Review
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Title: Out Of The Ashes: From Tabernacle To Temple (Based on a true story)
Author: Judy Fletcher Davis
Illustrated by: Wilson J. Ong
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Genre: Inspirational
Year Published: 2015
Number of Pages: 32
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62108-718-2
Price: $15.99
Reviewed by Trudy Thompson for the Association for Mormon Letters
On the morning of December 17,2010, I casually turned the TV on and went back to the task at hand of finishing up some last minute packing, in preparation for our drive to Texas that morning, to be with our son and his family for Christmas. The image on the screen was shocking and awful: the Provo, Utah Tabernacle, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was totally ablaze. The fire was out of control and even though many firemen were present and doing their best to fight this massive fire, their efforts were largely futile. Immediately, I thought of friends of ours who lived about 2 1/2 blocks from the tabernacle. I called them to see what they knew about the fire, and was horrified to learn that they were not even aware of the fire. I told them that it was on all the local stations and they were in total shock. After turning on their TV, they too witnessed the horrific sight of the old historic building in flames. The wife began to sob and the husband decided immediately to walk down closer to the old historic building to witness the destruction of the beloved old tabernacle.
The four-alarm fire was reported at the tabernacle at 2:43 A.M. Firefighters immediately rushed to find smoke coming from the building. At first, firefighters thought there might be a chance to save the roof and thus the outward structural integrity of the building, but at around 6:00 AM MST the roof collapsed. The fire continued to burn throughout the day. The smoldering from the blaze continued for the next three days.
On March 31, 2011, after 12 weeks of investigation, Provo City Fire Department released their findings and conclusions on the Provo Tabernacle Fire.
The report states “The cause of the fire at the Tabernacle December 17, 2010 was a heat source, specifically an energized 300-watt lamp, which was placed too close to combustible materials, specifically a wooden speaker enclosure.” The report also finds deficiencies with the lack of a fire protection system (including automatic sprinklers and notification system) and human error (including multiple failures to alert authorities of suspicious circumstances such as odors, correcting an unsafe condition, and failure to recognize and respond to the fire alarm).
The tabernacle was scheduled to host a concert the very next night by LDS musician Lex De Azevedo and others. It was several of the women in this group who had stated they could smell smoke during the rehearsal the night before the scheduled concert. Others said there was no smell of smoke and their report was ignored. The group had brought in their own instruments including a harp and a grand piano valued at over $100,000.00. Everything that was inside the building was a total loss with one exception: after the fire, a large painting of Jesus was found to have survived. All the figures including the background, with the exception of Jesus, in the painting were burnt by the fire. The figure of Jesus was surrounded by a clean, untouched area.
All of Utah Valley mourned the loss of this beautiful and grand old building. Many families had attended numerous religious and cultural events there through the years. Stake and regional conferences were held there every Sunday. Concerts and musicals and patriotic services were held. It hosted many prominent people through the years, including President William H. Taft, who spoke there in 1909, and Sergi Rachmanioff who performed in concert in 1938. Over the years, the funerals of many prominent local people were held there also.
This tabernacle had been built in 1883, to replace a smaller structure at a different location in Provo. It included 3,000 seats and was built at a total cost of $100,000.00.
Members of the church and the community rejoiced at the announcement made by President Thomas S. Monson on October 1, 2011, that on the site that the historic Tabernacle had once stood, a second Provo, Utah Temple would be built, and would be known as the Provo City Center Temple, and that the outside would look much like the old Tabernacle had, with tall towers and arched windows and finely crafted woodwork.
The newly published book, “Out of the Ashes: From Tabernacle to Temple,” is a fictional account of a true story based on the experience of the Charles Eugene Fletcher family.
The story begins with a young boy telling his mother that he is sad because everything was ruined. The mother tells her tearful son that she knew someone like that once and everything turned out for the best for them in the end. She then relates the story of a young pioneer boy who traveled across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley many years before. Years later he moved to Provo, and learned carpentry and built a home for his wife and children and also built a church and a courthouse. He also worked on the grandest building in Utah Valley — the new tabernacle.
Years later when the tabernacle was dedicated, the man did not hear the words of the ceremony, because he had lost his hearing to disease. He had also lost two of his children over the years, and although he ached for that which he once had, he felt the Spirit of the Lord in the new building and was at peace. The story continues by telling about the carpenter’s son and daughter and their connection to the tabernacle that their father had helped build, and the feeling of peace that each family member felt in this grand old building.
The beauty of this generational book is richly complemented by the exquisite paintings of Wilson J. Ong, who received his bachelor of fine arts degree from BYU and is a professional artist and illustrator, and has taught art, presented workshops and exhibited his works nationally.
This book is the perfect keepsake for children, adults and anyone who knew and loved the old historical tabernacle in downtown Provo. It will be a wonderful addition to any home library; parents can read this book to their children as families prepare to attend the open house in January 2016 of the newly built Provo City Center Temple. It would be a welcome and appreciated Christmas gift for any family who has a connection with the Provo Tabernacle.