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Did the Kirtland Temple Sparkle?

Table of Contents: Did the Kirtland Temple Sparkle?

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I’d like to thank everyone who listens to our podcast on your phone or iPod, or however you listen to us.  For those of you who are watching on YouTube, I want to point out a special extra thing that we’ve done this time.  I have some old public domain photographs of the Kirtland Temple that I think you’ll find really interesting.

YouTube player

I also have also got two special guests, rather than one today.  In addition to Dr. Mark Staker, I’ll introduce Dr. Richard Bennett.  He’s a professor of Church History at BYU and we’ll talk about the construction of the Kirtland Temple.  How much did it cost to build the temple?  We’ll also talk about the Mormon myth about whether the saints really crushed up their china and put it into the plaster of the Kirtland Temple.   When I asked Dr. Bennett that question, he said

YouTube player

No that’s not a true story.  It’s one of those Mormonisms that have come through, somewhere along the line.

However, Dr. Staker said,

I was digging in the ashery pit.  It’s 30 feet across, probably about 15 feet deep pit of ash, and I went through bushels of ashes and I found fragments of ceramics after fragments of ceramics…

Dr. Bennett said,

Nevertheless it was a beautiful, bluish tinge to it and that would shine in the sun…

Staker said that the LDS builders got a patent for the special process and

the sun would shine on it and you’d get little sparkling from a distance and it was quite a dramatic view from the distance.

What’s the true story?  You can listen to the link above, watch the YouTube video below, or get a transcript here, or on Amazon.  Have you heard this story before?  What do you think of the saints sacrifice to build the Kirtland Temple.

(Please note:  This is a continuation of our previous conversation about the Kirtland Temple.)

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More Podcasts with these Guests:

  • Surprising Kirtland History (2017 interview with Mark Staker)
  • LDS Temple Worship Evolution (Re-Release 2017 Dick Bennett interview)
  • *Staker Weighs in on First Vision (Part 5 of 5)
  • Lucy's Dreams, Joseph Sr's Rational Religion (Part 4 of 5)
  • Smith Farmers Were Spiritual Not Religious (Part 3 of 5)

Get more information on the people and things discussed in this episode:

  • Guest: Mark Staker, Richard E. Bennett
  • Kirtland Ohio, Kirtland Temple, LDS Temples
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History
  • Tags: best Mormon history podcast, Church History, Church of Latter Day Saints, Dr Richard Bennett, GT Podcast, iTunes, LDS, LDS Church, Mark Staker, Mormon Church, Rick Bennett

Tell me when the next episode drops!

PrevPrevious EpisodeKirtland Temple University?
Next ExpisodeThe Reclamation of RevelationNext
  • Date: March 13, 2017
  • Guest: Mark Staker, Richard E. Bennett
  • Kirtland Ohio, Kirtland Temple, LDS Temples
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History
  • Tags: best Mormon history podcast, Church History, Church of Latter Day Saints, Dr Richard Bennett, GT Podcast, iTunes, LDS, LDS Church, Mark Staker, Mormon Church, Rick Bennett
  • Posted By: RickB

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Rick Bennett is the friendly host of Gospel Tangents LDS Podcast: The Best Source for Mormon History, Science, and Theology. Book Rick for your fireside or conference.

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Rick Bennett, Host of Gospel Tangents

Rick Bennett is the friendly, independent historian at the heart of Gospel Tangents LDS Podcast: The Best Source for Mormon History, Science, and Theology. When he isn't interviewing Mormon scholars, prophets, and others, he is teaching math and statistics at Utah Valley University. He also freelances as a research biostatistician in the fields of Dermatology and Traumatic Brian Injuries, as well as in the network television/cable T.V. industries as a sports statistician. Rick holds a Master of Statistics Degree from the University of Utah.

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