Idaho Falls Temple: Interior

Note: This is one of a series of posts on the interiors and floor plans of historic temples:
1. St. George Temple (1877)
2. Logan Temple (1884)
3. Manti Temple (1888)
4. Salt Lake Temple (1893)
5. Laie Temple (1919)
6. Cardston Temple (1923) - Post forthcoming
7. Mesa Temple (1927)
8. Idaho Falls Temple (1945)

The Idaho Falls Temple is significant in that it was the last temple truly built for a live endowment. (The Los Angeles Temple also had all four rooms, but from its dedication used a tape recording to facilitate the presentation of the endowment.) Even though the temple now uses film to present the endowment, its unique architecture remains. Pictures of the interior of the temple for this post come from The Idaho Falls Temple: The First LDS Temple in Idaho, by Delbert V. Groberg; I've also added pictures from the Mormon Newsroom's article on the recent renovation and open house.

First, I liked the arrangement of the temple's lobby and chapel (called 'assembly room,' but really the chapel) where patrons gather before a session begins. Patrons enter the lobby from the recommend desk. On either side are corridors leading to the locker rooms; at the front are the doors leading to the chapel. Above these doors are painted the words, "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him" (Habakkuk 2:20).

Idaho Falls Temple Lobby

The chapel itself has doors on all four walls--patrons enter from the sides and temple workers came in from the back. When it was time to begin, they opened the double doors at the front, revealing a large mural (painted directly on the wall of the temple hall at the base of the stairs) of Jesus teaching His disciples, done by Peter M. Kamp. Patrons then pass the mural on their way up the grand staircase to begin a session.

Idaho Falls Mural and Staircase

Overall, the arrangement of the endowment rooms on this temple is more similar to the floor plan of the Laie or Cardston Temples--the rooms go around the sides of the second floor, and the celestial room is in the center of the building, under the tower. There is only about one stair between each room, so much of it is on the same level. Here is a rough sketch of the temple's second floor:

Patrons come up the grand staircase and immediately enter the creation room. The mural here provids a "birds-eye view" of the world, with patrons seemingly among the clouds. It was done by Harris T. Weberg.

Idaho Falls Creation Room

Idaho Falls Creation Room

It gives us the perspective of the Creator, which is unique to any creation room I've been in.

Idaho Falls Creation Room

Patrons then pass through into the garden room. The mural here was done by Robert L. Shephard.

Garden Room, looking toward the back of the room

Idaho Falls Garden Room

The most striking thing about the garden room are the two trees at the front (representing the two main trees in the Garden of Eden), which are not only painted, but also carved into the wall. This gives them a three-dimensional effect that made them stand out. They are technically bas-reliefs done by (not surprisingly) Torleif Knaphus, a Mormon artist with many well-known works.

Idaho Falls Garden Room

Idaho Falls Garden Room Tree Detail

The next room is the world room, with a mural done by Joseph A.F. Everett.

Idaho Falls World Room - Back (South Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room - Side (East Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room - Side (West Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room

This mural includes a pioneer wagon train crossing the landscape into the Salt Lake Valley, as well a depiction of the miracle of the seagulls. A pioneer couple tills the ground, clearly reminiscent and symbolic of Adam and Eve--the first to work on the earth. These depictions speak to temple patrons of the difficulty of this world, but also the joys and miracles we experience while living here. Heber J. Grant, upon touring this room, responded by "terming the mural as an innovation and expressing enthusiastic approval...satisfaction was given by J. Reuben Clark and other high church officials."

The terrestrial room is next:

Idaho Falls Terrestrial Room

Idaho Falls Temple Stained Glass

Patrons pass through the veil of the temple into the celestial room, which also has murals. These were done by Lee Greene Richards. On the east wall (the view patrons see as they enter), there are paintings representing the eternal rest of those who have lived the gospel of Jesus Christ. The whole room is painted as a landscape, suggesting that the celestial kingdom isn't a building or a place--it's a whole world for the Saints of God to enjoy. According to LDS doctrine, families are united for eternity.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - East Wall

A couple of sealing rooms are also located off the south side of the celestial room.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - Southeast Corner; one of the two sealing rooms is visible

On the west wall is a depiction of the vision of John the Beloved, seeing the New Jerusalem descend from the sky, as recorded in the Book of Revelation.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - West Wall (on the left are two sealing rooms)

In this interpretation, the city in the vision is Temple Square--the outlines of the Salt Lake Temple and Assembly Hall are clearly visible.

The roof of the celestial room opens up into the tower.

The ordinance rooms are not the only ones to have murals; the baptistry also has murals. These were also done by Lee Greene Richards. The main mural (visible here) is The Baptism of Jesus; on the left is The Baptism of Oliver and Joseph, and on the right is The Baptizing of a Convert. Richards also painted quotes from D&C 20:37 and D&C 128:15 over the entrance to the baptistry.

The oxen are quite unique in comparison to other temples--they were done in a very modern, even somewhat abstract, style.

This temple is lovely. It has a variety of styles (true to the time period in which it was built), and it has been lovingly restored. I highly recommend attending this temple if you get the chance.