St. George Utah Temple

St. George Utah Temple. The first of four pioneer-era temples.

The St. George Utah Temple was the first temple built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the death of Joseph Smith, Jr. Located in the city of St. George, Utah, it was the first Latter-day Saint temple built in the Rocky Mountains. It was designed by Truman O. Angell who also worked on the Kirtland and Nauvoo Temples and designed the Salt Lake Temple.

Other pioneer-era temples followed the St. George Utah Temple dedication, including the Logan Utah Temple dedication in 1884, the Manti Utah Temple dedication in 1888, and the Salt Lake Temple dedication in 1893.

The announcement to build the St. George temple was given on 9 November 1871, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held that same day. Members of the Church waited almost 30 years to worship in a temple after they left Nauvoo. Brigham Young, the prophet and president of the Church at the time, personally chose a six-acre plot as the site for the temple. The afternoon of the groundbreaking ceremony the Saints immediately began construction for their new temple. Unfortunately, the Saints soon discovered that the site was swampy with numerous underground streams. They asked Brigham Young if perhaps they should move the site, but he remained firm that this was the site for the temple.

The Saints overcame the problem of a swampy site in an ingenious way. They decided to bring lava rock to the site then made drains to get rid of much of the water. They then crushed the lava rock and used it to create a dry foundation to build the temple on. The only problem was how to crush the rock. Someone suggested using the old cannon that the city had acquired. This old cannon itself had an interesting history. It was made in France and used by Napoleon when he laid siege on Moscow. During Napoleon’s hasty retreat the cannon had been left behind. It was later dragged to Siberia, then to Alaska, and finally, it ended up at a fort in California. Members of the Mormon Battalion acquired the cannon, had it mounted on wheels, and brought it to Utah. The Saints rigged a pulley system and used the cannon as a pile driver to create a good foundation. Today, the old cannon is displayed on the temple grounds.

After finishing the foundation, work finally began on the structure itself. There were not enough people living in the St. George area to build a monumental building in a short amount of time; consequently construction workers traveled from Latter-day Saint communities throughout Utah to aid in temple construction. The walls of the temple were actually made out of the red sandstone so prevalent in the area and then plastered over so that the temple would be white. The Saints worked tirelessly over five-and-a-half years to complete the temple. By the time it was finished, the Saints had used a million feet of lumber, which had been hand-chopped and hauled between forty and eighty miles. They also used seventeen thousand tons of volcanic rock and sandstone, which had to be hand-cut and hauled by mule teams.

When the temple was completed, Brigham Young was not completely satisfied with the tower and dome, stating that it looked too short and squatty. He suggested having it fixed, but the Saints were so excited to have the temple finished that Brigham Young did not push the suggestion. The dedication ceremony took place on 6 April 1877, with Brigham Young presiding and Daniel H. Wells, his second counselor, offering the dedicatory prayer. The dedication of the St. George Temple was an important event in Brigham Young’s presidency because it was the only temple completed during his presidency. Shortly after the dedication, Brigham Young went home to Salt Lake and passed away on 29 August 1877. He was 76 years old.

About a year after Brigham Young's death, on October 16, 1878, a large storm rolled through St. George and a lightning bolt struck the tower of the temple, making it necessary to reconstruct the tower and dome. Brigham Young's feelings about the tower were well known and a new design was made for the tower, making it taller.

The St. George temple is the oldest temple still in operation by the Church. The temple is designed in a Gothic style. It has three ordinance rooms and eighteen sealing rooms. This beautiful temple is in the center of St. George and stands as a beautiful reminder of the hard work and dedication that was required by the Saints for its building.

The St. George Utah Temple was extensively remodeled for over a year from 1937 to 1938. The lower hall was permanently divided into progressive-style muraled endowment rooms. Following a second major renovation project, the St. George Utah Temple nearly doubled its 56,062 square feet.In the 1970s the temple was closed and underwent extensive remodeling. Spencer W. Kimball rededicated it in 1975.

St. George Utah Temple, prior to the latest renovation.

St. George Utah Temple Closes for Renovations

According to the Church's Newsroom site, the St. George Utah Temple, the first of four pioneer-era temples, closed on Monday, 4 November 2019, to undergo "extensive structural, mechanical, electrical, finish and plumbing work."

In announcing 12 new temples at the October 2018 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson also said that the Salt Lake Temple and other pioneer-era temples (including the Manti and Logan) will be renovated. He said, "With the passage of time, temples are inevitably in need of refreshing and renewal. To that end, plans are now being made to renovate and update the Salt Lake Temple and other pioneer generation temples. Details on these projects will be shared as they are developed." Another landmark building, the St. George Tabernacle, was reopened in summer 2018 after two years of renovation work.

The St. George Utah Temple serves Latter-day Saint communities in southwestern Utah and parts of Arizona and Nevada. Despite the closure, temple-going Latter-day Saints will be able to continue attending temple services at the Cedar City Utah Temple. After Cedar City, the nearest Latter-day Saint temple is the Las Vegas Nevada Temple.

Church Releases Detailed Plans for Closure and Renovation of St. George Utah Temple

At a news conference in the St. George Temple Visitors' Center on Wednesday, 22 May 2019, detailed plans for the upcoming closure and renovation of the St. George Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were released. Brent Roberts, managing director of the Church’s Special Projects Department, commented, "This is one of the beautiful, premier temples in the Church. Latter-day Saints have worshipped here for almost 150 years. However, the building has worn out over time, and it is once again time for us to refresh and strengthen this historic structure for future generations to enjoy." At the news conference, Church representatives shared interior and exterior project renderings and site plans.

According to LDS Living.com, "The entire temple block will be improved with new walkways, landscaping, water features, and additional shade trees. A new brides' exit and plaza will be added to the east side of the annex, and a new baptistry entrance and exit will be added on the temple's south side."

The upper portion of the existing annex will also be demolished and replaced with a design that will complement the historic structure. Additionally, limited seismic upgrades will be made by adding steel to the temple’s original wood trusses. Excavation around the temple's foundation will also be required to install new mechanical heating and cooling systems.

Andy Kirby, director of historic temple renovations, stated, "This renovation will be carried out with the finest materials and workmanship available. The finished product will become a cherished part of the community and further add to the rich history of this magnificent temple in southern Utah."

Jason Cobb, an on-site foreman for Grant Mackay Demolition Company, has been doing this type of construction work for 14 years, but this job is different. As a member of the Church, he said working on the temple allows him to be a part of history. He said, "It feels amazing to me to have the opportunity to be able to work on temples . . . to be able to feel the love that the Lord has for His house and for each one of us."

Eric Jamison, project manager, said, "One of the aspects of this project is preserving the original building. The structure of the building is in fantastic condition given its age. Despite its age, the temple has endured very well."

Crews will work to preserve as much of the original craftsmanship as possible. Emily Utt, the curator of the historic site with the Church History Department, added, "The St. George Temple represents the devotion, sacrifice, and faith of early members of the Church. This temple was built by hand in the desert as an expression of their faith. We believe the current plans to preserve, restore and renovate this sacred place will honor those who came before while also improving the temple’s safety and function for patrons." She also stated that dozens of small details have been found to help historians better understand the history of the temple. She said, "So, for the first time in 100 years, we're able to see where the original door openings were in this building, what the floor plan was, what the paint colors were."

The project impacted some aspects of the temple block. Some public access were restricted, and some sidewalks were closed. Additionally, some roads were temporarily closed for utility construction. The Temple Visitors’ Center remained open during construction, but there was no access to the temple site during that time. The annual Christmas light display did not take place during construction.

The St. George Utah Temple serves Latter-day Saints in southwestern Utah and parts of Nevada and Arizona.

Open House and Re-dedication of the St. George Utah Temple

A public open house started on Friday, September 15, and continued through Saturday, November 11, excluding Sundays and Saturday the 30th of September, which is general conference. A media day was held on Wednesday, September 6.[1]

Andy Kirby, director of the Church’s historic temple renovations, said of the renovations, “It has [an] all-new heating, air conditioning and cooling system . . . LED lighting and state-of-the-art high-efficiency systems throughout the temple, so it will operate in an efficient way for many years."

“I think the pioneers who built this would be pleased with our work,” said Kirby. “They would be satisfied that we preserved their efforts and the beauty and the intent of their work.”

Kirby said the north and west additions to the temple have been rebuilt to match the original architecture of the building. The sacred structure is more accessible, with added elevators, better stairs, walkways and hallways. There is also a new baptistry entrance on the south side of the temple and a bride’s exit on the northeast corner.

“The interior design matches the historic temple and furnishings that would have been appropriate in the 1870s and 1880s,” he said.

The landscaping on the temple grounds now includes water-wise plants, and the irrigation system is enhanced with secondary water.

Nearly 670,000 guests visited the renovated St. George Utah Temple during its nine-week public open house.

The St. George Utah Temple was rededicated by President Jeffrey R. Holland on Sunday, December 10, 2023, in two sessions (10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. MT). [2][3]

The dedicatory sessions were broadcast to all congregations in the St. George Utah Temple district.

The St. George Utah Temple is one of 10 temples around the world that invites the public to walk its grounds to view Christmas lights. In 2024, the lights around the St. George Utah Temple returned for the first time in five years, following the temple’s renovation and rededication. At a lighting ceremony on Friday, November 29, a nondenominational choir joined a choir of sister missionaries from the Utah St. George Mission in singing Christmas hymns. There were also 123 Nativities from dozens of different countries on display at the St. George Temple Visitors’ Center.