"AMERICAN TEMPLES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS: A Faith in America Project," by Scott Jarvie, $59.95, 280 pages (nf)
At a turning point in his career, wedding photographer Scott Jarvie decided to live on the road for one year and photograph the 70 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the United States at the time the book was published, including those in Alaska and Hawaii. This project led to his new book, “American Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Jarvie prefaces the book by explaining how he never envisioned himself gaining a reputation as an LDS photographer, but he felt capturing the beauty of LDS temples was an answer to prayer. But because living on the road for one year and producing a book is expensive, Jarvie was inclined to launch a 30-day, all-or-nothing crowdfunding campaign, according to his introduction in the book.
He was 29.5 days into his campaign and didn’t have nearly enough funds to cover the project he’d already spent hundreds of hours on. Through a series of events that he considers the answer to his prayer, Jarvie received the funds he needed.
Each page of “American Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” offers one or more beautiful photos of LDS temples in the United States accompanied by historical context, fun facts or a personal spiritual experience submitted by Latter-day Saints from across the nation.
Information relevant to each temple, including dedication date, exterior finish and acreage is also paired with the pictures. Jarvie captures multiple elements of the temple’s exterior, including the temple grounds and unique angles of the holy structures.
At the conclusion of the book, Jarvie includes photographs of the Payson Utah Temple, which is under construction; the Kirtland Ohio Temple, which is owned by the Community of Christ; and several temples in Canada, standing in Cardston, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta; and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Jarvie studied languages at Brigham Young University and discovered his passion for photography while traveling in Europe. He became a professional photographer over the last decade and earns his living as a wedding photographer while still taking time to travel.