Archeologists Uncover Utah’s First Mormon Baptistry

Archeologists uncovered the remains of the first Latter-day Saints baptistry in Utah County, built around 1875. As Deseret News reports, the excavation revealed an intact lay-out of one of the earliest baptistries built in Utah, including the building’s walls, decorative fragments of sky-blue and earth-brown plaster and an old stove and pipes for keeping warm during the winter months.

Archeologists knew about the baptistry’s existence from historical church records and fire insurance maps, but they were surprised to find that the building withstood time so well. Archeologists were called in to undertake the excavation in preparation for building a new Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The director of the office of public archeology told Deseret News:

“What we’re seeing here is the fulfilling of the circle. The meetinghouse and the baptistry were places people could make covenants and promises. The modern temple will be a place where promises are also made and where baptisms occur. That kind of completes the circle of the hallowedness of the temple block.”

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Rachel Nuwer | | READ MORE

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.