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From May to August 2025, daily organ recitals at the Salt Lake Tabernacle were temporarily relocated to the Conference Center. This change allowed for extensive renovation work on the Tabernacle organ, which involved removing thousands of pipes and components. The ongoing project aims to assess and refurbish more than 75,000 pieces.
The renovation is featured in the October 2025 World Report, available on October 3, 2025, on the Church Newsroom YouTube channel in English. Additional language versions will be released on October 8, following recent events such as the passing of President Russell M. Nelson and a tragedy in Michigan.
The main goal of the renovation is to ensure that the organ remains mechanically reliable and easier to maintain while restoring historic sounds that have changed over time. Joseph Nielsen, master organ technician at Temple Square, leads the effort. “We want to make sure that this instrument is heard by the masses, that it plays the music of the generations, but also that it is the most efficient and most lovely instrument of its kind,” he said.
The Tabernacle organ has long been an important symbol for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “It is one of the best-known organs in the world,” said Emily Utt, Church historic sites curator. “It’s one of the symbols of the Church; the facade of this organ is on our hymnal.”
The organ’s role extends to its influence on music within the church community. “The organ is immediately associated with the Choir,” stated Mack Wilberg, Music Director for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. “The organ has played a major role in not only the identity of The Tabernacle Choir but also in the sound of the Choir.”
Renovation efforts began more than a year ago, with significant work starting in May 2025. According to Utt, routine maintenance was no longer sufficient due to issues like deteriorated leather from as far back as 1948: “The leather that was largely here from 1948 was completely rotted out.” Reservoirs responsible for maintaining air pressure had worn-out leather causing leaks; fifteen reservoirs were removed for refurbishment.
To access these parts and other critical components needing repair, technicians removed part of the front casing and about a quarter of nearly 11,623 pipes. Some parts were sent across various locations in America for specialist repairs. Joe Lambarena from Villemin Pipe Organ Co., Porterville, California handled repairs involving pouch boards with worn leather pouches controlling airflow into pipes: “Everything is glued up here, everything is punched out here, and that way we can have quality control,” he explained.
Historically significant changes have shaped this instrument since its construction by Joseph Ridges in the late 1860s. The case received its current design after modifications by Austin Organ Company in 1915; further updates followed under G. Donald Harrison’s direction in 1949 with Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company.
“[G. Donald Harrison] considered this to be his magnum opus… That’s why we want to honor his vision, which is to make this the best instrument that it can be and realize its full potential,” Nielsen noted.
Nielsen’s team consulted historical records during restoration and found some components were not functioning as intended: “Some of those components needed to be updated … so that they work like they intended it to,” he said. These updates are helping recover original sounds lost over decades: “We’re restoring a lot of the sound, the tonal parts, to what you would have heard in the days of David O. McKay.”
Two sets of pipes removed during renovations in the 1970s are being reintroduced: “Visitors to this organ will hear sounds that have not been heard for 50 years,” Utt said.
By late August all refurbished pieces were returned; pipes were reinstalled and tuned so recitals could resume along with weekly programs such as Music & The Spoken Word.
Work continues beyond these milestones due to natural wear affecting many pipes over time; Nielsen will continue inspecting each pipe individually—a process expected to last several years.
Mack Wilberg observed noticeable improvements already: “I actually can hear a difference now in the Tabernacle organ. There is really much more presence in the sound than there used to be.”
Nielsen emphasized preserving both history and future utility: “It’s a vision of the past, but also it’s something that we can have in future.… It’s so important that we have these types of instruments so that we don’t lose [our] heritage.”
A detailed video accompanies coverage about these renovations while a shorter version will appear within World Report releases.
