The Inspired Publication of The House of the Lord

In 1911, Gisbert L. Bossard, a disaffected convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, conspired with a gardener to secretly gain access to the interior of the Salt Lake Temple. Over several months, Bossard took more than sixty unauthorized photographs of the sacred rooms. Partnering with a local businessman named Max Florence, Bossard attempted to extort the Church. They sent a letter to Church President Joseph F. Smith, demanding a ransom of $100,000 (a massive sum at the time) and threatening to publicly display and sell the photographs if the Church did not comply. Rather than capitulate to the blackmail, President Joseph F. Smith demonstrated remarkable inspiration and steadfast leadership. He firmly refused to pay the extortionists. In a bold and unprecedented move, President Smith preempted their scheme by announcing the situation to the public and authorizing the immediate publication of high-quality, official photographs of the temple's interior. He commissioned Elder James E. Talmage to write a comprehensive book explaining the purpose and sacred nature of temples. This project culminated in the 1912 publication of the landmark book 'The House of the Lord,' which included beautiful, authorized photographs of the Salt Lake Temple interior. Meanwhile, Bossard and Florence's extortion plot completely collapsed. When they attempted to hold a sensational public exhibition of their illicit photographs in New York City, it was a spectacular failure, reportedly drawing only a handful of attendees. What was intended as a malicious attack to embarrass and extort the Church was turned into a profound blessing. Because of President Smith's inspired handling of the crisis, the Church produced a classic theological work that has educated and uplifted millions of Latter-day Saints for over a century, demonstrating how divine guidance can transform adversity into a lasting spiritual triumph.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in LDS Living, 'The Unexpected Way the Church Responded to a Blackmail Attempt'):

In 1911, a former Mormon named Gisbert Bossard, with the aid of a temple grounds gardener, snuck into the Salt Lake Temple while it was being renovated and took photographs of the inside. Then, working with a shady businessman named Max Florence, Bossard attempted to sell the photos to the Church for an exorbitant amount of money. Florence sent a letter to President Joseph F. Smith, including a few of the photos and asking for a large sum of money in exchange for keeping them out of the public eye. The Salt Lake Tribune was the first to report on the scandal, which horrified many faithful Mormons who, of course, felt that their holy temple had been horribly violated. The First Presidency readily agreed and put Talmage in charge of the project. The result was The House of the Lord. The original printing in 1912 featured over 30 photos in the appendix of different rooms or areas in the temple with accompanying explanations.