When the Ogden and Provo Temples were dedicated in 1972, they were unlike any previous temples. Popular reaction to their unconventional designs was mixed at best. While many people accepted the buildings without question, others found them unattractive. An evaluation 40 years after their dedication will explore the origin of the Ogden/Provo temple designs. The designs reflect an attempt to create a modern, efficient temple in the stylistic vocabulary of the time and represent the apex of Modernism in temple design. The two temples set a benchmark for efficiency and reflect an era of optimism about what Mormonism could achieve. Forty years later, the status of the two temples indicates a further shift in the Mormon concept of temples.

Alan Barnett