The Book of Mormon synagogues, both Nephite and Lamanite, were places of common worship and teaching, from the time of Nephi at the beginning of the record until a thousand years later when Mormon taught his people in “the synagogue which they had built for the place of worship” (Moro. 7:1. See also, 2 Ne. 26:26; Alma 16:13; 21:4–5, 11, 16, 20; 23:2; 26:29; 31:12–13; 32:1–3, 5, 9–10, 12; 33:2; Hel. 3:9, 14; 3 Ne. 13:2, 5; 18:32). These buildings were different in purpose and separate from the Nephite temples, not unlike the distinction between a synagogue and a temple in the Biblical record or the same contrast in function between our ward and stake buildings and temples today.

There is no mention of the manner of synagogue construction or how large they were. The record indicates, however, that because of “little timber upon the face of the land” in the north, the Nephites “did suffer [allow] whatsoever tree should spring up upon the face of the land that it should grow up, that in time they might have timber to build their … synagogues” (Hel. 3:9, 14). According to the record, the use of “cement” construction in these northern lands was for “houses of cement” and there is no mention of using cement in the construction of synagogues (Hel. 3:7).

When the sons of Mosiah taught the Lamanites in the land of Nephi, king Lamoni, who was a recent convert, “caused that there should be synagogues built in the land of Ishmael; and he caused that his people, or the people who were under his reign, should assemble themselves together” (Alma 21:20; between 90 and 77 B.C.). This process of building synagogues for the immediate purpose of assembling king Lamoni’s people would suggest that they did not spend years, decades or generations building large stone structures but rather basic and quickly built structures, perhaps like the structures for worship the early Saints built in this dispensation. Most likely, the cost of building a synagogue would have been borne by the people in each of the designated and limited areas, and an elaborate stone building would have taxed their time and resources beyond that required to meet an immediate need.

In the land of “Antionum, which was east of the land of Zarahemla,” one of the Zoramite synagogues was high enough that “they had a place built up in the center of their synagogue, a place for standing, which was high above the head; and the top thereof would only admit one person” (Alma 31:3, 13; about 74 B.C.). This high place was called by the Zoramites, “Rameumptom, which, being interpreted, is the holy stand” (Alma 31:21). A structure with a high ceiling would have had to be extremely well engineered if it were built of stone. It took European artisans—using labor from a feudal system—many centuries to develop techniques for building lofty stone cathedrals and often a construction time spanning many decades and even generations of parishioners before they were completed. The high position of the Zoramite “Rameumptom” might have been merely to help project the sound of the “prayers” offered from this holy stand (Alma 31:13–23).

According to Mormon, “their synagogues … were built after the manner of the Jews” (Alma 16:13). Jewish synagogues traditionally contained simple furniture, rolls of sacred writings, a desk for reading and seats for worshipers. There was a synagogue in every town where Jews were living, not only in Palestine but elsewhere (see Bible Dictionary, “Synagogue”). These Book of Mormon synagogues, along with Jewish synagogues, provide a striking contrast to the pyramidal forms of ancient structures in Meso-America whose high tops were often intended to be reached by worshippers climbing the outside of the stone building. Given the number of synagogues built by small groups of people, we believe wood (timber) would have been most feasible and not stone. Certainly stone construction is not mentioned, but timber as a building material is recorded for the synagogues in the north lands.