Will the Salt Lake Mormon Temple Building Survive into the Millennium? The New Testaments Says “No” – Let’s Investigate (KJV)

Sept 20, 2026 | www.GospelofJesusChrist.blog | River Wilde

(The views expressed in this article are my personal interpretations of the Bible, particularly concerning biblical prophecy and the end times. They have come to me through endless study of the scriptures, as well as frequent prayerful searching for TRUTH. They are offered for discussion, study, and personal reflection. I do not claim special revelation, nor do I speak on behalf of any church, denomination, religious organization, or its leaders. Readers are encouraged to study the Scriptures for themselves, seek God’s guidance through prayer, and draw their own conclusions.)

The Mormon church has just completed a 7-year renovation on the Salt Lake temple. Here are some of the quotes from church leaders wanting to ensure that a temple would make it into the Millenium:

In his October 2021 General Conference address, LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson said regarding the Salt Lake Temple renovation:

“We are sparing no effort to give this venerable temple, which had become increasingly vulnerable, a foundation that will withstand the forces of nature into the Millennium.”

There’s also an interesting historical connection. Brigham Young made essentially the same claim/intention in the 1860s:

“I want to see the temple built in a manner that it will endure through the Millennium.”

And in January 2026, Salt Lake Temple renovation project communications director Georges Bonnet said the seismic work was designed to strengthen the structure to “last into the millennium, as taught by President Nelson.” He described 98 base isolators, more than 262 miles of post-tensioning cables, steel reinforcement through the structure, and said, “We took absolutely no risk whatsoever.”

Is this possible? Church leaders certainly have to know what is coming, right?

The KJV describes extraordinary destruction during the end-times judgments.

• Revelation 6:8 — the fourth seal brings death over “the fourth part of the earth.”
• Revelation 6:12–14 — a “great earthquake,” the sun becomes black, the moon becomes as blood, stars fall, and “every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”
• Revelation 8:7 — one third of the trees is burned up and all green grass is burned.
• Revelation 8:8–9 — one third of the sea becomes blood, one third of sea life dies, and one third of ships are destroyed.
• Revelation 8:10–11 — one third of rivers and fountains are affected; many die from the bitter waters.
• Revelation 8:12 — one third of the sun, moon and stars are smitten.
• Revelation 9:15–18 — another judgment results in “the third part of men” being killed.
• Revelation 11:13 — a great earthquake destroys a tenth of the city and kills 7,000 people.
• Revelation 16:2 — grievous sores strike those possessing the mark of the beast.
• Revelation 16:3 — the sea becomes “as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”
• Revelation 16:4 — rivers and fountains become blood.
• Revelation 16:8–9 — the sun scorches people with “great heat.”
• Revelation 16:10–11 — the beast’s kingdom is filled with darkness and suffering.
• Revelation 16:12 — the Euphrates is dried up, preparing the way for “the kings of the east.”
• Revelation 16:18–20 — an earthquake occurs “such as was not since men were upon the earth,” the “cities of the nation’s fell,” every island flees, and the mountains are not found.
• Revelation 16:21 — enormous hail falls upon mankind.
• Matthew 24:21–22 — Jesus summarizes the severity:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Perhaps the most powerful passage when considering whether today’s buildings can simply be engineered to survive these judgments is Revelation 16:18–20. This isn’t describing an ordinary earthquake for which modern engineers can design:

“…there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.”

Then:

“…and the cities of the nations fell…”

And finally:

“And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.”

From the KJV description, the final judgments aren’t merely a period of wars and ordinary natural disasters. They culminate in world-altering divine judgment.

That makes Russell M. Nelson’s statement that the Salt Lake Temple’s new foundation is intended to “withstand the forces of nature into the Millennium” an interesting claim to compare with Revelation.

However, there is something more telling that even this. Scripture itself states that this temple will not be there in the millennium.

Revelation 21:2 identifies the subject as the New Jerusalem. Then verse 22 tells us there is no temple in it.

Revelation 21:1–2 KJV

1 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

2 “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Then Revelation 21:10 identifies it again:

“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,”

John then spends the following verses describing that city—its walls, gates, foundations, dimensions and streets.

Then we reach Revelation 21:22:

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

So “therein” means within the New Jerusalem described throughout Revelation 21.

The sequence is very clear:

Revelation 21:2 — New Jerusalem introduced → Revelation 21:10–21 — New Jerusalem described → Revelation 21:22 — “I saw no temple therein.”

That makes Revelation 21:22 particularly significant: in God’s ultimate eternal city, there isn’t a man-made temple at all. God Almighty and Jesus Christ—the Lamb—are the temple.

This is biblical proof that the Salt Lake temple will not survive, nor any other temple, into the millennium.

But what about Mormon temple ordinances that are performed in these temples? Endowments, sealings and baptisms for the dead?

These Temple Ordinances Did Not Come from Jesus Christ’s New Testament Gospel.

The most troubling question concerning LDS temples is not how beautiful they are, how much they cost, or how strongly they are constructed. The question is much simpler:

Where did Jesus Christ teach Christians to perform temple endowments, eternal-marriage sealings, initiatory ceremonies, or an entire system of ordinances for dead people?

You will search the New Testament in vain for such a system, for these teachings are simply not there.

These ceremonies entered Latter-day Saint practice through Joseph Smith in the nineteenth century. The LDS Church’s own history says Joseph introduced baptism for the dead in 1840, couple sealings began in 1841, and Joseph administered the first endowment ceremony to nine men in the upper room of his Nauvoo store on May 4, 1842. The Church also acknowledges that “there is no recorded revelation outlining” the content of the endowment ceremony, and that Brigham Young was subsequently instructed to “organize and systematize” it.

The Church itself describes Joseph Smith as the person who “introduced all the ordinances associated with temples today: baptisms for the dead, the initiatory and endowment ceremonies, and temple sealings.”

That historical fact should cause every Bible-believing Christian to ask a serious question:

If these ordinances are necessary for mankind’s exaltation, why didn’t Jesus teach them? Why didn’t Peter teach Christians to receive an endowment ceremony? Why didn’t Paul command married Christians to be sealed in a temple? Why does the New Testament contain no instructions for performing endowments for deceased ancestors?

Baptism for the dead does receive one brief mention in 1 Corinthians 15:29:

“Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?”

But Paul is arguing for the resurrection of the dead. He does not command the practice, establish a temple ceremony, explain proxy salvation, or teach the elaborate system Joseph Smith later introduced.

And there is an enormous difference between something being mentioned and something being commanded as a saving ordinance.

The New Testament doesn’t then tell Christians to construct new temples and place another collection of required ordinances between mankind and God’s presence.

Test Joseph Smith by the KJV Scriptures

Joseph Smith claimed divine authority for doctrines and ordinances that appeared long after Christ and the apostles. The LDS Church’s own historical materials confirm that these practices were introduced progressively during Joseph’s ministry.

The KJV tells us exactly what to do with someone claiming new revelation:

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV

And Paul gives an even stronger warning:

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” — Galatians 1:8 KJV

Notice Paul’s standard.

He doesn’t say that a later prophet may introduce additional saving ordinances because an angel instructed him.

He says even an angel cannot change the Gospel already preached.

That places an enormous burden on Joseph Smith’s claims.

If a nineteenth-century prophet introduces ceremonies said to be necessary for mankind’s highest salvation, yet Jesus and His apostles never establish those ceremonies as requirements of the Gospel, Christians have every biblical reason to test those claims against the Gospel already delivered.

And the New Testament’s message of salvation is beautifully simple:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV

The question therefore isn’t whether an LDS temple is beautiful.

It isn’t whether the ceremonies performed inside it are meaningful to sincere Latter-day Saints.

The question is:

Did Jesus Christ require them?

When tested against the KJV, the case for endowments and eternal-marriage sealings as required Christian temple ordinances does not come from the New Testament text. The developed LDS system comes from Joseph Smith and subsequent LDS leaders. The LDS Church itself documents that historical development.

And the Bible gives us a sobering standard for judging any claimed prophet who adds requirements to the Gospel:

Test the prophet by the Word of God—not the Word of God by the prophet. When tested against scripture, the need for a temple beyond the time of Jesus Christ fails. It is false doctrine, and needs to be considered as such.

This too substantiates that there will not be any Mormon temples that will survive the destruction that is coming because of God’s wrath.

Yes, God has the power to preserve anything or any structure that He chooses. This fact goes without stating.

But it is clear to me that He would have no intention in preserving something that is NOT of God, as Mormon temples have been tested by scripture to be.

Perhaps something more urgent than the temple being destroyed by God, is the fact that some of you are following a false prophet, and using him as your final spiritual authority.

I invite you to study the most important aspect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ… Becoming Born Again as taught in the New Testament. This is the ONLY requirement to make it into heaven, and a teaching of the Mormon church that is not taught correctly. Without this, perhaps this is how Jesus Christ will great you…

Matthew 7:21–23 KJV

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

These are “religious” people being denied entrance into Heaven, thinking that they knew Jesus Christ, but He did not know them.

There is so much peace in learning the true Gospel of Jesus Christ as written in the New Testament. There is also tremendous peace in studying the prophecies from God concerning the final seven years on earth, and realizing the rescue plan that he has for those who are “in Christ.”
I invite you all to stop letting your church decide what gospel teachings are important for you, and take back ownership in finding out the truth for yourself. It is quite freeing, and something that God wants you to discover.

We are in a very serious period of time. Don’t be left behind when the rapture happens. Your very soul might depend upon what you learn in the next few days.