CNN Offers Limited Sneak Peek Inside Salt Lake Temple Ahead of 2027 Celebration

CNN, a major United States-based media outlet, has published a story on the renovation of the iconic Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just days before ticket distribution begins for a six-month celebration starting in April and running through October 1, 2027.

“This is such a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for … the rest of the world to come and see what for more than a century was for Church members only,” Elder Matthew S. Holland, Executive Director of the Church Communication Department, told the global news organization.

CNN Salt Lake City’s signature LDS temple is undergoing a historic transformation. Here’s a peek inside | CNN

CNN reported on the unique opportunity visitors will have to tour the “iconic religious landmark that has been closed to everyone but [Latter-day Saints] in good standing since it was dedicated 133 years ago.”

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“A Christian denomination with nearly 18 million members worldwide, the [Church of Jesus Christ] has grown steadily since its humble beginnings almost two centuries ago in upstate New York,” the article stated.

For its coverage, the media outlet took its cameras on a hard hat tour inside the “six-spired Gothic Revival temple” on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, in March. CNN also interviewed a Utah business leader, a university professor, an author, and an art historian for its story.

The coverage also includes a video highlighting the interior reconstruction.

“From the outside, the temple’s white stonework and dramatic spires make it look a little like a fairy-tale castle,” said the report. “Its exterior is rich with symbolism, from stone carvings representing the all-seeing eye of God to a golden statue, atop the highest spire, of an angel blowing a trumpet to herald the Second Coming.”

The Salt Lake Temple was closed for major renovation in December 2019, which included a seismic upgrade of the 187-million-pound temple.

“We’re opening these doors to everyone because we believe the temple has a message that’s relevant,” Elder Holland told CNN. “It’s sacred to us as a people of faith, but it’s also something that we believe offers peace and promise to all.”

Newsroom Salt Lake Temple Open House Tour Reservations Available on September 1