In the middle of Provo, Utah, there is a graceful and beautiful brick building.
The building has been there since 1898, though not in its current purpose.
This building was once the Provo Tabernacle. As a student at Brigham Young University (BYU) I used to attend certain religious meetings in the Tabernacle. Concerts were held there as well as other community events.
In 2010, the building was nearly destroyed by a devastating fire, and the Tabernacle seemed to be done for. But then, it was decided that the building would be restored and renovated, and repurposed as one of the Latter-day Saint temples.
With painstaking care, workings reworked the old Tabernacle, keeping what they could of the original bricks and stones, as well as ensuring that the look of the new temple would faithfully follow the Tabernacle's original design.
In 2016, the Provo City Center Temple was dedicated and became the second working temple in that city.
Given that I was there for the journey from fire to temple dedication, this temple has a personal significance for me and is one of my all-time favorite temples in the world. It was a unique look to it, particularly with the brick and the blue roof -- most temples are done in white or cream colors, very few are made of brick or have much color on the outside. This temple is stunning, and I catch my breath a little every time I see it.
