Monumental or Vainglorious?

The Temple Square, Mormonism’s world epicentre in Salt Lake City, features structures inspired by the Europe of centuries ago, but its overall effect is distinctly New World. All references to historic architecture, even the massive, six-spire temple itself, are buffed bright as the Utah salt flats, while the curvilinear interior of the adjacent visitors’ centre aspires to somebody’s dream of the future. Not unlike the religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints itself, Temple Square holds the glinting revelation of a new penny.

This coin is forged from far older metals, however, some dug so deeply in the crevices of the Hebrew bible and early Christian church as to startle modern observers. Several years ago, those of us in a small tour group being shown around the square by an adolescent church volunteer were embarrassed when one man smirkingly asked, “So, how many wives did Joseph Smith have?” A flush mottled our young guide’s cheeks as she...