After years of construction and controversy, the Cody Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is open to the public for a limited time.
An open house for Wyoming’s third LDS temple is set for Thursday. It’s a chance for non-members to see the interior of the temple overlooking Cody.
After a dedication on Oct. 25, only LDS members in good standing will be allowed inside the 9,950-square-foot structure, which already has enormous significance to them.
“As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we feel that the temple is truly the house of God,” said Elder K. Grett Nattress. “It's a place for us to go for peace, for respite, and a place where we can contemplate our relationship with a loving Heavenly Father.”
The Beauty Around Them
For LDS members, temples are the most sacred structures on God’s earth. They aren’t built for general worship ceremonies but for specific rites, instruction, and contemplation.
Nattress explained the basics of these rites and the rooms associated with them during a Monday tour for members of the press and other guests.
The lavish interior is a mixture of lush carpet, porcelain, stained glass, and original artwork depicting Wyoming and events from the New Testament and the Book of Mormon.
“Each temple around the world is decorated to match the beauty of the landscape around them,” said Nattress’ wife, Shawna, as everyone stepped under the arch and through the doors inside the glass-fiber-reinforced concrete structure. “We're taught in the temple that God's creations are for us to be able to come and enjoy.”
The “local theme” at the Cody temple was Castilleja linariifolia, Wyoming's state flower. The red flowers are in the art glass windows, fabricated by Timeless Art Glass in Utah, complemented by interiors dominated by various hues of green.
Sacred Spaces
Nattress led the group to the baptismal font, at the heart of the temple. This is a space where young members, 11 or older, are baptized.
“They are allowed to perform these baptisms on behalf of our ancestors in heaven,” he said. “If they accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, they can accept or reject this ordinance that's performed for them.”
The baptismal font is patterned after the Temple of Solomon from the Old Testament of the Bible. It was described as a sea of water on the backs of 12 oxen, representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
When these baptisms are underway, the members will be wearing the all-white garments all LDS members will don inside the temple. Nattress said it’s “a symbol of unity before God” and a way to “leave our worldly cares behind, and we come here to focus on the Savior.”
The only white thing the tour group was required to wear was plastic shoe coverings.
“This is just so we don’t mess up the carpet,” Nattress said. “I want to emphasize that there is no spiritual significance to these.”
Instruction, Celestial, Sealing
The next three rooms also had specific purposes for members. The first was the instruction room, which is something like a spiritual theater.
“What do you learn in the temple? Three things: What is my purpose here, what is my existence, and where do I go after I die? The answers to these three questions are taught in this room,” Nattress said.
The room has folding theater seats facing a large television, because instruction is mostly delivered via video. Many LDS temples have multiple instruction rooms, but the Cody Temple only has one.
The sealing room is what Nattress described as “the crowning ordinance” of the temple. It’s where an engaged couple kneels on opposite sides of an altar, join hands, and receive each other as husband and wife.
“That covenant that they make is not just to each other, but to God,” he said. “That they will be true and faithful to each other, and that they will serve one another.”
Nattress expressed how much the rites performed in the sealing room meant to him, as a member and a father of five daughters.
“If some boy wants to marry my daughter, I want him to make covenants with God in the temple and to my daughter that he will be true and faithful for the years to come. It's a beautiful ordinance,” he said.
But the favorite place for many members is the Celestial Room, a high-ceilinged room with a large crystal chandelier, lined with chairs and couches for silent moments of prayer, reflection, and bonding with others and God.
“No teaching (or) instruction is given in the Celestial Room,” Nattress said. “It's a place of peace, of reflection. The Savior said, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’
Shawna said she “never wanted to leave” the Celestial Room.
“It's my favorite room in the whole temple. I feel like I can go there and feel so peaceful, contemplating the love of my Savior. Being able to feel that peace that you really don't get sometimes when you're out in the world is a great escape for me.”
‘A Wonderful Miracle’
The Cody Temple holds enormous significance for local LDS members, but no one had a more emotional reaction when stepping inside than artist and photographer Mark McKenna.
As he entered the temple, he saw his painting “Heart Mountain Glory” mounted on a wall. Seeing his work for the first time overwhelmed him.
“To have a painting in the house of the Lord means the world to me,” he said tearfully. “I’m just thrilled that I can have a piece here, and I hope more than anything that it brings tranquility to those who come here. That's what I find in the temple when I come as a member.”
McKenna, a renowned wildlife artist whose work has appeared in the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, said he dreamed of getting one of his paintings into the Cody Temple.
“There are only three original paintings in the temple,” he said. “By the time I had gotten in contact with the liaison between the Temple Art Committee and the artists, she told me all the paintings had already been earmarked for the Cody Temple.”
McKenna, who lived in Park County for most of his life, submitted a prospective painting anyway. He painted a landscape of Heart Mountain overlooking the Shoshone River near Powell.
“The liaison saw my composition and loved it,” he said. “And she's like, ‘You know what? I think I'm going to present this to the Temple Art Committee.’ So, she petitioned and got the approval to have the commission done.”
McKenna hand-delivered the finished painting to Salt Lake City. Two and a half years later, he saw it for the first time in the Cody Temple on Monday.
“As soon as the temple was announced five years ago, I just wanted to have a painting in the temple,” he said. “I didn’t care if it was in the bathroom closet or whatever. With how everything worked out. I feel this beautiful connection to the Lord. It’s a wonderful miracle.”
But What About The Lighting?
Public tours of the Cody Temple will go from Aug. 27 to Sept. 12, excluding Sundays.
The completion of the Cody Temple comes after considerable controversy and pushback from the community. Maybe people were opposed to the temple's 100-foot height on land formerly zoned and adjacent to many residences.
There was particular anxiety about the temple’s exterior lighting, which was first tested in April. Most LDS temples are lit 24 hours a day as a form of religious symbolism, with the brightness usually determined by local ordinances.
Lisa Hullinger, the area relations manager with the LDS Church, confirmed the temple’s lighting schedule for the community.
“The lights will turn on a half-hour before sunset,” she said. “The lights will be off from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.”
Hullinger said the goal of the open houses was to allow Cody residents to see the temple they’ve been hearing so much about as it was erected overlooking their town. They hope that will help integrate the structure into the community.
“Our goal is that everyone has the opportunity to come and see what it's about and feel the spirit that's here,” she said. “We love it so much, and our goal is that every member reaches out to their friends and neighbors and invites them to come.”
Elder Jeremiah Morgan hoped that opening the temple to non-members would help them understand its significance to LDS members. Over time, he said he believes everyone will accept it as a valuable contribution to Cody.
“We’re grateful we have a temple here,” he said. It's a place that we see as a sacred place for our members to worship, and in five to 10 years, we hope those not of our faith will say they’re grateful that it’s here.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
