Comments on: Last Week: Provo Tabernacle Interior

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 03:49:33 +0000

Carla and Marilyn, I appreciate your personal connection and am sorry for that loss on top of the general disaster. I’ve put Thomas Mollart Allman on my list of people to find more about, with the idea of writing a post and helping to bring him to the notice of more people.

By: Marilyn Olesen

Marilyn Olesen — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 03:27:21 +0000

Thank you so much for posting these pictures.
My Great Grandfather was Thomas Mollart Allman.
As a child I loved and admired a carving of an indian that hung in my Grandmother’s home. My favorite was a baby that my Grandmother had on her bedroom dresser. I was always so impressed with the detail work of the baby. My only regreat is that I never went inside the Provo tabernacle to see more of his work.

By: Carla

Carla — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:30:08 +0000

Thomas Mollart Allman is my Great Grandfather. He was a world famous woodcarver. He states he inherited this talent from his father (Thomas Allman) who was Superintendent of the finishing work of the St George Temple under the direction of Brigham Young, and did much of the finishing woodwork in the Manti Temple (spiral staircases, etc). Many wood carving pieces can be found in the Pioneer Museum on 5th West in Provo, UT. When I heard the news about the Provo Tabernacle, my heart sank….This is a devastating loss to our family as well as many others indeed!

By: Celestia

Celestia — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:55:58 +0000

THANK YOU for posting these priceless photos. I grew up in Provo and spent many a stake conference and musical performance there as a child. I was devasted to hear about the fire but these photos bring me great comfort. Just the other day I was thinking about the Provo Tabernacle and the many happy and spiritual memories I had there and I thought how nice it would be to take my husband and children there someday. Imagine my shock to come upon the news about the fire only a couple of days later. At least I can show my family these photos. Thank you. Thank you.

By: KLou

KLou — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:39:56 +0000

This loss is devastating. I can’t even begin to count the number of events I attended at the Tabernacle while I was at BYU. It has been particularly special to me since it was the place where the Law School held its graduation convocations. I support the idea of rebuilding, though the expense will be great. I would hope that history still means something to people and that, albeit unlikely, funds can be contributed through various sources and channels and dedicated to preserve this piece of history.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:51:36 +0000

I say build a replica. It won’t be the same, but if it’s done right it will be a beautiful thing in its own right and a fitting memorial to the original. And a hundred years from now it will be just as old, and just as much a part of the community, as the one we lost.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:06:12 +0000

It is a great loss, Blaine.

But you don’t need to fear that the work there is irreplaceable. There are craftsmen (and craftswomen, I should add) today who are capable of doing the same kind of work that was done on the tabernacle. All that’s required is the will (and the funds) to hire those people and put them to work.

(The low level of craftsmanship in our chapels is altogether too appropriate a match for the design–but don’t let that worry you. We can do much better than that.)

By: Mormon Soprano

Mormon Soprano — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:49:51 +0000

Wow. Thank you for sharing these. I have lived in Utah all of my life but unfortunately never had the opportunity to visit the Tabenacle before this tragic loss. My cousin was contracted to play harp for Lex deAzevedo’s big concert that weekend. Their dress rehearsal for the concert was held the night of the fire – BYUTv had many cameras set up and had filmed the dress rehearsal performance, planning to film the rest of the concerts and create as a DVD special. Extra lighting had been rigged for the concert which was ultimately the cause of the fire. All of the orchestra instruments, including the grand piano, and the beautiful harp, were lost, as well as the Tv cameras, tech equipment [and sadly, all footage taken]. But of course, the greatest loss is the irreplaceable historic building. Seeing the exquisite craftmanship, the organ, and the beautiful and irreplaceable Minerva Teichert painting made we weep fresh tears. Perhaps we can imagine in a much more personal way what our pioneers felt watching their sacred & precious Nauvoo Temple burn to the ground. If the church can rebuild and recreate that magnificent structure, surely they could do so with this one, if that ends up being in the Lord’s plan.
- MoSop
PS This post was featured in DesNews BBB.

By: Mina

Mina — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:26:29 +0000

This is still making me sad. I spent some time yesterday reading about the history of the Tabernacle (I had no idea about that original spire) and mourning the loss.

By: Blaine Nay

Blaine Nay — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:03:49 +0000

While I favor rebuilding the tabernacle, I don’t see how it’s possible to do so. What has been lost is priceless and irreplaceable. Nothing can possibly bring back or replace the work of the masters who built the original. All we can do today is build a replica. This is truly a great loss.