In just the first 24 hours after free tickets became available to tour the Salt Lake Temple next year, they were gone. One million tickets.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is set to open the Salt Lake Temple to the public in April after extensive renovations, which began in December 2019. The open house will begin April 5 and go until Oct. 1 with the theme, "Rejoice in Christ."
Temple renovation
The temple's closure was originally scheduled for four years, but that timeline was pushed back. Workers have touched every inch of the temple to restore it and upgrade it for the future.
One of the major upgrades is actually beneath the temple, where crews installed base isolator plates to protect the temple from earthquakes. They also reinforced the walls and roof of the temple.
The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are also upgraded.
Many of the historic elements in the temple have been preserved, including the celestial room, two original sealing rooms, the large assembly room on the fifth floor, the four stone spiral staircases in each corner tower and most of the terrestrial room.
The annex and sealing room wing on the north side of the temple were demolished and replaced. There will be two baptistries, 22 sealing rooms, instead of 13, and five instruction rooms with more seating.
Open house excitement building
The excitement is building for the open house, which is still several months away. A CNN reporter posted a video story to Instagram showing some of the work still happening inside the temple and already the post has 72,000 views.
During a news conference on Tuesday, leaders of the Church showed their excitement.
"We expect 5 million people to come - to come and see and enjoy this wonderful experience, what the temple, the House of the Lord, represents," said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Five million people may be a low estimate. The first 1 million tickets are reserved. The reservation website says to check back later. The Church says there will be more tickets available over the next few months as the open house gets closer.
During the celebration, there will be free exhibits, films, live music and other events happening at Temple Square. The Church has already opened a new visitors' center with replicas of some of the rooms found in the temple. There are also several new statues placed around Temple Square.
To find out when more tickets are available, watch the event's website, templesquare.org, which will also have digital options for seeing the temple.