The construction of the Salt Lake Temple was more than just building a cathedral; it forged bonds among pioneers engaged in the Lord’s work.
“Perhaps one of the purposes of the 40-year construction period was to give them time to come together as a people. To blend their skills, their experiences, their personalities, their work ethics and come together as one,” Sean Stahl said.
Stahle, a former journalist and current service missionary for Liahona magazine, taught a class March 7 at RootsTech 2026 titled “Every Stone Is a Sermon: Considering the Mysterious Future of the Salt Lake Temple.”
Rev. Stahle referred to the Family History Conference’s 2026 theme, “Together,” and spoke about how the Salt Lake Temple has brought people together in the past, present, and future, and will continue to do so.
Salt Lake Temple Past, Present, and Future
In 2024, then-Presiding Bishop Gerald Cosse, now of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said, “The Salt Lake Temple is a living building with a past and a future.”
Stahle added, “This building touches on our pioneer past, aligns with our present, and has a millennium future.”
He also drew this connection across time into a spiritual context. “It has to do with our past lives before we were born into this world, and it has to do with answers, purpose, and power in this life, and it prepares us for a noble future.”
He said the church is now “a watchdog for a growing international church.”
In this temple “we should always see God”
“The spirit of this building invites us to reflect on the sacred,” Stahle said.
He quoted Elder J. Golden Kimball, a General Authority Seventy, who said in April 1915 general conference, “When I think of that building, every stone in it is a sermon to me. It speaks suffering, it speaks sacrifice, it preaches. Every stone in the building preaches a sermon.”
Quoting President Boyd K. Packer’s April 2000 parable, Mr. Staehle acknowledged that temples are architectural beauties, but the “pearls” within them are larger than the “boxes” that contain them. The temple is “magnificent” because of the ordinances performed and the covenants made in the house of the Lord.
“This is a place that is ‘delightful to the eye’ and ‘delightful to the heart,’” Staehle said, quoting Doctrine and Covenants 59:18. “And I suggest, like Brigham Young, that we should look to this earth and always look to God.”
The Power of Solidarity in the Salt Lake Temple
Twenty years ago, Stahle realized the power of the Salt Lake Temple to bring people together while reporting on the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
“Temples have become a kind of watering hole,” he says. “Everyone came to the temple.”
In that environment, Stahle met people from cultures around the world who spoke different languages. They all marveled at the huge frontier-era temple.
“When I was there, from early in the morning until late at night, I never saw at least one news crew filming at the temple.”
Indeed, it was a picturesque backdrop for their coverage, Stahle says. “But I think there was something that drew them to that background.”
He added: “During the 40 years of construction, when these huge blocks of granite were scattered on the ground and passersby could hear the sounds of chisels and hammers, did the workers have any idea how much international airtime this building would get?”
Stahle said the pioneers knew they weren’t just building another building. “They knew they were building a temple for God.”
“The Unintelligible Future of the Salt Lake Temple”
In recent years, Stahle has witnessed renovation work on the Salt Lake Temple from outside his office window and found the work breathtaking. “To me, this is a testament to the bold faith of the prophet and the big thinking of Heaven.”
He said members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a responsibility to invite everyone to the open house as the historic Lord’s House transitions into the future.
The Salt Lake Temple open house, to be held from April to October 2027, will be “the spiritual celebration of this century,” Stahle said.
He quoted the late President Russell M. Nelson, who said in 2019, “I promise you will love the results. They will emphasize and highlight the life, ministry, and mission of Jesus Christ to bless every nation, kindred, language, and people.”
Stahle said everyone is invited to the open house, so “our job is to make sure everyone is invited and everyone feels welcome.”
He added: “Everyone should have the opportunity to be a part of it.”
