LDS Church Okays Demolition of Summit Stake Tabernacle COALVILLE—The First Pres¬idency of the LDS Church ap¬proved the razing of the Sum¬mit Stake Tabernacle at a spe¬cial priesthood meeting in Coal¬ville recently. The decision, church leaders explained, was made by General Authorities, the stake presidency and the bishoprics of two Coalville wards following a 10- month study. STAKE CENTER A new stake center would be built on the site eventually at an estimated cost of $500,000. Consideration was given to preserving the tabernacle for its aesthetic and historical values. It was erected in 1883 and re¬modeled in 1944. Church lead¬ers suggest that if public sub¬scriptions could be raised to maintain the tabernacle it might be saved. The possibility of presenting the building to a government subdivision was discussed. Dr. Charles Peterson, Utah Historical Society director, said he believes the loss of the tab¬ernacle "would deprive us of one of the finest views of Lat¬ter-day Saints as stalwart town builders. "It saddens me," he said, "that so many of the fine struc¬tures characterizing the Mor¬mon achievement as founders of towns are being torn down." The tabernacle, he added, is one of the few remaining struc¬tures which tells "how our par¬ents and grandparents lived and worshipped at the home town levels." The Summit Stake building was named to the State Histor¬ical Register and nominated to the National Register by the Governor's Historic and Cultur¬al Sites Review Committee. A motion is before the board of the Utah Heritage Founda¬tion to preserve the tabernacle with its Gothic roof adorned by a central tower and 13 other turrets. Stained glass windows are known for their beauty. FIFTH PRESIDENT Lorenzo Snow, the fifth Pres¬ident of the LDS Church, dedi¬cated the tabernacle, which took 20 years to build. According to records, Presi¬dent Snow expressed gratitude for the building "from founda¬tion to top" and asked that "it may be preserved until the Son of Man will come."