Inside the Temple: What Latter-day Saints Do in Their Most Sacred Spaces

UVA Mormon Studies will welcome Mormon historian Jonathan Stapley to discuss Latter-day Saint temple worship. 

Based on his forthcoming book of the same name, Dr. Stapley will discuss the architecture, history, theology, and worship practices of Latter-day Saint temples around the globe. This virtual lecture will take place on Wednesday, September 23 at 5 PM, to coincide with UVA Mormon Studies’ premier undergraduate course “Mormonism and American Culture,” taught this semester by Mormon Studies Fellow Nicholas Shrum. A short Q&A will follow.

In-Person Attendance

This event is free and open to the university and the public for in-person attendance in Nau Hall room 101. Light refreshments will be available before and during the talk in the Nau Hall lobby. No registration is required.

Online Attendance

The public may also register to join the virtual call with Dr. Stapley and watch his lecture. Once registered, attendees will receive a link to the lecture the night of the event. Register Here

About Jonathan Stapley

Jonathan Stapley is an award-winning historian and scientist. Dr. Stapley received his Ph.D. from Purdue University and has been active in the field of Mormon History for two decades.

Oxford University Press published his 2019 book The Power of Godliness: Mormon Liturgy and Cosmology, and his 2025 book Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship, about which he was interviewed on an episode of Scholars & Saints, the UVA Mormon Studies Podcast. In 2027, he will publish Inside the Temple: What Latter-day Saints Do in Their Most Sacred Spaces (William B. Eerdmans Publishing), co-authored with Matthew S. McBride. You can read some of his other publications here.