d have a chance
in the next world. Christ, while his body lay three days in the tomb, went
and preached to the spirits in prison. Likewise, many of the servants of
God have, and are now preaching the gospel to the children of God in the
spirit world. They can there believe and repent, but can not be baptized.
That must be done for them by someone on the earth. This ordinance can be
performed in any place that God directs, but he has commanded that holy
buildings be erected wherein baptisms for the dead can be performed. This,
then, is one use of our temples. Marriages, sealings and other holy
ordinances are also performed in these buildings.

The first temple site was dedicated in Jackson county, Missouri, August 3,
1831, but, as you have been told, no work was done to erect a building. The
Kirtland temple you also have been told about. After the Saints left
Kirtland the building was neglected. Then it came into the possession of
the Reorganization or "Reorganites," as they are sometimes called, a
religious body founded, and built up for the most part by apostates from
the Church. The Kirtland temple is still standing.

Ground was dedicated for a temple at Far West July 3, 1837, but owing to
the Saints being driven away, no work other than digging the foundation was
done.

The next effort was at Nauvoo. This temple was begun April 6, 1841, and
dedicated April 30th and May 1, 1846. You will remember how the Saints
toiled to complete this building. It was a large, beautiful structure, one
of the finest in the west, and cost about one million dollars. About two
years after the Saints had left Nauvoo, the temple was destroyed by fire.

The Salt Lake temple was begun in 1853, but while it was being built three
others were completed. The first of these is the St. George temple. It was
begun the 9th of November, 1871, and dedicated April 6, 1877. The Logan
temple was begun May 18, 1877, and completed May 17, 1884. The corner
stones of the temple at Manti were laid April 14, 1879, and the building
was dedicated May 21, 1888. All these temples are beautiful buildings, and
many are the blessings the Saints have received in them.

Those of you who have not seen the Salt Lake temple may get a good idea of
its beauty by the picture. It is built of hewn blocks of gray granite, a
hard, beautiful stone. It was forty years in building. The last top stone
on the towers, called the capstone, was laid April 6, 1892. There were at
least