A Tiffany-glass window of Adam and Eve, which was originally at the grand staircase of the Salt Lake Temple, will now be moved to the Celestial Room
In the 1890s, the Church commissioned Tiffany Studios to create a few stained glass windows for the Salt Lake Temple. One such window depicted Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden by a Cherub angel with a sword. This window was originally at the top of the grand staircase, which gave patrons a visual reminder that they were retracing Adam and Eve's steps before they entered the world room. Now that the lower portion of the temple has been gutted and reconfigured, the Church has decided to repurpose this window by placing it in the Celestial Room instead.
I have......mixed feelings. On the one hand, I'm grateful that the Church is incorporating an original element of the temple into the renovation, especially since many of the original elements no longer exist (the murals, the woman above the veil, etc...). On the other hand, its placement near the grand staircase served as a visual tool of the endowment, so having it in the Celestial Room would remove its original context. But who knows? Maybe its placement in the Celestial Room could remind patrons that Adam and Eve's choice in the garden was a pivotal moment that allowed all of God's children to exercise agency during mortality so that they all have the opportunity to receive exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom. I guess we'll see once everything is completed next year.
