Almost all wards, temples, and other church buildings including the Conference center has spires that mark the highest point of the buildings. What do they signify?
2007-12-20 16:59:50 · 7 answers · asked by Joyful Days 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It is used architecturally to designate the building chapel or temple. We do not use the cross in our worship, so the spire with the absence of the cross makes it easier to recognize LDS buildings from all others. It is also true that not all buildings have spires -- we obey local building codes where they are not allowed, also, in some foreign countries, local congregations meet in rented buildings and will not have the spire.
Merry Christmas
2007-12-20 17:17:57 · answer #1 · answered by strplng warrior mom 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The following 2 sites talk about Mormon architecture.
http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/art/Architecture_EOM.htm
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/010502arch.html
They do not signify anything(that I can find) and some buildings do not even have them. Some buildings(such as the Bountiful, Utah stake center for example) actually have crosses.
It just depends on who the architect is, the pointy things have just come to be "stereotypical" Mormon architecture.
The second site says, (opinion) the most secure job in the world would be the LDS architecture department. They said that *EVERY DAY* a new building for the church (whether a chapel, temple, stake center, tabernacle, office, etc.) is put up...
Tons of people needed for designs for the buildings.
2007-12-20 17:23:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Copy of the English spires, reaching to heaven. They all want to be seen as reaching to God. The steeple of an English church was just within 5 miles of each other, so that in the olden days when people had to walk to another village to work or sell goods they could return in the evening. A ten mile walk then was considered reasonable. A steeple chase is always just under 5 miles.
2007-12-20 17:17:26 · answer #3 · answered by The Scouser 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I was told that we don't have crosses on the Chapels, because we don't want to honor the method of Christ's death, the fact that he did it, is good enough for us.
The spires are seen as a symbolic reaching to Heaven, and Heavenly Father.
2007-12-20 18:00:53 · answer #4 · answered by moonbaby 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This answer is my opinion, but it works for me. Traditionally, in architecture, churches have bell towers. It's an architectural tradition that has been established over many centuries. Whether they actually contain bells or are more stylized, many kinds of churches have them. My guess is that architects from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints used towers on/near their buildings to make them more identifiable as churches.
By the way, not ALL buildings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have spires, I think. But you are right that many do.
2007-12-20 17:04:27 · answer #5 · answered by drshorty 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Our nearest one has three pipes in the ground in the front yard, each a different height, in the a triangle going straight up, creating some kind of tower. I believe that the pipes are a subtle, even subliminal (vague & secrative) sign that they do not adhere to the Holy Trinity theory. The pipes are separated from top to bottom (except for the occasional horizontil support) and run parallel from top to bottom. I also believe that the supports represent the support that the "church" members give to one another (exclusively).
The different heights of the pipes probably reflect their belief in different levels of heaven and hell.
2007-12-20 17:19:24 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Spirochetes
2007-12-20 17:03:54 · answer #7 · answered by Ultraviolet Oasis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋