Those willing to use a broom: Granger West a Ward Building
The Church That a Janitor’s Broom Helped Build
Granger Fourth Ward & North Jordan Fifth Ward Chapel – A Testament of Faith and Volunteerism
At 3325 South 3960 West stands a chapel that is far more than brick and mortar—it is a monument to faith, sacrifice, and community spirit. The combined Granger Fourth Ward and North Jordan Fifth Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently celebrated the dedication of their new chapel—a feat accomplished not with money, but with unwavering determination, midnight cleaning shifts, and thousands of hours of donated labor.
Faith Over Funds
“Our members had little money to build a chapel, but we had a lot of faith and determination,” said Bishop Duayne T. Johnson of the Granger Fourth Ward.
Facing tight budgets, the wards got creative: they offered janitorial services to the newly built Thrift City Shopping Center in exchange for funding. The contract was awarded, and more than a dozen ward members were released from other church responsibilities to join the cleaning crew.
Shifts began as early as 3:00 a.m. on Mondays, and on other days, volunteers worked from 10:00 p.m. to midnight. Through their efforts, the wards earned over $3,000 in cash and an additional $3,000 in equipment, which contributed directly to the building fund.
The Power of Volunteer Labor
The chapel project became the first in Utah to be constructed under the LDS Church Building Service program. Remarkably, 97% of the labor came from ward members and building missionaries—the highest percentage of volunteer labor in any LDS church building at the time.
Unskilled volunteers were even trained to lay bricks by Joseph Stanley, a member of the ward. Much of the masonry was completed at night during the dead of winter, defying conventional wisdom and expectations. “I don’t think there is any better masonry work in the entire Church,” noted Lionel Harris, Utah area supervisor.
A Community Effort
Every Saturday at 6 a.m., 50 to 60 ward members arrived to contribute to the project. Coordinators like Joseph Stanley and Robert Bawden kept the volunteers meaningfully employed, while the Relief Society sisters provided hot breakfasts to lift spirits and nourish tired hands.
“It looked like a carnival,” Bishop Johnson recalled, referring to the array of electric lights illuminating the construction site at night.
A Chapel for Generations
Dedicated on July 12 by President Marion D. Hanks of the First Council of the Seventy, the building became a model for other wards across the Church. Designed by J. Leonard Harmon, the structure includes:
Seating for 500 in the chapel
Overflow capacity into the junior high gym
23 teaching stations
Offices for three bishoprics
Rooms for Relief Society, Junior Sunday School, and more
Ample parking for the growing community
Legacy of Sacrifice
Bishop Jack R. Simpson of the North Jordan Fifth Ward praised the joint effort: “The project will go down as a model for other wards in the LDS Church to shoot at.”
This building stands not just as a place of worship, but as a legacy of what a community can achieve when united by a sacred purpose—even if it starts with something as humble as a janitor’s broom.
Neighbors including children working together to lay the hardwood
The steady rhythm of a power hammer was a sure sign that the Fred Johnson family was hard at work—laying the hardwood floors of the new Granger Fourth and Jordan North Fifth Ward Chapel. Though not professional laborers by trade, this remarkable family volunteered countless hours to help complete their church building, guided by faith, community spirit, and an impressive work ethic.
At the helm was Mrs. Johnson, a skilled and experienced flooring hand who had long assisted her husband, a contractor and convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Together, they led a dedicated crew made up of their three sons—Frank, Earl, and Dean—and three young women from the Coleman family: Dorothy, Elaine, and Avis. Dorothy, one of the Johnson daughters, helped expertly fit the tongue-and-groove flooring into place, while the others hauled and arranged boards with precision to ensure no time was lost.
During a two-day teacher strike that temporarily closed local schools, the family took full advantage of the unexpected free time to push ahead with the work. Normally, their flooring efforts took place after school and on Saturdays, but this short break gave them a welcome window to gain ground on the enormous task of laying 10,000 square feet of hardwood. They aimed to complete the job by June 17th.
Although they now lived in the Jordan North Fifth Ward, the Johnsons had deep ties to Granger Fourth Ward before its recent division. Their heartfelt contributions bridged both communities, symbolizing the unity, sacrifice, and spirit of volunteerism that built not just a chapel—but a legacy.
