Abstract:
Perhaps more than any other building type, ecclesiastical buildings preserve
a wealth of information about those who erected and used the structures. In
terms of style, form, and function, religious architecture reflects a group's
philosophies about the physical and metaphysical worlds, and the cultural
traditions within their own community. This is particularly true of the religious
architectural expressions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the
LDS or Mormon Church). The purpose of this study was to examine the history
and development of the most common ecclesiastical building produced by the
LDS Church, the ward meetinghouse. Using a research perspective grounded
in functionalism, the study explored the relationship between the institution of
Mormonism and meetinghouse design, and analyzed how various changes
experienced by the LDS Church over time influenced the development of their
meetinghouse architecture.
A representative sample of meetinghouses from each era in LDS Church the representative examples used in the study was obtained through literature
review, archival research, and field research. Supplemental information
regarding the philosophy and history of the LDS Church was obtained through
available publications.
In its more than 160 year history, the Mormon Church experienced a number
of internal and external changes, many of which are reflected in the variety of
meetinghouse designs that were produced. Yet, the data indicates that LDS
meetinghouse architecture has come full circle. That is, many of the attitudes
and ideas behind the Church's most recent meetinghouse designs are the same
as those reflected in their earliest ecclesiastical buildings.
