Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Two Baptistries in the New Syracuse Utah Temple

Blueprints released today by the City of Syracuse for the proposed Syracuse Utah Temple detail two separate baptistries on the bottom level of the temple. This finding suggests that other large temples in Utah may also include a double baptistry to accommodate the significant demand for this type of ordinance in the temple. Baptistries in many of the large Utah temple are often highly utilized and result in limited opportunities to meet demand for patrons. The groundbreaking for the Syracuse Utah Temple is scheduled for June 2021. Click here to access the blueprints for the temple. If you have any confirmation of other temples with a double baptistry, please comment.

21 comments:

EP said...

I wish we saw behind the curtain like this more than we have. It's very enlightening to see the blueprint plans and understand how that affects temple design as a whole. Some of the room sizes are very interesting to me, the endowment rooms seem outright tiny compared to the overall size of the temple. I'm wondering how much in common this building has with the Layton Temple and/or the Orem Temple, at least on the second and third floors. Great find, thanks for sharing.

Also, that Helena temple being so close to groundbreaking is astounding. With a temple that small, I wonder if Missoula may actually not be far behind.

Brett Stirling said...

The initiator idea have been moved to the sealing room floor as well.

1geeksLife said...

Gotta engage the youth more by building temples closer to them, and making doing baptisms easier. The path of getting youth more involved in temple worship sooner, and more often. Give them reasons to stay worthy. Let them have spiritual experiences on a more regular basis.

David said...

I also noticed that the initiatory areas are not in the main locker rooms, but are instead on the third level with the sealing rooms.

Eduardo said...

I made a comment about digital records. Helps to not repeat the work.

L. Chris Jones said...

Many large temples have cafeterias. Like Salt Lake, part of this area could be converted to a second baptistry and a small break room for temple workers. It may be possible to do much of the work during the manual maintenance periods without the need for a full temple renovation or closure. I've seen some temples do major changes during some of that time like when Provo took out the escalators. Could some of this be done during the current COVID closures depending upon the phase the temple is in? There won't be a need of an open house and maybe only a rededication for just that part of the temple.

John Pack Lambert said...

I find it interesting that the Helena Trmple will be only about 10,000 square feet. I find it even more intriguing that the Lima Peru Temple is only about this size.

I expect that Lima will be remodeled and still expect a 3rd temple to be announced for Lima by 2030.

John Pack Lambert said...

New area leadership has been announced. There are no changes in area number as far as I can tell. All three areas in Africa retained the same leadership. There are a few bold moves like moving Elder Christiansen to be head of the South America South Area from leading the Utah area, but most areas that saw a new area president it was the old first counselor.

James G. Stokes said...

John Pack Lambert, you are partially correct and partially incorrect. Let me clarify that statement: You are correct that there is no change in the total number of areas. There are indeed still 22 areas, 6 in North America, and the remainder elsewhere in the world. But you are incorrect about there not being any changes in any of the Africa Area presidencies. It is true that there were no changes reported in two of the three Africa Area presidencies (namely, Africa Central and Africa West). But there were changes in the Africa South Area presidency that affected other presidencies.

Effective August 1, 2018, Elder S. Mark Palmer was designated the president of the Africa South Area. He has served as such since that time. During General Conference earlier this month, President Oaks presented two changes in the Presidency of the Seventy, announcing that Elders Robert C. Gay and Terence M. Vinson would be released, and that Elders Paul V. Johnson and S. Mark Palmer would begin serving in the Presidency of the Seventy, effective August 1 of this year.

Since Elder Palmer has been called to the Presidency of the Seventy, he is being released as the Africa South Area president. While there is no change to the counselors in that area presidency, Elder Christoffel Golden Jr., a native of South Africa, has been called to succeed Elder Palmer as the area president. Elder Golden had been serving as the president of the Europe East Area, so the Church made changes in that area presidency as well.

For any who may be interested in a more thorough analysis of today's announced area leadership changes, you can find that in the following two documents that are accessible to anyone with the link:


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fPBUH9-hjWnMMcwc2qsw1MZu6H6eB59ocnJRFGLiw44/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LcrIGNXkWIukniQVSIppJF4Z3fvem7thn5R-NUUORoM/edit?usp=sharing

Hope this information is helpful to all who read it. Thanks.

James G. Stokes said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
James G. Stokes said...

Also, JPL, when you mention "Elder Christiansen" did you perhaps mean "Elder Christensen"? Aside from now-retired Tabernacle orgaist Clay Christiansen, I am not personally aware of any general leaders with the last name of the former organist. Thanks.

Eric S. said...

We know Salt Lake will have two baptistries as well. I guess we should look at Lindon and Smithfield as future possibilities, in addition to any other possible renovations.

When the online appointments for the Jordan River Temple baptistry became available several weeks back before the move to phase 2B, those appointments were set for 90 days out. All those appointments were filled within the first hour.

Chris D. said...

Confirmed today on Classic Maps, from a division of the Cape Coast Ghana Stake - 519545, is the new "Abura Ghana Stake - 2178869".

https://classic.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/#ll=5.129521,-1.285047&z=13&m=google.hybrid&layers=stakecenter&q=2178869&find=stake:2178869

John Pack Lambert said...

Considering the positive attention and PR open houses can generate I personally think finding as many chances to stage temple open houses as possible is a good thing. I guess there is a point where impact lessens if they are too common but I do not think we are anywhere near that saturation point.

John Pack Lambert said...

With Cape Coast Ghana stake being divided I find it even more likely Cape Coast will have a temple announced in the fall.

On another note I find it interesting there have been 3 general authorities called from the Africa Central Area, 2 from the Africa South Area and only 1 from the Africa West Area. The overall number of general authorities is still so low that statistical variations like this may not be big surprises.

Also interesting is that although there are more people and church members in southern California all the current apostles with California connections have northern California connections.

President Eyring was a professor at Stanford and a bishop there. Elder Gong grew up in I believe Palo Alto. David B. Haight was for a time his stake president and officiated at Elder Gong's wedding. Elder Bednar grew up in I believe Castro Valley in Alameda County. Elder Cook went to Stanford and was president of the San Francisco stake. Elder Holland I believe was for a brief time institute director in Berkrley. So I believe they all lived basically in only 3 counties and clearly in the San Francisco Bay Area.

John Pack Lambert said...

If I have compiled right there have also been the following other states besides California, Washington and Utah
Idaho- President Oaks, Elder Andersen, President Eyring and Elder Bednar were all at times resident in Idaho.

Arizona-Elder Uchtdorf was a director of an aviation school here

New Mexico-President Eyring was stationed her with the military. He also served as a district missionary
Texas-Elder Uchtdorf received his training as a pilot here
Florida-Elder Andersen lived her for several years and was stake president in Tampa.
Tennessee-Elder Christopherson lived here for a time
North Carolina- Elder Christopherson got his law degree here. He also lived here later
Arkansas-Elder Bednar was a business professor here and stake president
Minnesota-President Nelson was a Ph.D. student here
Illinois-President Oaks was a law student here, part of a law firm here, and then a law professor. He was for about 9 years.
Indiana-Elder Bednar did grad school at Purdue
Ohio-Elder Rasband worked as a salesman here
Virginia-Elder Gong was a bishop here. Elder Christopherson practiced law in Herndon.

Washington, DC - Elder Gong worked for a think tank here. Elder Christopherson was a clerk for the Federal district court here. President Oaks was a clerk for the Supreme Court here. President Nelson lived here for a time while assigned to the Walter Reed Medical Center. He was a counselor in a bishopric of the DC 3rd ward.

Maryland-Elder Gong was for a time a professor at the Johns Hopkins University. Elder Renlund did his residency at the same institution. He was also a bishop over a mainly inner-city Baltimore Ward.

Pennsylvaia- this is why Elder Eyring was baptized but he lived in New Jersey then.

New Jersey-Elder Eyring lived here until he was about 14. Elder Christopherson lived here while a teenager. Elder Renlund may have spent some of his mission here.

New York-Elder Renlund spent most of his mission here. He was also mission president here.
Connecticut-Elder Ren look under lived for a time in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Elder Holland has his Ph.D from Yale.
Massachusetts-President Nelson lived for a time in Massachuseets and worked at Massachusetts General Hospital. This is where he was Wilbur Cox's hometeacher. Brother Cox was brought back to activity in part by President Belson's actions and would later be the first president of the Boston Stake.
President Eyring was a counselor to Brother Cox in the district presidency while stake a grad student at Harvard. He also met his wife while in Massachusetts. They were both resident in Massachusetts but the initial meeting may have been at a church event in either Vermont on New Hampshire.

I get to 20 states with only 15 members of the quorum of the 12 and first presidency. That is pretty good.

John Pack Lambert said...

I have also figured countries current members of the 12cand first presidency have lived in. My list may not be comprehensive

Canada-President Ballard was mission president in Toronto
Brazil-Elder Soares lived him almost all his life until he became a general authority. He served his mission here.
Argentina-Elder Christopherson served his mission here
Chile-Elder Holland lived her for 2 years as an area president
South Africa-Elder Renlund lived here several years as area president. Elder Soares did for a short time while in the area presidency
Portugal-Elder Soares was mission president here
France-Elder Andersen was mission president here
The United Kingdom-Elders Ballard, Cook and Holland were missionaries here. Elder Gong was a grad student here. Elder Holland was in the area presidency here as well.
Germany-Elder Uchtdorf spent most of his life here. Elder Bednar was a missionary here. I believe Elders Ranband and Christopherson lived here while in area presidencies.
Poland-Elder Uchtdorf lived her as a small child
The Czech Republic-Elder Uchtdorf was born in its borders
Switzerland-Elder Uchtdorf got his MBA from an institution here
Hong Kong-Elder Gong lived her while area president
Taiwan-Elder Gong served his mission here. He also worked her for a short time.
China-Elder Gong worked her at the US embassy. He also was branch president of the Beijing Branch.
Japan-Elder Stevenson served his mission here. He also lived here as area president. He was also president of the Japan Nagoya Mission. All told I think he lived in Japan 9 years.
The Ohilipines-President Oaks lived here 2 years as area president

John Pack Lambert said...

My list above may not be comprehensive. President Belson spent a few months in Korea in 1952, but I do not think it passes the lived there threshold.

I can not say much about when Elder Rasband lived 1977-1985 or so. I can verify Ohio and Ridgefield, Connecticut, but there may be more there that I am missing.

Elder Gong would periodically visit relatives in Hawai'i as a child but I do not think this counts.

Johnathan Reese Whiting said...

New article on the value of singles in the Church:

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/embracing-unique-needs-gifts-single-adults?fbclid=IwAR3LpUYt4m0GFbgI2iYnd3bUKWo8JqVjLLM2uxtd9BoizhZg5-APlFWdmzw

twinnumerouno said...

It was Elder Rasband, not Elder Renlund, who served a mission and then was mission president in New York. If you add in recent former apostles, Elder Hales was I believe born in New York.

Don't forget about Elder Renlund's repeated time in Sweden.

twinnumerouno said...

His connection with Sweden is probably as strong as Elder Stevenson's with Japan.