Traveling Tabernacle comes to Morgan Valley

Over the past ten months, you may have noticed that a replica tabernacle as depicted in Old Testament has been erected in several different cities across the state of Utah. The traveling tabernacles have been a teaching tool to many religious denominations.

What many may not know is that a year ago, an army of volunteer men and women from the Morgan Utah Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were quietly building these two tabernacles.

About five years ago President Joey Skinner, president of the Morgan, Utah Stake at the time, felt the need to move away from a pioneer trek event and focus on the temple. Through inspiration it was decided to reshape the pioneer trek into a Hope of Israel experience using a Tabernacle to teach the youth of the Morgan Stake about temples.

In 2022 the tabernacle that had been erected in California was brought to Davis County, Utah where it was estimated that 146,000 people attended over the few months it was traveling. Many other religious denominations were also invited to attend the event.

Pres. Kevin Pearson, General Authority Seventy and area president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was so pleased with the Tabernacle experience that he decided he wanted everyone in his area to have the experience of the Tabernacle.

Pres. Ron Hales, current president of the Morgan, Utah Stake was asked to oversee the building of two Tabernacles. He enlisted the help of skilled craftsmen, engineers and an architect to make sure the Tabernacles were structurally sound against all elements of weather and weight. He also enlisted the help of the stake Relief Society, who put a call out to the women who could donate their time to cutting and sewing all the fabric needed for the Tabernacles.

Cindy Hatch was chosen to lead the sewing project. For four weeks, talented women were in and out of the Field Street Church in Morgan patiently cutting and sewing these panels. With the small time frame that they had to build these tabernacles, finding that much fabric was a challenge. Certain colors and textures were necessary to be as correct as possible. Buying up all the fabric they could locally, women from Morgan traveling around Idaho and Wyoming searched fabric stores and were able to find the fabric that was needed.

Hatch talked about the sewing needing to be exact to fit in the allotted space between the posts. “No matter how careful we tried to be, the first four white panels didn’t fit, then we prayed asking Heavenly Father to stretch them.” She said the next 60 panels fit. They only needed 60 to fit, but had sewn four extras.

“Sewing the Tabernacle was an amazing experience and drew me closer to the Savior because I was asked to do something hard and in an impossible time frame,” said Hatch. She added that she couldn’t have accomplished what she was asked to do if it wasn’t for the help of a lot of sisters and divine intervention when they fell short. “I saw miracles happen.”

Lisa Hone, daughter of Hatch and her right-hand woman during this project, said “It was an amazing opportunity to be able to be a part of. There were miracles and blessings that we will remember for a lifetime. It’s truly a project we will never forget.”

The first Tabernacle along with the furniture was completed in the four-week time frame ready to set up in Tremonton, Utah, the first week of August 2022. The second Tabernacle was completed in February of this year.

While these touring Tabernacles are easy to set up and take down, being held together with cam bolts pin cables and stakes, it does take a lot of people to get this done in a timely matter. Not only is the Tabernacle set up outside, but a visitor center is also set up inside an adjacent church building where the public is welcome to learn about how the Old Testament Tabernacle symbolism relates to the modern Latter-day Temples.

To help with this process, a mission has been set up in Utah with several missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who travel with the Tabernacles and accoutrements for the visitor center that is transported in a semi-trailer. Once at a location, these missionaries, along with the architect, David Dickson, direct local church members to set up the Tabernacle and visitor center. One location serves several stakes at a time.

While up in Morgan, it was open to members of the Morgan Stake, Morgan North Stake and Morgan West Stake. The whole community of Morgan Valley was invited to tour the Tabernacle, from Tuesday, June 20 through Friday, June 23.

The Morgan Stake used the Tabernacle in conjunction with their Hope of Israel youth camp. Nearly 400 youth from the stake camped near Henefer, Utah for three days and learned about the Tabernacle and how it relates to the modern temples.

On Saturday, June 24, the youth who attended the Hope of Israel camp were invited to bring their families over to tour the Tabernacle and the visitor center and teach them the things they learned while at camp.

The Guiding Principles for this event are: The Lord, Jesus Christ, reveals Himself to His people through His temples and the ordinances therein. He binds Himself to His people through His covenants so He can encourage, strengthen and protect us. The temple is the garner of the Lord where He gathers His people.

Brett Bowcutt of the Morgan Stake said, “Our objective in this effort is that youth in our Stake will be strengthened by coming to know our Savior and to trust Him and invite our people to trust Christ and lean on His ample arm for strength in our lives.”

Penny Pincock, a member of the Morgan Stake said of her touring experience, “Touring the life sized tabernacle really made the Bible stories come alive for me. I especially loved being taught about it, by my children, who had went to the camp. Seeing them connect with a loving Heavenly Father who used the Tabernacle as a giant object lesson, was very beautiful. 

Pincock’s daughter Bella also shared her thoughts, “As I spent three days learning about the tabernacle and the power behind each ordinance God gave to the Israelites, I came closer to my Heavenly Father and saw more clearly the power behind the ordinances I can participate in the modern temples.”

Heather Nelson of the Morgan North Stake said of her experience with the Tabernacle, “The Tabernacle really helped me to “see” what’s described in the Old Testament and bring the scriptures to life. I can’t imagine having to move it with camels, donkeys, etc. It’s big! I loved the reverent spirit and learned a lot about the symbolism that pointed the Israelites to Jehovah. It was such a blessing to have this in our small town! Thank you to all those who made it possible!”

By the end of this year, all 629 stakes in Utah, will have had the opportunity to have one of the Tabernacles in their area to tour. If you missed the opportunity while it was in Morgan go to https://www.tabernacleutah.com/ to find out the locations of where they will be set up next. It is predicted that by the end of the tour, these Tabernacles will have 800,000 to 1,000,000 visitors. λ