I was asked by Kari Isaksen if I work. When I said no, she invited me to help with the interior design of the St. George temple. I wsa a little hesitant at first because she said it would be 8-5 everyday for 3 weeks. But I figured if I didnt like it I could just stop going. I said yes, that I would love to.
Im so glad that I did. Some days were king=d of slow and other days were quite busy. It was such a blessing to be able to go inside and get to see the whole process. I will never look at another temple the same way again. The people that we worked with weer for the most part very delightful.
Kari told me that I couldnt tell a soul what I was doing. I didnt see what the big deal was, but they didnt want people to start spreading rumors about the reopening. The temple has been closed fro remodel for 3 years. and people, including me, are getting anxious
IT is being remodeled for more earth quake proof and back to more what it looked like when it was originally built. Some fo the chairs are upholstered using horse hair fabric. There are antique chandeliers and antique furniture. The colors are very bold, deep greens, blues and maroons. There are also golds and yellow. It is pretty but very different from what it used to be.
I was lucky enough to go on a tour with the church historian Emily Utt. She told us that the font is original and was purchased by Brigham Young with his own money. He was a shrewd business man and tried to negotiate a better price. The font was built in northern Utah and transported on the railroad. The railroad only went as far as parowan i think it was. So the church hired some17 and 18 year old boys to transport it the rest of the way by wagon. It was supposed to be on the down low. But somehow the word got out and every town they came to the bishop had arranged a parade and kind of a hoopla. They worried about the government seizing their belongings. IT is said that the boys kind of thought they were hot stuff after several fo these kind fo greetings haha
Here is an article about the building of the font
https://issuu.com/utah10/docs/uhq_volume63_1995_number2/s/165459
Amos's granddaughter relates that when Brigham Young saw the first patterns for the oxen he chided, "That won't do, Amos." Both Idaho and Utah were searched for a perfect ox, which, when found, was brought to the foundry "where it was corralled and used as a live model" for several weeks. Howe designed the font and oxen and was responsible for the drawings and patterns finally used. The new patterns were so successful that Brigham Young exclaimed, "Brother Howe, you have even registered the disposition of the live ox."
I also learned that the original celestial room was where the sealing room off of the current celestial room is all currently. It is the biggest sealing room and the most popular. All three of my kids were sealed there.
I wish that I could remember all the things that Emily told us on that tour. She has so much knowledge about what it was like for the pioneers originally. When they came to the temple they would be there for 6-8 hours. Im so glad that it doesnt take that long now!
