Wilford Woodruff's Dream of the Granite Temple and Missionaries Sent to the Nations

Years before the Saints came to the Rocky Mountains, while still in the western country (in the eastern United States), Wilford Woodruff received a prophetic dream. He dreamed of being in these mountains and of seeing a large, fine-looking temple erected in one of the valleys, built of cut granite stone. In the dream he saw the temple dedicated, attended the dedicatory services himself, and saw many men then living among the people called of God and sent forth into the United States and to "Babylon," the Christian world, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony against the nations of the earth because they had rejected the testimony of Jesus and the establishment of the kingdom of God. When the foundation of the Salt Lake Temple was laid, Woodruff recalled his dream, and whenever Brigham Young proposed building the temple of adobe or brick, Woodruff would say to himself, "No, you will never do it," because he had seen it in his dream built of some other material. The dream was fulfilled when the temple was built of cut granite and dedicated on 6 April 1893.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

When in the western country, many years ago, before we came to the Rocky Mountains, I had a dream. I dreamed of being in these mountains, and of seeing a large fine looking temple erected in one of these valleys which was built of cut granite stone, I saw that temple dedicated, and I attended the dedicatory services, and I saw a good many men that are living today in the midst of this people. And I saw them called of God and sent forth into the United States and to Babylon, or what is called the Christian world, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony against the nations of the earth, because they had rejected the testimony of Jesus; and of the establishment of the kingdom of God upon the earth. When the foundation of that temple was laid I thought of my dream and a great many times since. And whenever President Young held a council of the brethren of the Twelve and talked of building the temple of adobe or brick, which was done I would say to myself, "No, you will never do it;" because I had seen it in my dream built of some other material. I have lived to see that temple built of cut granite stone, and I have lived to see it dedicated, and I have lived to see the men that I saw in my dream called of God and sent forth to bind up the law and seal up the testimony against the nations of the earth. These things are true, and they are before us.