Reflections of Mormonism : The History and Development of LDS Meetinghouse Architecture
Corvallis, Oregon
Oregon State University
1997
Master's thesis
"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." [Author's abstract]