Are Utah saints spoiled by proximity to the temples? I would argue in the affirmative. Every general conference, as we non-Utah saints celebrate announcements of new temples to be built throughout the world, we silently (and sometimes audibly) groan when we hear of another Utah temple. Driving through the Valley, you can visibly see three temples in one glance in the Salt Lake Valley. Do the saints there take that for granted? Again, I argue yes.
The most recent evidence is the division resulting in plans for the Toole Valley temple. Plans for this temple included building a “walkable” neighborhood of high-density housing around the edifice. Local residents opposed this part of the planned temple and they went to the zoning board to block it. From their reaction, you would have thought that the Church was planning to build Philly-style “Projects” in their back yard. And heaven forbid that temple lights might shut down the local drive-in movie!
The use of zoning boards to hinder temple construction has been used by anti-Mormons for the past couple of decades. It usually stalls progress, but rarely blocks construction altogether. The first time I recall this happening was in the building of the Boston Temple. The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and its members led the charge in that instance. They successfully blocked the temple based on the height of the spire. The Church kept building the temple, and ultimately dedicated it without the spire. Once the ordinances for the dead began, Satan’s earthly minions had little reason to continue their opposition. A compromise was decided upon and the spire was added later. Shortly thereafter, the infamous Cardinal Bernard Law was implicated in covering up for pedophile priests in the first really big clergy child molestation scandal in the United States.
The next example that stood out was the city of Nashville, Tennessee successfully blocking the permit to construct the temple using the zoning board. Anti-Mormon evangelicals rallied, using the zoning board, to claim that the presence of a large house of worship would disrupt the “residential character” of the neighborhood. When the Church was finally voted down, it acquired property in an area outside the city limits and constructed the temple there. It sold the property a few years later to a group that proceeded to build a large Baptist church on it (which somehow didn’t disrupt the “residential character” of the property). A week after the zoning board denied the construction permit, a rare tornado struck Nashville and did a billion dollars in damage.
It is a shame to see members of the Church use the anti-Mormon zoning board tactics to oppose the Church’s plans for the temple and use of its owned property around the structure. In recent years, the Church has come under attack for its real-estate ventures. Some anti-Mormons have tried to characterize the Church as a giant real estate business disguised as a not-for-profit corporation. They attacked plans to develop some Church-owned ranch land in Florida, City Creek Mall, and other development projects. Latter-day Saints have been among those who have criticized the Church for these initiatives.
Perhaps the saints have forgotten our article of faith that says that the Church will build the New Jerusalem here, on the American continent. This isn’t the 1800s. We won’t be building log cabins in the New Jerusalem. The Church needs to practice urban planning and city construction. In particular, there is a revealed plan that tells us what Zion is supposed to look like and how it is to function. It will take some practical experience to realize that plan.
Mormonism emerged in a transition period between agricultural and industrial America. Joseph Smith’s Zion model was not a rural vision, but an urban one. It brought farmers into the city where they could enjoy the benefits of urban life and culture, while making access to their farmlands a short commute on broad city streets. It incorporated manufacturies and businesses in close proximity to residential areas. It was a remedy to urban sprawl. Long commutes would be unnecessary. It would be accessible on foot for most people. Residents would enjoy easy access to the stores needed for daily shopping. Urban homes would enjoy enough land to plant subsistence gardens and small orchards.
American cities didn’t grow up according to any kind of central planning, but Mormon communities like Nauvoo did. Early Salt Lake City and other Utah communities did, but the arrival of the Gentiles led to uncontrolled expansion and development. The results were urban sprawl, traffic jams, crowding, and crime. If one were to examine the recent Church real estate projects in that light, you’d see the pattern. The Church is seeking to practice construction along the Zion model. It’s trying to create neighborhoods centered on a temple, where residents can live, work, and worship without needing automobiles. It is practicing planning and the skills needed to construct a green, modern Zion.
As for the saints in Tooele Valley, it is unfortunate that they opposed their Church and its plans. They would find great blessings. Rather than divide the saints and wait for a referendum to go to a vote, the Church simply abandoned the plans for the sake of unity. It will just build the temple now, without the modern neighborhood plan. It’s a shame. The members just denied themselves a great good. In my opinion, for what it’s worth, they don’t even deserve the temple. Let’s hope we don’t see an aftermath like we did in Boston or Nashville.
Notes:
https://www.deseret.com/2000/10/2/19531489/dedication-sunday-for-lds-church-s-100th-temple-in-boston
Comments