Difference between revisions of "Temples facing east"

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==Question==
 
Do LDS temples always face east?
 
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===Source(s) of the criticism===
 
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==Response==
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The front of the temple is the elevation where the phrase "House of the
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==Question: Do Mormon temples always face east?==
Lord" is found. So, for example, the "front" of the Provo temple is on
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===Temples face whatever direction is most practical and artistically pleasing for the site they are on===
the east-northeast elevation as the temple itself is 20 degrees off of a
 
true east/west axis. The front of the Oakland Temple is the north
 
elevation, and the front of the Los Angeles Temple is the southeast
 
elevation. The Stockholm Temple faces due south, which, at such a
 
northern latitude, would be the direction of the most light; its front
 
is, therefore, the south elevation.
 
  
Nauvoo is an interesting case as it has the phrase on both the east and
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Temples face whatever direction is most practical and artistically pleasing for the site they are on.
west elevations of the building. We know that the original Nauvoo temple
 
had the phrase on the west elevation but no photographic record or
 
architectural drawings exist of the east elevation, so the design of the
 
east elevation of the modern Nauvoo Temple is guesswork. Thus, in the case
 
of Nauvoo, you can take your pick on the west or the east elevation as
 
the "front". Most people, however, would say that the west elevation is
 
the front of the building as there are no doors on the east elevation.
 
  
In summary, to find the "front" of an LDS temple you find the phrase
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The front of the temple is the elevation where the phrase "House of the Lord" is found. So, for example, the "front" of the Provo temple is on the east-northeast elevation as the temple itself is 20 degrees off of a true east/west axis. The front of the Oakland Temple is the north elevation, and the front of the Los Angeles Temple is the southeast elevation. The Stockholm Temple faces due south, which, at such a northern latitude, would be the direction of the most light; its front is, therefore, the south elevation.
"House of the Lord" on the building itself, not on a sign. The elevation
 
that the phrase is on is the front of the building. It is not always the
 
east elevation. The angel Moroni statue has nothing to do with what is
 
the front of the building. Temples are placed on the site in the manner
 
that is most practical and artistically pleasing for that particular
 
site. They can face in any direction.
 
  
==Conclusion==
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Nauvoo is an interesting case as it has the phrase on both the east and west elevations of the building. We know that the original Nauvoo temple had the phrase on the west elevation but no photographic record or architectural drawings exist of the east elevation, so the design of the east elevation of the modern Nauvoo Temple is guesswork. Thus, in the case of Nauvoo, you can take your pick on the west or the east elevation as the "front". Most people, however, would say that the west elevation is the front of the building as there are no doors on the east elevation.
Temples face whatever direction is most practical and artistically pleasing for the
 
site they are on.
 
  
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In summary, to find the "front" of an LDS temple you find the phrase "House of the Lord" on the building itself, not on a sign. The elevation that the phrase is on is the front of the building. It is not always the east elevation. The angel Moroni statue has nothing to do with what is the front of the building. Temples are placed on the site in the manner that is most practical and artistically pleasing for that particular site. They can face in any direction.
==Endnotes==
 
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==Further reading==
 
  
===FAIR wiki articles===
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{{TempleWiki}}
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[[es:Pregunta: ¿Los templos mormones siempre miran hacia el este?]]
===FAIR web site===
 
{{TempleFAIR}}
 
 
 
===External links===
 
*Google Maps of the [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&ll=37.80875,-122.199157&spn=0.002551,0.003701&t=k Oakland] and [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&ll=34.052837,-118.433915&spn=0.002676,0.003701&t=k Los Angeles] <!-- and [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&ll=34.052837,-118.433915&spn=0.002676,0.003701&t=k Stockholm Sweden]-->Temples.
 
{{TempleLinks}}
 
 
 
===Printed material===
 
{{TemplePrint}}
 

Latest revision as of 20:35, 9 May 2024

Articles about Latter-day Saint temples


Question: Do Mormon temples always face east?

Temples face whatever direction is most practical and artistically pleasing for the site they are on

Temples face whatever direction is most practical and artistically pleasing for the site they are on.

The front of the temple is the elevation where the phrase "House of the Lord" is found. So, for example, the "front" of the Provo temple is on the east-northeast elevation as the temple itself is 20 degrees off of a true east/west axis. The front of the Oakland Temple is the north elevation, and the front of the Los Angeles Temple is the southeast elevation. The Stockholm Temple faces due south, which, at such a northern latitude, would be the direction of the most light; its front is, therefore, the south elevation.

Nauvoo is an interesting case as it has the phrase on both the east and west elevations of the building. We know that the original Nauvoo temple had the phrase on the west elevation but no photographic record or architectural drawings exist of the east elevation, so the design of the east elevation of the modern Nauvoo Temple is guesswork. Thus, in the case of Nauvoo, you can take your pick on the west or the east elevation as the "front". Most people, however, would say that the west elevation is the front of the building as there are no doors on the east elevation.

In summary, to find the "front" of an LDS temple you find the phrase "House of the Lord" on the building itself, not on a sign. The elevation that the phrase is on is the front of the building. It is not always the east elevation. The angel Moroni statue has nothing to do with what is the front of the building. Temples are placed on the site in the manner that is most practical and artistically pleasing for that particular site. They can face in any direction.