"MORMON TEMPLES IN AMERICA: Stories of Faith and Inspiration," by Scott Jarvie, Cedar Fort, $49.99, 298 pages (nf)
When photographer Scott Jarvie embarked on a cross-country trip to photograph every temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in America, his fans and followers looked forward to a full-color book of his work. As anticipated, Jarvie delivered a 180-page book of stunning images and information on each of the nation's temples, but it lacked a professional touch in editing and layout design.
Now working with Cedar Fort Publishing, Jarvie has rebooted the book as "Mormon Temples in America: Stories of Faith and Inspiration," and it is exactly what his fans have been waiting for.
Replete with multiple stunning photos of each temple, "Mormon Temples in America" demonstrates that Jarvie has an eye for framing, color and balance like few temple photographers before him. He captures the edifices in such a way that even the reader unfamiliar with the LDS Church would find it difficult to deny a sense of sacredness in them. Seemingly unearthly colors flood from the pages, which beg to be turned to reveal additional photographic magic. Jarvie has mastered his craft, and the result is magical.
Along with photos comes information on each temple's announcement, dedication, site, floor area and exterior finish, along with inspiring stories from local members and those involved with the process of the temples' building. These faith-promoting snippets strike a balance between holding the reader's attention with more information and not detracting from the beauty of the book's main focus.
An introduction helps to tell Jarvie's story of his journey to capture the beauty of each temple, but the photography remains the star.
"Mormon Temples in America" seems to have left its forerunner's errors in the dust, making it a worthy coffee-table book or Christmas gift.
Jennifer Ball is a freelance journalist out of Los Angeles specializing in food criticism and LDS media.