Brigham Young's vision of the Temple site

While traveling to the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847, Brigham Young had a vision of the site where the Salt Lake Temple should be built. In his own remarks delivered at the cornerstone laying on April 6, 1853, Young recalled that "five years ago last July I was here, and saw in the Spirit the Temple not ten feet from where we have laid the Chief Corner Stone." He noted that the site was "represented before me" whenever he looked upon the ground, and that he had never inquired what kind of temple they should build, because "I see it as plainly as if it was in reality before me. Wait until it is done."

Four days after the first pioneer company entered the valley, on July 28, 1847, Brigham Young — still weak from the mountain fever that had confined him to Wilford Woodruff's wagon — rode out with several of the apostles across the land between the two forks of City Creek. Suddenly he reined in, struck the parched ground with his cane, and declared: "Here we will build the Temple of our God." Wilford Woodruff then drove a wooden stake into the small hole the cane had left, marking the center of the future building. The spot Brigham identified that day is the spot where, nearly six years later, the chief cornerstone was laid — the very stone against which Brigham measured the temple he had seen in the Spirit.

Contemporaries also testified that the temple had been shown in vision before it stood. Wilford Woodruff, who marked the site with his stake, had dreamed years earlier, before the Saints ever saw the valley, of "a large fine looking temple erected in one of these valleys which was built of cut granite stone," and had attended its dedicatory services in the dream.

With characteristic understatement, Brigham Young testified at the cornerstone ceremony: "I scarcely ever say much about revelations, or visions, but suffice it to say, five years ago last July I was here, and saw in the Spirit the Temple not ten feet from where we have laid the Chief Corner Stone. I have not inquired what kind of a Temple we should build. Why? Because it was represented before me. I have never looked upon that ground, but the vision of it was there." The vision was distinct from the account of an angel appearing on a conical hill while he was still crossing the mountains.