Does anyone else think that rebuilding the temple was a frivolous expense?

When compared to how the money could have been spent (building a homeless shelter, feeding 3rd world nations), it ABSOLUTELY was a frivolous expense. All temples are more or less a frivolous expense.

However, the Ogden temple is a unique case. Ogden is really not like the rest of Utah. Even though TBMs (and non-TBMs) in Utah look down their noses at Ogden like it's some awful place, I really think it's one of the most underrated places to live in the entire Western U.S. I've told people for a long time that the biggest thing holding Ogden back from reaching its full potential is the fact that it's in Utah. There are too many Utahns who wouldn't even consider living there because of some stupid stigma. If you had a city of the same size in Oregon or Colorado with a university, the same mountain backdrop, nearby ski resorts, charming neighborhoods/art deco buildings, local restaurants, and great freeway/rail access, it would be a very hip and desirable place to live.

Which brings us to the Ogden temple open house. With so many people throughout the state visiting Ogden for what may be the first time in years (or ever), general attitudes about the city may change for the better. This could be a really good thing for Ogden. And with the birthday cake gone, more people might schedule weddings there (could mean more $$$ for local businesses). Of course if this eventually drives up the cost of living or increases the TBM % of the population, it could be bad.

I think that is why they are doing it. If the church redoes the property it has in Ogden, people will be more likely to want to go there and live there. That is the motivation more than anything needed to be rebuilt.

Agreed.

OK Ogden is close to Powder Mountain and Snow Basin and has a great whitewater park about 3 weeks of the year.

But what does Ogden have for culture. Music, Theater, Literature, places where ideas are shared and nourished?

Weber State is not really a University. It's a commuter community college that gives four year degrees.

Do you really think Ogden is a Telluride, Boulder, Portland, or Santa Fe.... I don't think so. It's the home of mediocrity.

Birthday cake? I always thought it looked like a carousel projector with a spider leg on top.

temple had structural problems and no longer met earthquake codes. I guess God's annointed missed the memo on fault front construction. Sooo, the rebuild in this case was probably necessary albeit still frivolous. Glad to see the good things said about my beloved hometown, however. After nearly 25 years I returned to live in the Ogden area despite my ex-mo status because it is just the place for me. :)

That makes sense. The government recently updated the earthquake threat zones and ratings, and Utah did not fare well.

God would not destroy his own house with an earth quake. Would he?

The original Ogden temple faced the parking lot. It did not face Washington Blvd, even though the stake tabernacle next door did. The rebuild has made the new entry face the Blvd., with a nice water element as well. The hillside setting for the Provo temple was appropriate, while Odgen always looked strange in the downtown area.

The tabernacle may have faced Washington Blvd, but most people entered the building from the entrances on the West end.

While I think the Provo and old Ogden temples were (and are) pretty hideous, in some ways I think it was a shame to rebuild them. Ever since the architecture got correlated, all of the temples are alike. You can pretty much tell which decade a temple in any given part of the world was built by its architecture.

While the old Ogden temple and the current Provo temple were and are pretty ugly on the outside, at least they had some originality in design.

... "family" as in "church royalty" as in relatives of GAs.

Find the owners of the contractors doing the work and you'll have your answers.

TSCC learned a whole lot of lessons about money laundering from the mob.

Who remembers the old cartoon of the Provo temple? "Mork, pull up!! It's not the mother ship!!"