficult time staffing the Draper Temple. It's really a small temple, though, much smaller than I'd expected. From what I could tell, only two sessions could be going on at once, and small ones at that. (I asked one of the "hostesses" about the number of sessions that could be taking place at once, and she told me she wasn't permitted to answer questions of that nature. I thought that was rather odd, since the question definitely didn't strike me as having anything to do with things we're not supposed to discuss.) Anyway, with the number of Latter-day Saints in the area, I was really surprised that the Church would build a temple that was only slightly larger than some of the smaller ones it's built in places with very small LDS populations. It was really beautiful, though!

Anyway, Draper is at the far south end of the Salt Lake Valley, just before you go around "the point of the mountain" and approach Utah County (where Provo is). It was farming land for years and years, but is now a very affluent part of the Salt Lake City area. The temple is situated high on a hill with a magnificent view of the valley.

 

[Watchmen]

Draper is getting more media attention because two Apostles conducted a private tour for the media.

 

[Watchmen]

I love some of the exterior shots of Draper. It looks like it's actually carved out of the side of the mountain.

As for it's size, it's over 58,000. The mini-temples are under 11,000. Thus, it's easily 5x larger than the minis. My local temple is almost 20,000.

 

[Katzpur]

I love some of the exterior shots of Draper. It looks like it's actually carved out of the side of the mountain.

As for it's size, it's over 58,000. The mini-temples are under 11,000. Thus, it's easily 5x larger than the minis. My local temple is almost 20,000.

Wow! That really surprises me. It didn't seem awfully small as we were walking through it, except that the seating in the endowment rooms was next to nothing!

 

[Watchmen]

In my 20,000 square foot temple, the endowment room has 64 seats (8 seats across with 8 rows). When the video portion of the endowment is complete we move to a second room to finish the endowment and the next session begins behind us (sessions are every hour on the hour and, generally, you need an appointment).

I've never been in a mini, but a buddy of mine says they're TINY - he didn't count, but he'd estimate 32 seats (8 seats across - 4 rows).

 

[Katzpur]

In my 20,000 square foot temple, the endowment room has 64 seats (8 seats across with 8 rows). When the video portion of the endowment is complete we move to a second room to finish the endowment and the next session begins behind us (sessions are every hour on the hour and, generally, you need an appointment).

I believe that's how it works in the Draper Temple, except that there are a total of four rooms, two for the first part of the endowment and two for the last part.

I just found out that Draper is not "my temple," though, which really bummed me out. We're in the Salt Lake temple district. I like to go to Salt Lake maybe once a year, but that's about all.

I've never been in a mini, but a buddy of mine says they're TINY - he didn't count, but he'd estimate 32 seats (8 seats across - 4 rows).

I've been in two that would probably be classified as minis -- Palmyra and Guadalajara. And guess what! I get to go to the Bogota, Columbia temple this summer.

 

[Watchmen]

Columbia! Wow! Have fun!!!

As for your temple district, who cares! I know it matters for ward/stake functions, but when you and/or your hubby decide to go - you can go anywhere! I love the Draper pictures - I'd go there!

I have mixed feelings about my temple. I think it's very nice, but the original plans called for a larger temple. However, when they discovered the two-room endowment method worked they built a smaller temple. Bottom line: smaller temple that can service just as many people = lower maintenance costs. My wife likes the grandeur of the larger temples.

I haven't hit Utah since I left, but when I do, Draper is on the list.

 

[Katzpur]

Columbia! Wow! Have fun!!!

As for your temple district, who cares! I know it matters for ward/stake functions, but when you and/or your hubby decide to go - you can go anywhere! I love the Draper pictures - I'd go there!

I have mixed feelings about my temple. I think it's very nice, but the original plans called for a larger temple. However, when they discovered the two-room endowment method worked they built a smaller temple. Bottom line: smaller temple that can service just as many people = lower maintenance costs. My wife likes the grandeur of the larger temples.

I haven't hit Utah since I left, but when I do, Draper is on the list.

I go pretty much wherever I feel like going, which is usually Jordan River -- not because I particularly like it, but because it's convenient. I probably won't end up going to Draper very often, because of the reservation thing. If you do get back to Utah, I would recommend the Timpanogos Temple. I really liked the architecture. I kind of felt like I was in Jerusalem when I was in it.

 

[Watchmen]

Ha!

When I was in Utah I was a baptistry worker at Timpanogos!!! I was attending a singles ward in Orem and the Temple Pres asked the Bishop if he could have two priesthood holders to work the baptistry every Saturday night. The Bishop said our dating opportunities would be significantly cut if we had to be at the temple every Saturday night, and he negotiated for four priesthood holders to meet the demand (two each week / every other week).

It was actually after one of my nights at the baptistry that my wife (girlfriend at the time) realized she wanted to marry me. We arranged to have my buddy and me visit her apartment for a late dinner after we worked in the temple. She said when she opened the door it was like seeing two angels and she immediately had the sense that there was something special about us - or what we were doing that she wanted to be a part of (remember, she was a non-member at the time). I remember that night because she made an awesome dinner!

 

[Katzpur]

Wow! That's cool!

 

[zomg]

About two years ago I went to the Monticello temple. From what I can remember the room could probably hold 32 people. As small as it seemed to me, I was told the temple had been expanded.

I was surprised to see the baptismal font after showing my recommend. It was right there!

Even though it's a small temple, I received a witness that the work is true no matter the size or location. The "locals" were sure proud of "their" temple