- Salt Lake Temple's east doors were reinstalled, marking a renovation milestone.
- Crafted in 1892, the doors underwent extensive restoration preserving original hardware.
- An open house from April to October 2027 expects 3 million to 5 million visitors.
SALT LAKE CITY — The historic east doors of the Salt Lake Temple were reinstalled Tuesday morning, marking a significant milestone in the nearly six-year renovation of one of the most iconic religious structures in the world.
Crews began the installation at 6 a.m. and completed the work in approximately three hours. Each door weighs 580 pounds, stands 12 feet tall and required at least eight workers to hoist into place.
"It's such a huge moment because it's so iconic," said Rich Sutton, director of the Salt Lake Temple Celebration. "You think about every couple who has been sealed here in the temple — they've taken their pictures on the steps. They have those doors in the background. Many of them have placed their hands on the door."
The east doors were crafted in 1892, just months before the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated on April 6, 1893, after 40 years of construction.
The story behind the doors begins even earlier. Four days after pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, they designated the site for their temple, despite having almost nothing to their name.
"They were going to build this building that has been prophesied anciently," said Jacob Olmstead, historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "And so, they do that over the next 40 years."
Draftsman Karl Conrad Schaub designed the east doors following discussions with church President Wilford Woodruff, who encouraged an exceptional design. Family tradition attributes the craftsmanship to Danish immigrant carpenter Herman August Thorup. The doors feature distinctive circular designs with interlocking letters believed to represent "House of the Lord."
Inscribed on the front of the temple are the words "Holiness to the Lord," which act as a threshold into something sacred for members of the church.
After the doors were carefully removed in February 2020 using special hoisting equipment typically used by rock climbers, five companies spent more than 3,500 hours restoring them in a climate-controlled warehouse off-site.
Workers strengthened the wood with color-matching epoxy to fill cracks that had formed over more than a century. Crews cleaned dirt and debris from the intricate carvings. The doors were carefully suspended during storage to prevent warping. Most of the original hardware was preserved — only the hinges are new. The doors' interior hardware was also updated so each side can open independently as an emergency exit.
"It was more nerve-racking taking them down," said Dusty Roe of Jacobsen Construction. "We did some mock-ups. 'How are you going to do it over the top of the stairs?' Everything we've done has been thoroughly thought through on this job."
For Roe and his crew, the project has been deeply meaningful.
"I've seen more than one or two tears inside there; people walking and looking at what it is," he said. "To see it in vibrant colors — it's impressive."
The reinstallation in June 2026 was the culmination of months of planning by the Jacobsen Construction-led renovation team, which used much of the same hoisting equipment as during the original removal.
The east doors have long been one of the most photographed features of the temple — appearing in the wedding pictures of generations of church members. Yet for more than 130 years, they have never served as a primary public entrance or exit.
That is about to change.
The Salt Lake Temple Celebration is scheduled to run April 5 through Oct. 1, 2027 — the first time in more than 130 years the general public has been able to access the Salt Lake Temple. Limited public tours were held in 1893 before the temple's dedication.
The church estimates between 3 million and 5 million visitors — as many as 29,000 people per day — will participate in what is expected to be the largest temple open house in church history.
"We want everyone to come," Sutton said. "Member, nonmember — anyone who has been curious: 'What does the Salt Lake Temple look like, what happens inside?' Please come."
Tickets become available on Sept. 1.
The Church will need approximately 35,000 volunteers to help run the celebration. All members living within Utah will be invited to apply for recurring weekly shifts over the course of a two-month section of the open house.
Next April, the doors installed on Tuesday will open to the world.
