Church History

I have a gift. It’s a spiritual gift and I don’t know why it was given to me, but I exercise it fairly often. I don’t know the proper name for it, but it’s a gift for spatial vision. I can see in fairly short order whether or not these items will fit into that space. It took me a few years to understand it was a gift, because I could just see a space and see whether or not something would fit in that space—but it was often instantaneous. I exercised that gift recently as I sat in the Kirtland Temple and tried to see how the early Saints could possibly put 1,000 people in the Kirtland Temple for the dedication. It took me about two minutes. Let’s take a look together.

Now, this gift doesn’t help me with jigsaw puzzles or Tetris. It’s more like: Here’s the space, will all these things fit in that space? Do we need a 20’ truck or a 26’ truck to help move this young family? Will all that stuff we need for the hike fit in this backpack? Can we get all those items in that box? I know, it’s not as useful as the gift of tongues or of healing, but it just came with me.

Sunday, March 27, 1836 was one of the most significant days in early Church history. It was on this cold morning that hundreds gathered even before the doors of the Kirtland Temple were opened so that they could attend the dedication services. An estimated one thousand people gathered inside for the dedication—on the main floor. But is that even possible? We take tours here every year with 55 people gathering in that main level room. Could we put 945 more people in there with us? Let’s see.

As the doors opened just after 8:00 AM, Latter-day Saints began pouring into this part of the temple like a river overflowing its banks. They were enthusiastic to attend because most of them had given of their time and means to build this sacred structure—and that giving had gone on for about three years. Their sacrifices were deeply felt and the promises of this season were great to the Saints.[i]

Many of the saints, upon entering, may have looked up to see the grandeur of this magnificent House of the Lord that they had helped build. Thirty-three steps went steeply up to the left and to the right to lead to the next floor. The inside handrail on either staircase is the original to this day (188 years old). Some of the panes of glass on the inner window are still original from the time of the dedication.

As they entered the lower court or main floor, they would see a beautiful room filled with seating and magnificently hand-carved wood fluting on the columns and around the pulpits at either end of the room. Windows surrounded the room to let in outside light. But where was everyone going to sit? And how would they seat 1,000 individuals in this room? Let’s do some calculations.

We do not know how many people sang in the choir. No early accounts that I have studied give specifics on this as to numbers. At least twelve hymns were sung for the dedicatory service, many of which are sung in our congregations to this day.[ii] The most famous hymn, written for this very occasion, was Hymn 90 in the newly published (February 1836) hymnbook compiled by Sister Emma Hale Smith entitled “The Spirit of God like a fire is burning.” Written by William Wines Phelps, the newly composed hymn barely fit on the last pages of the little hymnal and had to be set in a smaller type font. Now, I have been in these choir boxes (seen above in the corner of the room). They are composed of four tiers and this same choir box configuration is in each corner of the room. You can “squeeze” 12 people in each of the boxes. So, from the choir seats alone, we can have 192 people; ie, 12 x 4 = 48 x 4 corners = 192. Whew! We are 19% of the way there!

Look to either side of the pulpits here. There are four boxed-in areas on either side. These are smaller than the choir seating boxes, but let’s add those into the mix. You can easily seat six people in each boxed area.

Yes, it would be tight, but you can do it. But, there is easily enough space there to put another row of six in each box. So, that’s 48 people on each side of the pulpits, making 96 in total. But wait! There’s a matching set in the back (eastern) side on this lower court, so double that number. We now can add 192 to our total. 192 + 192 = 384 people. We’re 38% of the way there.

Let’s look at the main seating areas. From this angle you can see that there are 9 boxed-in areas and two sets of these in the center seating area. I know how many people we get into these areas as tourists, but you can’t think that way. Take a look at how we have seated our tours—here we are singing The Spirt of God.

We usually put three couples, or six people in one boxed area. They have plenty of room to sit and listen to the tour or stand and sing as called upon. We have also put eight people in the boxed areas. Side note: Do you know the reason for those boxed areas in the early part of our country (and in Europe)? It was not only to keep children corralled; it was just for sheer warmth. Those pews, confined by the wooden walls and a latched entry were sold (not in the Latter-day Saint tradition) to congregant families to raise money for the church and help pay for the minister, priest or vicar. A plaque, often of brass, was placed at the entrance door to that pew area with the family’s name. These were often yearly dues that were then a continual stream of income for the local church (minister). By these means, that pew was forever that family’s (unless the fees weren’t paid). We do the same thing in our Latter-day Saint chapels today except we don’t have boxed areas or latched doors and we don’t pay any money for our pews; we just know which pew is ours by where we sit every week. Don’t you hate it when there’s a farewell or a homecoming and someone’s extended family has arrived early and they are sitting in “your pew”?! Ha! It’s all in our minds. I digress. Back to the Kirtland Temple.

The Sunday, March 27, 1836 dedicatory services were much anticipated and people would be willing to sacrifice their comfort to be a part of such an auspicious and sacred occasion. These main areas were actually divided into four sections. Veils or curtains could be lowered from the ceiling to then create four sections that were used as teaching areas (similar idea to what we use in overflow areas of our chapels or a young women’s room with multiple teaching areas with that locking curtain that we open or close to section off teaching areas today).

Yes, we put 8 people in one of these boxed areas, but at the dedication, they would likely have sat tighter and put two benches in the area so that sixteen people would have sat tightly together in each box. There are a total of 18 boxes in the center section. That’s another 288 people. Yes, it’s not comfortable in our standards of personal space today, but it’s reality for the early Latter-day Saints. That brings our total, 384 + 288, to 672. We’re over 67% now!

We’re running out of room, aren’t we? Let’s look further. On the north side and south side of the lower court (the main floor) we have another two sets of nine boxed areas. These sit right next to the windows and for that reason would have been colder than the center sections. At some point, the Prophet Joseph directed that the windows be opened so that people who were not able to get into the services could try to hear the proceeding through those opened windows. You can seat 12 in each of these areas, perhaps more, but let’s go with 12. That means we have 12 x 9 = 108 x 2 = 216 more people. That means we are at 888! We are getting so close! Let’s hope that the services don’t go on too long!

Now, we have three sets of pulpits at the west end and three sets of pulpits at the east end of the court. There is also a lower area for seating (and for blessing the sacrament) at the bottom of the pulpits. Three people can easily and symbolically be placed in each of those pulpit areas and in the bottom section. This gives us 12 more people at each end of the room (the most comfortably seated of anyone) and these were reserved from the Prophet Joseph and other leaders of the Church. That’s 24 more people. You can also put at least two people beside the pulpits, one on either side, which would add (3 x 2 = 6 x 2 = 12) 12 more people. We are now up to 924! We are packed in as tight as possible! But the reports say more than 1,000 people attended.

Wait! From the records we know that there were at least 72 children who sat on laps through the services! And that first dedicatory session went on for more than 7 hours! That was one of the miracles that day! So, we are at 996 and that does not account for any ushers (two at each entry would make 4) or standing-room-only people, plus there are some sitting areas in the very front of the room as well that may have been used. And this doesn’t account for all the angels that were present, both seen and unseen!

And now, you can picture this.

Notes: 

[i] See, for example, Doctrine and Covenants 97:15-16. Herein the Lord promises that His “glory shall rest upon [the temple]” and “all the pure in heart that shall come unto it shall see God.”

[ii] From extent historical records we know the following hymns were sung at the dedication: Redeemer of Israel; O Thou in Whose Presence; Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken; How Firm a Foundation; Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah (the original words were: Guide me, O thou great Jehovah; Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but thou are mighty; Hold me with thy powerful hand; Bread of heaven, Bread of Heaven, Feed me till I want no more. Feed me till I want no more.); O Happy Souls; Lord of the Worlds Above; How Pleased and Blest Was I; This Earth Was Once a Garden Place; E’er Long the Veil Will Rend in Twain; Now Let Us Rejoice; The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning. What a glorious heritage of music we have from the dedication of the Kirtland Temple!