Stunning First Look: Inside Breathtaking Salt Lake City Temple Renovation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released details and renderings of the Salt Lake Temple amid its years-long renovation. Likely the most extensive alteration ever made to an existing temple, the work on the Salt Lake Temple began in 2019, after President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to make significant improvements to the 130-year-old building’s structure and seismic safety.

Many changes have been made to bring the temple up to modern standards as part of the renovation. While this means that some historical elements will be lost, Church director of architecture Bill Williams said, “The renovated temple will feel more consistent and more like the original Salt Lake Temple from beginning to end.”

This is because many Victorian-era details were previously removed during renovations in the 1930s, 1960s, and 1980s. Additions and changes to the floor plan made during those periods are now being reversed to reflect the original character of the temple, as well as improve visibility and navigation through the building.

In what could be characterized as a restoration rather than an update, much effort and research is being dedicated to discovering previously lost historic details and designs that will be included in the furnishings, textiles, paint, and other finish work throughout the temple.

Thus, while many original elements could not be saved, including some murals and structural elements, all significant historical features of the temple have been documented for preservation in the Church History Library. Specifically, the murals in the endowment rooms were hand-painted on plaster and were not saved. 

In 2019, Kathleen Flake, chair of Mormon studies at the University of Virginia, told news outlets how the loss of the murals and the high use of technological presentation might affect temple worship. She said, “Given the growing number of temples and the number of persons it takes to conduct these rituals, these changes are the next, probably inevitable step in the modernization, which is to say ‘de-ritualization’ of the temple rites.”

“Rituals do not have audiences, only enactors. The extensive use of media in the temple risks turning initiates into watchers and making a rite of passage, a largely passive, didactic experience.”

“While we were not able to keep all elements of the original temple, it’s also true that the Salt Lake Temple is a living building — with a past and a future,” said Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé. “We have done everything possible to preserve this holy edifice. I rejoice that this significant renovation is creating spaces for future generations to have their own sacred experiences.”

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The Salt Lake Temple’s renovation includes a major underground expansion, adding an impressive 100,000 square feet to the historic structure. Among the upgrades, the temple will now feature two baptistries instead of one, with one of the new baptistries showcasing the restored original cast-iron oxen.

The number of sealing rooms, where sacred marriages are performed, will increase from 13 to 22, and five instruction rooms with expanded seating capacity are being added, along with a new veil room, further enhancing the temple’s functionality.

The current renovation addresses navigational challenges introduced in the 1960s. A new central corridor system in the temple’s north addition will significantly improve the flow for patrons, making it easier to move throughout the building.

“We want to create a positive, seamless experience for everyone who visits the temple,” explained Andy Kirby, director of historic temple renovations for the Church. “We removed all of the 1960s infrastructure, including low ceilings and confusing corridors. The new central corridor, complete with a skylight view of the temple, makes it much simpler to find your way.”

While the original plan was to attempt a hybrid model of progressive movement throughout the endowment ceremony, the temple will now feature standard single-room video presentations. According to press releases, the endowment rooms will have “high-quality audio/visual systems for support of different languages and patrons with hearing impairment. As is the case in other temples, the endowment ordinance now has subtitles.”

In 2020, the Church released a number of photos from the interior as the temple prepared for construction. Scroll through some below. 

Work on the Salt Lake Temple is estimated to be completed in 2026. 

Holly Wallace

Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.