SALT LAKE CITY — The multi-year renovation of the Salt Lake Temple is continuing to make significant progress, with some of the building’s interior spaces nearing completion, officials with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced.
The ongoing preservation project, which began in 2020, aims to restore the historic 132-year-old temple to its original design while upgrading its structural integrity and adding new visitor services. According to an update Friday, interior work on several key rooms is close to being finished.
The temple’s celestial room and sealing rooms are receiving their final touches, with painting and detailed finishes now complete. Bas-relief wallpaper has been added to provide texture and beauty to the spaces. The celestial room’s ornate ceiling and wall finishes have been carefully restored. The sealing rooms, where families are sealed together in a sacred ordinance, now feature historically inspired colors: green in the large rooms, blue in the medium rooms, and yellow in the smaller ones. New chandeliers, designed to replicate late 1800s styles, have also been installed.
Crews have also been working on the temple’s bride’s suite, a space where women prepare for a temple sealing. The room has been updated with new chandeliers, wall sconces, and painted ceiling medallions that reflect the original appearance of the space.
In the temple’s large assembly room, finishing work is nearing completion. New parquet flooring has been laid, and the balcony area is close to being finished. The four spiral staircases in the room’s corners have been carefully restored to their original wooden finish. The room’s wall wainscoting and ceiling work are also complete.
On the exterior of the temple, crews are making progress on the two new entrance buildings. The buildings’ exterior stonework is advancing, and a new walking area with planters has been installed. These structures will provide a waiting area and a convenient gathering place for patrons and guests before and after temple services.
The church teaches that temple ordinances, such as sealings, are meant to unite families for eternity in a bond that is not interrupted by death. The extensive renovation and preservation work are intended to ensure the temple can continue to be a place of worship for generations to come.
While the temple remains closed for the renovation, visitors are still welcome at Temple Square. Several other buildings remain open to the public, including the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, the Salt Lake Tabernacle, and the nearby Church History Museum and FamilySearch Library.
The church also announced that its semi-annual general conference will be broadcast globally from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 4-5. The public is invited to listen to living prophets, apostles, and other church leaders during the two-day event.