The principles of rebirth, restoration, and conversion are just as important in religion as they are in historic preservation. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS Church, with members often referred to as Mormons or Latter-day Saints) is an example of a Christian church that has a history of conversion -- for buildings as well as people.

The LDS Church has two kinds of houses of worship: chapels and temples. Chapels are where regular Sunday meetings and other public events are held. Temples are used for sacred religious ceremonies such as marriages and baptisms. To date, the LDS Church has converted four existing chapels into temples. In each case, the building has been (or is being) preserved and given new life.

Vernal, Utah

Dedicated November 2, 1997

The dedication of the Vernal Utah Temple marked the first time the LDS Church reused an existing building for a temple. It was previously the Uintah Stake Tabernacle, which was dedicated in 1907 and served the community as a chapel for many years until the Church closed it in 1984. The people of Vernal valued the building and rejoiced when the Church announced its decision ten years later to turn the abandoned tabernacle into a temple. Construction workers fortified the building, restored the exterior, and rebuilt the interior to match the building’s original architectural style. The original tabernacle was built at great sacrifice to the Latter-day Saints of the previous century, and now their legacy is preserved in the Vernal Utah Temple today.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Dedicated May 23, 2004

The Priorvej Chapel, dedicated in 1931, was one of the first LDS chapels in Scandinavia. When it was converted to a temple, its neoclassical exterior remained the same. Though its interior was redone, elements of the old chapel can still be seen as a reminder of its history.

It is fitting that a reused historic building stands near a historic part of Copenhagen. The LDS Church sent its first missionaries to Denmark in 1850, though many of the first Danish converts immigrated to Utah. The building of the Priorvej Chapel in 1931 helped to establish a stable foundation for Danish members when the Church started to encouraged converts to remain in their native lands to help strengthen the Church in their area.

Manhattan, New York

Dedicated June 13, 2004

Temples are meant to be places of quiet refuge, so it seems odd to have one standing at a busy intersection in the middle of Manhattan. The architects faced the challenge of creating a quiet environment in the middle of the city.

To meet this challenge, they used the same soundproofing techniques they found in the nearby Lincoln Center, where the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and New York City Ballet perform. The exterior is very much the same, with the addition of decorative glass panels that depict flowing water on the facade.The interior design and artwork depicts the local trees and flowers, making the entire building very much a part of Manhattan.

Before it housed the temple, the 1975 building was used for a variety of religious, educational, and social activities for the Church. It still serves multiple purposes today. The temple itself takes up the top three floors and the first floor of the building, while the second floor holds offices and the third floor holds a chapel.

Provo City Center

Dedication March 20, 2016

Built in 1898 (five years after the completion of the Salt Lake City Utah Temple), the Provo Tabernacle in downtown Provo, Utah, was a landmark and symbol of Mormon pioneer heritage in the area, and was used as a chapel. Provo residents were shocked when the building burned down in December 2010. Almost the entire interior was destroyed, but most of the exterior remained intact.

The next year, Church leaders announced its decision to restore the tabernacle and dedicate it as the Provo City Center Temple. This will be the first time the Church has built two temples in one city, and the second time it has restored a pioneer-era tabernacle for a temple. The extensive project included the addition of underground parking, as well as a large gazebo on newly-designed grounds. Mormons in the Utah Valley have waited anxiously for the open house and the dedication of the second LDS temple in Provo, both of which will take place in March of 2016.