Draper Temple Openhouse

Our family, went with the Berg cousins,and Grandpa & Grandma Berg to the openhouse for the Draper Temple, on Monday. It was awesome for the kids to get to see inside the temple and catch a glimpse of what Momma & Daddy do when we go there to serve the Lord.
Since I didn't take any pictures of the event, I found an article about the openhouse written by Maurine Jensen Proctor,who is the Editor-in-Chief of Meridian Magazine, so we could remember what everything looked like and what the things were made of.

Made of white granite from China, the temple rises to 50 feet, but the spire that carries the golden statue of Moroni soars to 168 feet.

The Draper Temple will glow above the valley floor, tucked into the southeast corner, in a place appropriately called Corner Canyon.

The recurring motif in the Draper Utah Temple is the sego lily. The sego lily motif is also carved into the carpet in the Celestial room and the paneling and ceilings of other parts of the temple. The sego lily, is Utah 's state flower

Every temple has a baptismal font where work is performed for the dead. It is a loving God that provides a way for all of his children from all ages of time to be taught his gospel and be offered a way to return to Him. Baptism for the dead was certainly known among the early day Saints. As Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? The baptismal font rests on the back of 12 oxen, representing the 12 Tribes of Israel.

This art glass with its soft blues and sages, allows light to flood the temple. It was designed by Tom Holdman.

This elegant room is where a bride comes to finish getting ready just before she gets married.

Throughout the temple, the floors are made of limestone from France and the wood, pictured here with its elegant patterning is Makore from Central Africa.

The Draper Temple has two ordinance rooms whose walls are original murals depicting the beauty of the creation as God designed it. The mural in this room, painted by Linda Curley Christensen, who also painted several original oils for the temple, looks like a scene from the Wasatch Mountains. Colorado artist Keith Bond painted a landscape of yellow aspens for the walls of the other ordinance room.

As a patron leaves the first ordinance room in the temple where the murals are painted, he or she moves into an ordinance room like this where the light is brighter, as a symbol of moving closer to the presence of God.

The craftsmanship in the Celestial Room is beautiful. It is a little taste of what Heaven is like.

The crystals in this chandelier is from Austria, but natural light fills the room through frosted, art-glass windows. Elder Ballard said the temple is designed to maximize the light, a symbol of the light that can fill the souls of those who come.

Even the waiting areas of the temple are calm and peaceful, meant to draw those who attend away from the world into a closer communion with God.
We had a wonderful experience with our family in the Temple. We encourage all of you live close to the openhouse to go. It was worth it!