Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1960 A History of the Manti Temple Glen R. Stubbs Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Cultural History Commons, History of Religion Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Stubbs, Glen R., "A History of the Manti Temple" (1960). Theses and Dissertations. 5150. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5150 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. pazpozpoc safs1f A HISTORY OF THE MANTI TEMPLE A thesis presented to the department of history brighamBrigharaharmhamm young university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree master of science by glen R stubbsLE july 1960 PREFACEPREFhoehogACE As a resident of sandates&npetesanpate county for some years my interest naturally focuses upon the hantimanti templetempie research into the history of this particular building indicated that very little had been written concerning theniehistory of its pplanning and construction the scope of this study covers the period between 1891849 and 1960 with the most concentrated research on the period between 18771377 and 1888 this thesis represents an attempt to give an accurate history of the hantimantimantlmentitempletempiein order that local residents interested scholars the latter day saint people and others alightmight gain a better insight into the history pertaining to this buildingbu ing every attempt has been madea to search all attainable primary sources because of the ccessibilityaccessibilityinaccessibility of bomedomesomea source material this history is not as complete in detail as it otherwise could be however it does give an insight into the problems faced by the early settlers of manti and gives a basic account of the planning construction and dedication of the temple later improvements andend additions to the temple and grounds as well as its religious significance in the community are also described main sources for this research have been newspapers church periodicals the sanpete stake records minutes of meetings heldheidhold in the manti tabernacle 1882188518821885188218321885 unpublished manuscripts at the church historianhistorians office in salt lake city manti temple historical iii ivly record bincesince 1388 andwid personal interviewinterviews I1 am indebtedtedbed to many perpersortsperannaperaonasorts for their assistance in the acompilationamrd lat of this history bapeciallylepeci&14 to dror leasellbaselituaael boB Swenswensensenaenwmagn profeaaorfessorressorresaor of history iirighamilrighamyoung university for hishiahla timely and helpful suggestions and to dr russelnussel R rich and gustive 0 darsonderson assoassociateassoclateaftsooiateclateclabe professorsprofeor of the church history department aeA williamwliilamdi iah49lund assistantabiablAei tant church bistorhistorhistorianhiatorianhishlaHiatorianborianborlan s and his staff president A dombnt Pstpstwaonpetpebpeterwmpwaon rantirentikentlkantimanti temple presidentPreaidentsidenb and lewisdenielewiedemis R andersonanderaon and robert D young retired templelampiepresidents thanks aisoalsoalao to jamesjamea andersonanderaon hrsmrsmramr fabelmabel Sslibbona9pap frankbrenkprankprenk cox hrsmrs elvaeivauva ChristiChriatianchristianerchristianemchriatianaenanembenaen joesphjoeeph judd edwin jeneen mebmramea lbsabsabeabw livingstonLivingeton J hattenbattenhatton carpntercarpentercarpanter antienliencianaena jamood olaon of cantilyantilhantlnantimanti P C petersonpeberpeterbonaoneonwilford brebreinholtolt fanniepannie ihoapeonthompson oscar nielsonnieMielsonlaon seymour christensenchrischrlsChrialensenteneenbenben and havlemarie laramlarwnlarvm of ephraimephreimEphraiareimrelm andend B PF larsen andanclancifred markham of provo photographs werewamfurnishedfumiahed by the church bistorhistortorianahistorianshistorianaHisloriana to office and by krserbmrs lvaivaava christianChriatianchristiansenchriatiansenchriatianaenabnbansenaennan thankthanks to them and alalaoso to krarrsmrs 1araarlarae kinder of Huntingthuntingtoncm utah for the mounting of the picturespictureaburea I1 am particularly grateful to howard cox of manti who has been so helpful to me in my research above all I1 am indebted to my wife kay for the typing of the manuscript and for her continued interest and support during the writing of this history TABLE OF CONTENTSCON TS page PREFACE e 9 e e 9 9 9 illliiiii111 LISTT OF illustrations vi chapter I1 THE SETTLING OF MANTI 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 IIliilit11III111 A TEMPLE IS PLANNED 0 0 0 0 0 15 liiIII111 THE construction PERIOD 187718881877 1888 25 1 the construction 2 financing the temple 3 workers and their skilled crafts 4 the manti temple association 5 the building program and economicecon c development 6 the faith of the people IV THE dedication e a 60 V lacerLATERLA developments AND significance OF noidnoldTHETOIL TEKPUTEMPLE 66 1 finishing landscaping and additional improvements 2 significant aspects of the temple APPENDIX e a e e e 0 e e 9 e 9 9 9 9 81 bibliography e e e 94 YV LIST OF illustrations figure page 111 map of manti temple district 1876 s 9 0 0 0 0 0 21 2 temple 1883 & e g 0 s 0 0 s e e 9 s 0 e 0 34 3 temple 1885 0 e 0 0 s 0 e 9 9 a e e 37 4 temple 1888 0 0 0 6 0 0 a 75 Avi CHAPTER I1 toztwenozTHETOA SETTLDGSETTLING OF nantimantlKANTIMANTI situated in the south central part of the state of utah surrounded bybyrbye the wasatch nounmounmountainsno the hanti temple has been seen by thouthousandsthousandissandisdandis of tourists who have marveled at its beauty its archi- tecturaltectural design and the unique history which burrosurrosurroundsa it the city of manti is located on the eastern side of the sanpete valley one hundred twenty miles south of salt lakee city the altitude is 55485548 feet above sea levleylevels1 the 5topitchtch valley more commonly known as sanpeteSanpete is sixty miles in length with an average width of 1 thirty miles and contains about 11820 square miles it takes its 2 name from sanditchsanpitchsianpitchSanSianpitch chief of the indianslansians who lived in the valleyveileyvalleys these natives known as the sanpitchessempitchesSanSemsampitches were an independent branch of ute indians sanditchsanpitchSanpitch was a brother of the ute chief walker when the settlers arrived in the valley the hill on which the manti tepletepieteepleteepietemple now stands was gray in color and not very attractive to the eye the soil which covered it was shallow and shaly As there were no streams that flowed over its semibarrensemi barren surface the legetavegeta 3 tion was stunted and dwarfed this hihillll11 is marked by the outcrop of a 1waw W H leverlover history of01 undeteundenesanpete and klum counties ogden utahtutahlutacht published by the author 18119118986 p 11 biebibanoble2nobleble warrum ed utah since statehood salt lakelakke citticityicityt S J clarkclarisclanisclarnc publishing co 191919 p 519 gillian H peterson the miracloofniraMiramiraclecloofof the mountainmountains mantimantlmanniihantimantii published by the author 194201942 p 9 6 1 2 wellwelistratified and evenly beadedbedded deposit of oolite thisthiathib oolite isie of uniuniformroriaforrA grain and of a fine cream color this is a grgranular rock the separate particles of which are minute spheroids consisting of concentric layers of calcium carbonate the stone spiapipearaarbare underor a lens 4 not unlike fish roe hence the name oolite literally meaning eggstoneeggetoneeggeggseggetoneslonestone the history of tomaletempietemtteplestepletomaleaie hill doesdoosdoobdows not start with the construc- tion of the temple in 1877 but goes back to the early pioneer days of utah under the leadership of the brealgreatgroat colonizer brigham young a groupup of mormon pioneers enteentoontoentered saltsait lakeleke valley anon the twenty fourth of july 188477 the cormonsmormons had chaecamcomcoae west because of the persecutions they had suffered in illinois due to their religiousre ous convictions at this ttinebinsbime the greabgreatgroat basinhasinbadinhadin was part of the territory bebelonging to mexico with no one living there except the indianindians and a few white trappers the settlingnettling of manti in 184911349 was due to the encouragement of one of the indian chiefs talkerwalkerwaiker P who cclairedclaiaednednodmed lordship over sanditchsanpitchSanpitch valley it is purported that he had a rettarremarkablekablekabie dream in about 1840 the following is a white nanamansmana account of ittit he died and his spirit went to heaven he saw the lord s ittingsittingbitting upon a throne dressed in white the lord told him he could not stay he had to return he desired to stay but the lardlord told hiahlahim that he motmistmlat return to earth that there WOwould colcomcosm to hlahiahim a race of white people that wowould bbe his friends and he motoustmust treat themt he kindly hjamesbjames damesjamesjamea E talaageimagetalaagetalamagego theme 12uhouseleebeeeee of the lord salt lakelekela 9 citticityicityt deseret news press 1912 appp 224225224 225 lpeter5peterpeter gottfredson compcoapcomp & ed history of wianmianmlanindian dedreddepredationsdepredatiqas in utautah salt lake cityicitys skelton publishing co 1919 appp 31731317 31318 3 shortly