This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The LDS Church will formally break ground next month on its project restoring the fire-gutted Provo Tabernacle and converting it into a Mormon temple.
Scott Trotter, spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the groundbreaking ceremony will be May 12 at 9 a.m.
LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, a former Brigham Young University president, will preside.
The event will be broadcast live to LDS stake centers in the city. Tickets will be available for those who wish to attend the ceremony on the grounds of the old tabernacle.
In October 2011, LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson announced that the fire-ravaged tabernacle would be restored to its original appearance — including a center spire that was removed in 1917 — and repurposed as the Provo City Center Temple.
The move will make Provo the second city in the state — and the world — with two LDS temples, the first being South Jordan, home of the Oquirrh Mountain and Jordan River temples.
The 129-year-old tabernacle was heavily damaged in a Dec. 17, 2010, fire.
Provo Mayor John Curtis said the groundbreaking represents a new era in the city's history. Curtis said while many mourned the tabernacle's loss, the temple announcement has proven to be a boon.
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