St. George Utah Temple 1877

St. George Utah Temple Wiki

Quick Facts

ANNOUNCED
31 January 1871

ANNOUNCED BY
President Brigham Young

GROUNDBREAKING
9 November 1871

GROUNDBREAKING PRESIDED BY
President Brigham Young

DEDICATED
1 January 1877

DEDICATED BY
Elder Wilford Woodruff, Elder Erastus Snow, President Brigham Youngy

DEDICATION ORDER
1

LOCATION
250 E 400 S St. George, Utah 84770-3699 United States

PHONE
(+1) 435-673-3533

Additional Facts

#1

This is the first Latter-day Saint temple dedicated in Utah and the oldest operating temple in the Church.

#2

It was the only temple dedicated during Brigham Young’s 29 years as Church President. He passed away almost five months after the dedication.

#3

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Latter-day Saints in Arizona traveled to the St. George temple to receive their endowments. Because of this, the wagon road they rode through was nicknamed the “Honeymoon Trail.”

Description

The Saint George Utah Temple in southwest Utah, is the first temple completed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the forced exodus of the church from Nauvoo, Illinois, after the death of its founder Joseph Smith.

It was designed by Truman O. Angell under the direction of Brigham Young. It is more similar in its design to the original Nauvoo Temple than to later LDS temples. The Saint George UtahTemple is the oldest temple still actively used by the LDS Church.

The Temple is designed in a Gothic style.

History

Unlike temples in modern days, where the announcement is made and that is it until the location or render is released, the early temples of the Church are harder to define the correct announcement date for, as you will shortly see.

Begining the winter of 1870-1871 Brigham Young and a few others of the church leaders made the decision to spend the entire winter in St. George. Brighams health in particular was poor, suffureing from problems iwth his stomach, voice, and rhuematism.[1]Wood, Dale Glen, “Brigham Young’s Activities in St. George During the Later Years of his Life” (1963), p27. Theses and Dissertations. 5224. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5224 During the extended stay, President Young continuted via telegram to direct the affairs of the Church, dealing with multiple issues. One of the problems that appeared to command a significant portion of time was the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The Temple had been under construction for 17 years, and only 3 years earlier had the walls peaked above ground level. It was clear that the Temple in Salt Lake could take much longer than he could have hoped, and hew as concerned about passing along the ordinances of the temple.[2]Taylor, John, “Journal of Discourses,” XXIII, 9 November 1881, p14.

That Brigham was focused on a temple is indicated by the account of his daughters, who read over and over to him again the desctiptions of the the tabernacle and temples in the old testiment, and him reflecting on the relation and dimensions of everything.[3]Gates, Susa Young and Widtsoe, Leah B. “The Life Story of Brigham Young.” New York: The” Macmillan Company, 1930. Finally, he was ready to move forward with his plans

St. George Utah Temple 1877

Wood, Dale Glen, “Brigham Young’s Activities in St. George During the Later Years of his Life” (1963), p27. Theses and Dissertations. 5224. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5224

Announcement

Proposal

A council held 31 January 1871 saw the topic of a temple in St. George first broached to any of the public. At the mention of the temple coming to St. George, Erastus Snow now famously cried out “Glory; Hallelujah!” The joy he expressed was shared by all many present.[4]Wood, Dale Glen, “Brigham Young’s Activities in St. George During the Later Years of his Life” (1963), p27. Theses and Dissertations. 5224. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5224

Though in the most part there was excitement for the temple, some pointed out the lack of means within the community. Brighams respons was that “We do not need capital, We have the raw materials, we have the labor, we have the skill. We are far better able to build a temple here than the Saints were In Nauvoo.”[5]Mortensen, A. R. (ed.). “Utah’s Dixie… The Cotton Mission”, Utah Historical Quarterly. XXIX. 1961.

ANNOUNCED ORDER
2

Date1877 01 31
ByBrigham Young
RolePresident
ViaLocal Meeting

⮜Preceded by Salt Lake
Followed by Logan Utah⮞

As for the reasoning behind the temple being proposed, at the time of the council, Charles Smith reporeted tha thte decision wwas made for St. George on account of the distance involved in traveling from Salt Lake to St. George, especially for older individuals.[6]Charles Smith, “Diary”, 1819-1905, p. 184. Copied by Brigham Young University Library, 1945-46. John Taylor presented other reasons for the decision. He listed among reasons for the temple in St. George, the length of construction for the Salt Lake temple. As for why St. George, he specified that the triels and tribulations the Saints in the area had gone through there made them more ready then any other group for the blessings of the temple. Lastly, he listed that there must needs be a place somewhere in all the region, either north or south, of strength in the Church.[7]Taylor, John, “Journal of Discourses,” XXIII, 9 November 1881, p14.

Despite leaving for Salt Lake the following month, those left behind were not to be left wondering when the temple would come. On 15 April of 1871 a letter was read at a meeting of the St. George School of the Prophets in which Brigham Young outlined the dimensions of the temple. The letter, dated 5 April, stated the intention of himeslf and George A. Smith of coming down the following Ocrober to commence the work.[8]Wood, Dale Glen, “Brigham Young’s Activities in St. George During the Later Years of his Life” (1963), p27. Theses and Dissertations. 5224. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5224[9]Charles L. Walker diary, Brigham Young University, p. 418-419 According to some sources, this may actually be the first time that the news of the temple was announced to the General public, the prior being a council meeting in which the contents were not distributed publicly.[10]Bennett, Richard E. (2005) “”Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept”: Reflections on the 1877 Commencement of the Performance of Endowments and Sealings for the Dead,” BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 44: Iss. 3, Article 4. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol44/iss3/4

The commonly qouted date for the Announcement of the temple is 9 November 1871. This also happens to be the groundbreaking date, but as we have shown there were the plan had been publicly know since at least 15 April 1871, if not earlier .

In a telegram late summer or early fall Brigham asked Stake President’s Cousnselor Rober Gardner to take some brethren with him and locate a site for the temple. Unable to come to a consensus, they found three or four locations to propose instead.[11]Charles L. Walker diary, Brigham Young University, p. 418-419

Site Selection

Brigham Young, arriving a little later than anticipated, returned to St. George on 1 November 1871. [12]Wood, Dale Glen, “Brigham Young’s Activities in St. George During the Later Years of his Life” (1963), p27. Theses and Dissertations. 5224. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5224Shortly thereafter, Possibly as soon as the following morning, Gardner and compantions took President Young to the spots they had chosen as possible temple locations. Brigham declined all these and chose instead a previously unconsidered spot south of the town.

The location instead chosen by Brigham Young was a level spot in the valley. One block west the ground rises, slowly at first, to the plataue that encloses the valley on the west side. Immediately east of the block the temple sits on, the ground slopes down and away. This slope creates a natural prominance.[13]Yorgason, Blaine M., “All That Was Promised: The St. George Temple and the Unfolding of the Restoration”, Deseret Book, 2003.

Gardner, along with the support of others, pointed out that there was a serious problem with the site that had to be overcome before the temple could be built. Ground water seeping down the slope from the Red Hill hits a limestone formation under the North end of that particular block. The formation forces the ground water south and to the surface. This creates a spring line and resulting in a bog over the south two-thirds of the block. It has been claimed that a fence post could be driven many feet into the soil with ease at some points of the year due to the high water content, though I have yet to find a source for that statement.

Gardner, his companions, and over the ensuing days until the groundbreaking multiple others, tried hard to convince Brigham aqway from the idea of building a structure that heavy at that location. Brigham’s response was always that he had “diligently sought of the lord to know the right location for this temple and he was well satisfied that the place at first selected was the right place.”[14]Bleak, James Godson, “Annals of the Southern Utah Mission”, Book B, p. 183, Copy in Brigham Young University Library.

Groundbreaking

Initially 6 November was set as the date for the groundbreaking. [15]Wood, Dale Glen, “Brigham Young’s Activities in St. George During the Later Years of his Life” (1963), p27. Theses and Dissertations. 5224. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5224

When 6 November arrived, it was found to be a rainy and dreary day, and there are indications that survaying for the temple and plot were not yet complete.[16]Curtis, Kirk M., “History of the St. George Temple” (1964), Ch. Theses and Dissertations. 4630. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4630 The groundbreaking was rescheduled for the 9th of November instead, a day that turned out to be beautiful in contrast. A hymn was offered, President George A. Smith of the First Presidency dedicated the site And Brigham gave a short speach.[17]Bleak, James Godson, “Annals of the Southern Utah Mission”, Book B, p. 126-127, Copy in Brigham Young University Library. After the speach, Brigham took a shovel, and at a stake marking the southeast corner of the building, he said “I now commence by moving this dirt in the name of Israel’s God.” and turned a shovel full of soil on the east side of the stake. George Smith then did a shovel full on the south side, Erastus Snow fromt he North, and Stake President Josph W. Young on the west.

GROUNDBREAKING ORDER
2

Date1877 11 09
ByBrigham Young
RolePresident
Attendees

Construction Detail

Construction

To deal with the overly wet soil, the saints follow a 2 course plan. First they created drains to pull the most surface water away fromt he site. Drains of one kind or another have continued to be in use even during the current renovation.

Secondly, they decided to bring lava rock, abundant in the area, to the site. The rock was crushed and used it to create a dry area to build the foundationof the temple on. Having decided upon this course, the difficulty was in how to crush the rock. The suggestion was made to use an old canon the city militia had been drilling with. The Saints filled the cannon with lead, rigged a pulley system and used the canon as a pile driver to create a good foundation.

After stabilizing the foundation, work began on the structure. The walls of the temple were built of the red sandstone common to the area and then whitewashed for an “alabaster” appearance to the finish. Due to the nature of the finish work, it had to be re-whitewashed every year since dedication.[18]”Extensive Improvements Completed During Year,” Washington County News, 3 November 1938. Members worked for over five and a half years to complete the temple.

The workers opened new rock quarries, cut, hauled and planed timber, and donated one day in ten as tithing labor. Some members donated half their wages to the temple, while others gave food, clothing and other goods to aid those who were working full-time on the building. Women decorated the hallways with handmade rag carpets and produced fringe for the altars and pulpits from Utah-produced silk. At its completion, it contained 1,000,000 board feet (2,000 m3) of lumber, which had been hand-chopped and hauled between 40 and 80 miles (60 and 100 km). They also used 17,000 tons of volcanic rock and sandstone, hand-cut and hauled by mule teams.

A few items like glass, nails, and the entire baptismal font were freighted from Salt Lake.

Cornerstone Capsule

A Cornerstone Capsule Cemeremony was held 31 March 1874 at noon, though the laying of stones had 24 March 1873 nearly a year earlier. This was less of a cornerstone ceremony and more of a time capsule internement. The capsule contained a silver plate with the following inscription

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints, was organized and established agreeably to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God, on the sixth of April, 1830. Which commandments were given to Joseph Smith, Jr., who was called of God, and ordained an Apostle of Jesus ‘Christ, to be the first Elder in the Church.
Joseph Smith, Jr., President, with his brother Hyrum, Patriarch of the whole Church suffered martyrdom in Carthage, Illinois, June 27th, 1844, and the Church was driven into the wilderness in 1846.
Brigham Young, President of the Church of Jesus Christ or Latter Day Saints.
HIS COUNSLORS.
George A. Smith and Daniel Wells.
ASSISTANT COUNSELLORS.
Lorenzo Snow, Brigham Young, Jr., Albert Carrington, John W. Young and George Q. Cannon.
TWELVE APOSTLES.
Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Charles C. Rich, Erastus Snow, Franklin D. Richards, George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young Jr., Joseph F. Smith and Albert Carrington

FIRST SEVEN PRESIDENTS OF THE SEVENTIES.
Joseph Young, Levi W. Hancock, Henry Herriman, Albert P. Rockwood, Horace S. Eldredge, Jacob Gates and John Van Cott.
These seven constitute the Presiding Council over all the Seventies. Each quorum of Seventies has seven presidents to preside over the quorum.
PRESIDING BISHOP.
Edward Hunter, President of the Aaronic Priesthood
HIS COUNSELORS.
Leonard W. Hardy and Jesse C. Little.
St. Georgc Temple Block was dedicated November 9th 1871.
Engd. by David McKenkie.”

Official Attendees

First Presidency
  • Brigham Young
  • George A. Smith
  • Erastus Snow
  • Joseph A. Young
  • John W. Young
Apostles
  • Robert Gardner
  • A. F. McDonald
  • Jacob Hamblin
  • James O. Bleak
  • Henry Eyring
  • A. M. Cannon,
Assistant Architect
  • Miles Romney
Chief Mason
  • Edward L. Parry

The following is the list of books, papers, etc., placed in the box with the plate

  • Bible
  • Book of Mormon
  • Doctrine and Covenants
  • Hymn Book
  • Compendium
  • Catechism
  • Spencer’s Letters
  • Voice of Warning
  • E. R. Snow’s Poems
  • Orson Hyde’s Tour to Jerusalem
  • Three Sermons on Polygamy
  • Answers to Questions
  • Two Volumes of Millennial Star (I and XIV)
  • One Volume Journal of Discourses
  • One copy “Mormon” Question
  • One copy Plural Marriage
  • One Volume Juvenile Instructor
  • One copy Laws of Utah
  • A file of the Women’s Exponent
  • A few numbers of Deseret News
  • One copy of Acts of First Legislature
  • A few numbers of Ogden Junction
  • A few numbers of Salt Lake Herald
  • One number of the Utah Posten
  • Synopsis of Description of the Temple at Salt City by Truman O. Angell
  • Abstract of the History of Southern Utah, by James G. Bleak

Dedication Announced

On 19 October 1876 the Beaver enterprise published that the St. George temple would be dedicated at the next General Conference, to be held there on 6 April 1877.

At Noon on 31 March 1874, Brigham Young and George Albert Smith, in conjunction with Erastus Snow, Joseph A. Young, John W. Young, Robert Gardner, A. F. McDonald, Jacob Hamblin, James O. Bleak, Henry Eyring, A. M. Cannon, Miles Romney, Edward L. Parry, and a crowd of others, placed a box within the foundation of the temple. In the box was a metal plate listing the organization of the church. Accompanying the plate were several books, including the standard works, and several periodicals from the day.

Construction Summary

1872

18 September – Foundations reach six feet, bringing them up to ground level.

1874

02 April – Cornerstone Capsule ceremony, with the President and Apostles on hand, a box was placed in the foundation of the temple.[19]”THE ST. GEORGE TEMPLE,” Deseret Evening News, 2 April 1874, p2.

May 12 – Walls up to the water tabling on all but the North side, with that side expected to be up to the same height in 8-10 days. Scaffolding was going up on the west and south sides.[20]The Deseret News, 12 May 1874, p3.

(Late October?) – The walls were up to the center of the lower course of windows. Window sills and water tables were dressed in smooth stone, while the remainder of the walls were rough-hewn, anticipating they would be smoothed over in plaster.

Timbers for the first floor support were going in.[21]Salt Lake Herald, 9 November 1874.

2 November – Arches over the first floor windows were complete, sixteen feet above the floor.[22]Deseret News, 11 November 1874, p5.

26 December – Walls are up about thirty feet above the first floor, 35 feet above the ground, and about 10 days away from the second floor.

Nearly 80 tons of rock are being added to the walls each week, enough to raise the walls 2.5 feet per week.[23]Deseret Evening, 10 December 1874.[24]Deseret Evening News, 26 December 1874, p3.

1875

21 February – Walls of the temple now nearly complete.

9 March – Last stone laid upon the temple walls at 4 P.M. Work to start soon on the parapets.

18 June – Half the oxen for the font have been cast.

20 July – The font is en route to the temple, passes through Beaver.

18 September – Parapet completed on the temple today.

1876

5 April – The basement of the Temple is essentially complete, the tower and dome are nearly finished, and the exterior plaster finish completed this day. Basement plaster finished around the same time. Many of the windows are in.

19 October – The dedication of the temple is announced.

28 November – Lower rooms, first Assembly Hall and its attached side rooms are now complete.

1877

1 January – Basement and Lower Story of the temple dedicated by Wilford W. Woodruff.

6 April – Temple Dedicated.

Partial Dedication

Brigham Young was feeling the need to get the temple running, and the ordinance s formalized. As had been done at Nauvoo, where the temple was dedicated in stages as the space was ready, the Decision was made to dedicated completed portions of the St. George Temple as well.

At 12 Noon on 1 January 1877, President Brigham Young, with Elders Wilford Woodruff, Erastus Snow, and Brigham Young Jr., gathered in the temple with others watching on.[25]Salt Lake Herald Republican, 3 January 1877 Says between 200-300 people were present. “Dedication Services At The Temple At St. George, Utah Territory, January 1, 1877” Deseret News, 17 January 1877 Says there were 2,000. I am uncertain how the temple could have accomodated the latter number, especially in the baptistry where the service was held.b

The Service commenced at 12:30 with Willford Woodruf calling the Assemblies attention, and giving some initial remarks. A Hymn, The spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning, was then sung, after which Erastus Snow announced that Elder Woodruff would give the dedicatory prayer.

Elder Woodruff Dedicated the Baptistry, and the rooms and features of the basement floor of the temple, after which those in attendance were taken up to the now finished first floor Assmbly Hall.

In the Assembly Hall, Elder Erastus Snow dedicated the floor and all the furnishings nd features therein. Those in attendance were then asked to remain seated while the Apostles, President Young, and a few Priesthood Holders were taken to the top room, just below the short temple tower, and dedicated that room as a Sealing Room, with the prayer being given by Elder Brigham Young Jr.

Upon returning to the assembly hall and gathered congregation, President Brigham Young addressed the saints in a speach about the importance of what theyw ere doing that day.[26]”Dedication Services At The Temple At St. George, Utah Territory, January 1, 1877″ Deseret News, 17 January 1877

Dedication

In honor of the completion of the temple, the church’s April 1877 General Conference was held there. The temple dedication ceremony took place on 6 April 1877 as part of that General Conference. President Young presided and Daniel H. Wells, his 2nd counselor, gave the dedicatory prayer in each of 6 Dedicatory Sessions. It was the third to be completed by the church and the first one in Utah. 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 returned home to Salt Lake. On the trip back, he stopped to officiate at the Groundbreaking of the Manti Utah Temple on 25 April 1877. Brigham Young passed away about four months later on 29 August 1877. He was 76 years old.

In his dedicatory prayer, President Wells prayed that the temple would “stand as a monument of purity and holiness as long as the earth shall remain.”

After temple ordinances were revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the 1840s, the wording was passed down by memory and word of mouth. The dedication of the St. George Utah Temple changed this. President Brigham Young directed that temple ordinances be written down, ensuring wording consistency and long-term availability.

DEDICATION ORDER
1

Date1877 04 06
ByDaniel H. Wells
Role2nd counselor
Sessions#
Attendees#

⮜Preceded by Nauvoo
Followed by Logan Utah⮞

Dedicatory Prayer

Construction Duration

SpanDuration
Announced
to
Groundbreaking		0 y,
9 m,
9 d
Groundbreaking
to
Dedication		5 y,
4 m,
27d
Announced
to
Dedication		6 y,
2 m,
6 d

Dedicatory Prayer

Dedicatory Order

GLOBAL

1

REGION
N. AM
1

COUNTRY
US
1

STATE
UT
1

COUNTY
WASHINGTON
1

CITY
ST. GEORGE
1

There were no other temples in use when the Saint George Temple was dedicated. Saint George was the first in Utah and the first in consistent use in the Restoration.

In the temple’s first year of operation — recorded Elder Wilford Woodruff, the first president of the St. George temple — approximately 25,000 baptisms for the dead, 12,000 endowments and 3,800 sealings were performed.

St George Utah Temple 1888

1883

Lightning struck and damaged the spire in 1878. This spire was repaired. However, in 1883 the decision was made to add a taller spire, more complimentary to the size and shape of the temple.  Removal and construction of the new spire took a couple of years. During this time, according to the information I have been able to find, the need was found to add an annex to the temple. The new annex was added around the water tower to the temple’s north, and in replacement of one of the stairways into the basement.

St. George Utah Temple 1900

1900

Around the turn of the Century the water tower was removed, and the annex expanded. The exact date of the water towers removal is not known, but it may have been done as part of the following renovation.

1917

18 July 1917 the temple closed for “extensive improvements.”[27]Local and General News, Washington County News, 21 June 1917 The renovation, designed by Don Carlos Young and Ramm Hansen, who would later design the Mesa Arizona Temple, added partition walls within the basement and main level of the temple annex. The change allowed for concurrent temple ceremonies.[28]”St. GEorge Temple Media Kit” Intellectual Reserve, Inc., February 2023 It is unclear if this renovation occured after the water tower removal, or if the removal was part of this closure.

The temple was intended to reopen 15 January 2018,[29]”St. George Temple Improvements Completed,” Iron Country Record, 04 January 1918, p1. but the late arrival of some of the ordered new equipmennt pushed that date to the 15th of February.[30]”Local Breifs,” Iron Country Record, 04 January 1918, p4.; “Temple Opening.” Washington County News, 31 January 1918.

St. George 1920

1927

In 1927, early in the morning of 20 November 1927 The annex caught fire due to fuel materials stored near the furnace overheating. While the fire in the annex could not be contained, the temple itself sustained no damage. Work was begun to renovate the burned out annex immediately. Included in this render are the upper parapets of the Temple which were painted to look like sandstone sometime in the 1910s.

St. George Utah Temple,1938

1938

Planned Remodel Announced

On 29 December 1936, Temple President George F. Whitehead was speaking at a morning devotional in the temple. He related his just completed trip to Salt Lake, where he had seen some of the improvements that had been made to that temple. Impressed as he was with those changes, he was desirous that some of the same or similar be made to the Temple in St. George. The changes had been discussed with the authorities in Salt Lake, and he had great hopes that many of the improvements could be made over the annual 2-month summer closer the following year.[31]”Remodeling Of Temple Considered By Leaders,” Washington County News, 31 December 1936. (The temple, like all other temples, would close for a period of time each summer so that improvements such as repainting and updating furnishings could be completed.)

He did, at that time, express his desire the temple not be closed for longer than the usual 2 months. Little then did he know that he had set in motion the first true major renovation to this temple, necessitating the temple’s closure for around about a full year.

Commenced

The temple closed for its usual summer period on Friday, 6 August 1837. At the time of closing, while a renovation had apparently been approved, no information had been recieved from Church Headquarters as to when the actual renovation date would start. The temple was then planned to reopen on August 30 of the same year.[32]”St. George Temple Closes Until August 30,” Washington County News, 08 July 1937, p1.

Official Announcement

The planned 2 month summer closure had been reiterated a little less than a month earlier,[33]”Temple Closed,”Kane County Standard, 23 July 1937. and the previously planned reopening was just 11 days away, when on 19 August President Whitehead announced that the renovation was now moving forward, and the opening of the temple would be delayed another month.[34]”Temple Being Remodeled,” Washington County News, 19 August 1937, p1.

For several months following this point, not only would the renovation move forward, but would continue to grow in scope, moving from a planned outlay of $50,500 to around $75,000 when completed.[35]”Temple To Open For Regular Work On April 1,” Washington County News, 10 February 1938, p1.

First Major Delay

The first sign of the true scope of the renovation came on 30 September, when President Whitehead announced that instead of opening on 20 October, the opening would now be “announced later,” having been delayed unavoidably by the ongoing renovation.[36]”Temple Notice,” Washington County News, 30 September 1937, p1. Just a couple of short weeks later, the Deseret News described the delay as the reopening having been “postponed indefinitely.”[37]”Temple Notices,” Deseret News, 12 October 1937.

In February 1938, new temple President Harold S. Snow,[38]The previous president, George F. Whitehead, was unexpectedly released after 5 years of service. While this is not unheard of in modern temples, prior Temple and even Mission presidents had served several decades int heir positions. In a letter from President Grant, it was explained the Church was implementing a new policy that would reduce the amount of time that individuals hold office, for the good of the individuals in those positions and the Church as a whole. “Letter Explains Change At St. George Temple,” Washington County News, 21 October 1937, p1. announced that the plan was to have the temple open by April 1, though there was already a possibility of a few days delay.[39]”St. George Temple To Open Soon Says President,” Washington County News, 3 February 1838, p5.

Second Major Delay

By May 26 the work, still on going, was about ready to wrap up. Church officials had been out and examined the work and approved of what had been done. At that time, another week and a half was expected to complete most of the remaining work.[40] “Remodeling Of Temple Nears Completion,” Washington County News, 26 May 1938, p1. However, even then the decision had been made to extend the closure until August.

On June 2nd, the Church announced an increase to the scope of the work. The expansion consisted primarily of repainting pretty much everything, inside and out, but would also include adding an elevator to access all floors of the temple.[41]”Further Improvements Planned At Temple,” Washington County News, 2 June 1938, p1.; “Power Driven Lift At Temple Nearly Ready For Service,” Washington County News, 7 July 1938, p1.

Reopened

In July, Church officials again came out to look over the work on the newly remodeled Temple. They approved of what was done, and made arrangements for the completion of the remaining work.[42]”Church Officials Check New Improvements At St. George Temple,” Washington County News, 21 July 1938, p1.

The actual reopening of the temple was announced on 4 August to be set for 12 September 1938. After 13 months, the temple would finally be reopened for ordinance work. Prior to that, a baptism service for eligible children was held on August 7. [43]Deseret News, 3 August 1938 The day was marked by a ceremony for visiting authorities and temple staff in the morning, followed by a meal for visiting VIPs, then a public meeting in the Tabernacle. That evening, a pageant titled “The Hearts of the Children” was held.

Renovation Duration

SpanDuration
Announced
to
Commencement		0 y,
7 m,
9 d
Commencement
to
Completion		1 y,
1 m,
7d
Announced
to
Completion		1 y,
8 m,
15 d

No official rededication took place, and no open house was held, but it appears that this may be the firs time a major renovation that significantly changed a major portion of any temple was conducted.

Scope

Known aspects of the renovation included the following:

  • Bureau of Information built on East end of temple block, slightly north of the east gate.
  • Complete re-landscaping with new sprinkling system.
  • Sidewalks and curb around the block.
  • Streets re-oiled and graveled.
  • New plumbing throughout.
  • New electrical throughout.
  • New Carpets.
  • New Blinds.
  • New chairs and benches.
  • Strip and repaint the interior.
  • Strip and repaint the whitewashed exterior, re covered it with 3 coats of a more permanent water and weatherproof material.
  • Elevator accessing all floors of the temple proper.
  • Resurfacing the stairs and all woodwork.
  • Font reburnished and re bronzed to original colors.
  • New heating and cooling equipment.
  • Lower Assembly Hall subdivided into multiple permanent rooms for the presentation of the endowment.
Temple Cottages

Starting before, and completed a couple of years after this renovation, cottages for temple workers and those attending from distances were built south of the temple. [44]”Temple Court Plans To Be Discussed,” Iron County Record, 30 September 1937, p1.; “St. George Temple Cottages Near Completion” Iron County Record, 21 April 1938.

Temple Lighting

While not installed at that time, exterior floodlighting was planned for and added later that year.[45]”Large Flood Lights To Play On Temple Grounds,” Washington County News, 3 November, 1938, p.12

1958

St. George Utah Temple 1958

Announced

On 11 February 1956 the announcement was made of plans for a new expanded annex for the St. George Temple. The expansion would keep the existing annex, and expand it greatly to the west.[46]”New Annex Approved For St. George Temple,” Deseret News, 11 February 1956, p27. The outlay for the expansion was expected to be $200,000. Unlike the prior renovation, the temple remained open for most or all of the expansion. The expansion would later be expanded to include a renovation and renewal of the temple proper.

Commenced

The expansion and renovation would begin on or around the first of May 1956, with excavation for the annex expansion.[47]”St. George Temple Construction Now Under Way,” Deseret News, 19 May 1956, p22.

Reopened

The initial plan for this renovation was to have the renovation completed in time for the end of the 1958 annual summer closure, 9 September. On the 4th of the month, it was announced that the completion would be delayed until at least the 23rd of September.[48]”The opening of the St. George Temple has been postponed until September 23.,” Washington County News, 4 September.

Renovation Duration

SpanDuration
Announced
to
Commencement		0 y,
2 m,
21 d
Commencement
to
Completion		2 y,
4 m,
23 d
Announced
to
Completion		2 y,
7 m,
13 d
Reopening Order
Summary

At the time the temple reopened, there were 10 temples under operation.

Detail

Under Construction

Awaiting Groundbreaking

  • –

Under Renovation

  • –

Scope

The temple expansion is known to have included the following:

  • A triple size Annex.
  • New curb and gutter.
  • Hard surfacing the surrounding street.
  • New Landscaping.
  • An assembly room in the annex.
  • Offices for the presidency and matron of the temple.
  • Laundry facilities.
  • Dining facilities.
  • Recorder’s room.
  • Refreshed temple exterior.
  • New Temple roof above the original.
  • Retouching to the endowment room murals.
  • New Carpets.
  • New seats replacing the benches that had been used since dedication (Benches were moved to the St. George Tabernacle.)
  • New Drapes.
  • New Furnishings.
  • A new Geneological Library.
  • New Children’s waiting area.
  • Lighting to the parking areas.
  • New surfaces to the parking areas.
  • New Radiators for heating placed throughout the temple.
  • Repainting of all woodwork.
  • “Operation Pest Control.” The temple had been plagued since completion with small grass spiders. The webs accumulated dust and had to be frequently cleared off to prevent maring of the temple exterior. The temple’s exterior was chemically treated to prevent the spiders from collecting there.

Renovation 1975

Announcement

In a press release dated 28 October 1972, the Church announced pending renovations for five total temples. While the plans for each individual temple were slightly different, depending on need, all the renovations were part of the continuing church program of refurbishing and renovating temples, so they might continue to perform their vital work in the gospel plan.[49]”Five Temples Are To Be Renovated,” 1972 October 28, The Church News, p4.

The Renovation for the St. George Temple was described as being major additions and alterations, was planned to start in 1974, and at the time of announcement, was anticipated to last 6 months.

Announced Renovations 1972 10 28

The official closing date of the temple was announced via the January 1974 Ensign, with the expected closure time increased to 20 months.[50]”Arizona and st. George temples close as part of renovation project,”, 1974 January, ENSIGN.

Closure

On 2 March 1974 the temple was closed for the extensive renovation.

Open House, Dedication Announced

An Open House and planned Rededication for the St. George Utah Temple was announced on [51]”Tours set for remodeled st. George temple,” 1975 May 10, Deseret News.

Open House

A media tour and news conference featuring President Spencer W. Kimball and President N. Eldon Tanner of the first Presidency, was held in the cultural hall of the St. George East Stake Center, across the street from the temple on Monday, October 13. It was attended by more than 70 representatives of the Utah press.[52]Scarlet, Peter, “LDS President Outlines Church Aims at St. George Temple Rite,” The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 October 1975.

A special preview tour for VIP, invited guests, was hosted by President Spencer W. Kimball on Tuesday, October 14.[53]”St. George Temple Rededication Planned,” Ensign, July 1975.

Start Date1975 10 15
End Date1975 10 25
Days10
Attendees
Per day

The Open House hours ran from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., except Monday, October 20, when tours finished at 5 p.m.[54]”Tours Set for Remodeled St. George Temple,” 1975 May 10, Deseret News.

St. George Utah Temple 1975

Rededication

President Spencer W. Kimball rededicated the temple on 11 and 12 November 1975 in 6 dedicatory sessions. Separate services were held at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each day. They were conducted in the large priesthood assembly room of the temple, and those seated in other rooms of the temple watched by means of closed-circuit television. Approximately 4,200 were seated at each of the six sessions, for a total of about 25,000 attendees.[55]Jarrard, Jack E., “St. George Temple Dedicated,”15 November 1975, Deseret News.”[56]”St George Temple rededicated,” Ensign, January 1976.

President Kimball was assisted by his counselors, N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney.

Others attending were President Ezra Taft Benson of the Council of the Twelve, most of the members of the Twelve, Patriarch to the Church Eldred G. Smith, and Presiding Bishop Victor L. Brown.

Speakers at the sessions included Temple President Reed Whipple, and his counselors, Pres. Andrew O. MacArthur and Pres. Theron M. Ashcroft.


The dedicatory prayer was offered by President Kimball at the Tuesday morning session, and then the words of President Kimball’s prayer were read at succeeding sessions by his counselors when they conducted.

Dedicatory Prayer

REDEDICATION ORDER
#

Start Date1975 11 11
End Date1975 11 12
Sessions6
BySpencer W. Kimball
AsPresident
Attendees25,000

Dedicatory Prayer

Renovation Duration

SpanDuration
Announced
to
Groundbreaking		1 y,
4 m,
3 d
Groundbreaking
to
Dedication		1 y,
8 m,
11d
Announced
to
Dedication		3 y,
0 m,
16 d
Dedicatory Count
Summary

There were 15 other temples in use when The Saint George Utah Temple was rededicated. This Temple brought the number of temples in operation back up to 16.

Detail

Under Construction

Awaiting Groundbreaking

Under Renovation

  • –

Scope

The following were known outcomes of the renovation.

  • The annex was removed
  • A New Larger annex was constructed with an exterior designed to match the original temple.
  • New Changing rooms with 906 lockers.
  • New Offices for the President and Matron.
  • New expanded laundry facilities.
  • New Cafeteria.
  • A Second addition on the west side with stairs and elevators, and projector equipment for the presentation of the endowment via film was installed.
  • The four progressive ordinance rooms were changed into the three stationary rooms with a shared veil room.
  • Four new (additional) sealing rooms.
  • A New Brides Room.
  • The baptismal font and oxen were reconditioned and its interior lined with stainless steel.
  • New electrical system.
  • New fire sprinkling system.
  • New heating and air conditioning equipment.
  • New carpeting.
  • New drapes.
  • New furnishings.
  • The Inscription, “The House Of The Lord, Holiness To The Lord.” was first added to the temple on the East face.

1994 New Dome

On 24 October 1994 the 800 pound fiberglass dome was lifted into place on top of the spire of the temple. A Helicopter was used to accomplish the feet, as around 200 spectators looked on. The previous dome, made of wood and metal, had begun to rot, necessitating the replacement.[57]Baluf, Amanda Leigh, “Helicopter Lifts New and Improved Dome atop St. George Temple.” The Spectrum, 24 October 1994.

2013-2014 Chiller

A new Chiller assembly, with new mechanical equipment, was constructed below, and partially above ground to the west of the annex. The construction took over 12 months, and both it, and part of the annex basement, would remain in place and be reused in the next renovation of the temple.

Renovation 2022

Announcement

At a news conference held in the St. George Temple Visitors’ Center on May 22, 2019, plans for the renovation of the St. George Utah Temple were unveiled including detailed renderings of the interior and exterior. The temple will close on November 4, 2019, for approximately three years for a renovation that will encompass the entire block. The reopening of the temple is expected to take place in 2022 when the public will be invited to an open house to tour the interior of the longest operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Highlights of the project include the following:

Render of the proposed new annex for the St. George Utah Temple. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.

The project was expected to be completed in 2022, but has been moved to mid-2023. The Salt Lake Tribune reports, “The three-year overhaul will include ‘limited seismic upgrades’ to the iconic white-plastered temple, with steel being added to the structure’s original wooden trusses, along with installation of new heating and cooling systems, and partial demolition and rebuilding of the temple annex.” Following a public open house, the temple will be rededicated. Ralph Atkin, director of public affairs in St. George, said he has heard drawings for the renovation are complete or nearly complete, and some of the changes “may surprise some people.” He continued, “There is an extensive modification on the exterior of the building. Of course, the original temple will be maintained.”

Summary

Commencement

The temple closed on November 4, 2019, beginning with the decommissioning process, which consists of removing all the furniture and things sacred to the work of the temple.

Rededication Announced

On 8 May of 2023 the First Presidency announced the open house and rededication of the St. George Utah Temple. The St. George Utah Temple will be rededicated on Sunday, December 10, 2023, in two sessions (10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. MT). A public open house will start on Friday, September 15, and continue until Saturday, November 11, excluding Sundays and Saturday the 30th of September, which is general conference. A media day will be held on the Monday prior to the start of the public open house. The dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all congregations in the St. George Utah Temple district. Additional details regarding the temple dedication will be announced as the date approaches.[58]“Rededication Date for St. George Temple Released.” Newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 8 May 2023, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/rededication-date-set-for-historic-st-george-utah-temple.

Detail

The following summaries are pulled from the St. George Temple news section of churchofjesuschristtemples.org. They are reposted here for archive purposes, and to give a quick chronological reference of the renovation process.

2019

25 January 2019

Renovation Announced for the St. George Utah Temple

On November 4, 2019, the St. George Utah Temple will close for a major renovation to extensively reinforce the structural integrity of the building and to upgrade all of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. The interior will be cosmetically refreshed throughout. Construction is expected to be completed in 2022.

26 January 2019

New Stake Center Lost to Fire in St. George, Utah

A nearly completed stake center for the St. George Utah East Stake that had been under construction across the street from the St. George Utah Temple was lost to fire in the early hours of Saturday morning, just one day after an announcement that the temple would be closed for renovation late this year. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but it is being treated as a criminal investigation.

22 May 2019

Renovation Plans Shared for the St. George Utah Temple

At a news conference held in the St. George Temple Visitors’ Center today, plans were released for the upcoming renovation of the St. George Utah Temple, which closes on November 4, 2019. Brent Roberts, managing director of the Special Projects Department said, “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.” Improvements are planned for the entire block including new walkways, landscaping, water features, and shade trees. The existing annex will be replaced with a larger structure that complements the temple’s exterior and incorporates a new exit for brides. Major structural and mechanical upgrades will require some excavation around the foundation. A new baptistry entrance will be added on the south side of the temple. The renovation is expected to be completed in 2022, which will be followed by an open house and rededication.

2 November 2019

Final Day of Ordinance Work at the St. George Utah Temple

At the conclusion of ordinance work at the St. George Utah Temple this evening, the historic structure will close for a multi-year renovation of the entire temple block. The closure was announced at a news conference held on May 22 of this year. Plans include an overhaul of the landscaping that will introduce new plazas for bridal parties and visitors, demolition and reconstruction of the temple annex and stair tower, the addition of a separate baptistry entrance, and a complete restoration of the interior including a return of full murals to the endowment rooms.

24 November 2019

Road Closed at the St. George Utah Temple

As work at the St. George Utah Temple transitions from decommissioning to renovation, the road between the temple and the parking lot—400 South—has been closed to traffic. The road will be raised to provide a level crosswalk for patrons coming from the parking lot to the new annex and entrance plaza. The location of a second temple to be built in St. George, known as the Washington County Utah Temple, was recently announced for the corner of 3000 East and 1580 South.

21 December 2019

St. George Utah Temple Annex Demolished

The St. George Utah Temple has been fully decommissioned, and renovation activities are evident on all sides of the building. On the north, the longstanding annex that was constructed in the 1970s has been razed, leaving only the east wall and basement of the structure. On the east, plywood has replaced the doors and will protect the uprights along the stairs. On the south, flexible ducts have been connected to each floor of the temple to use during interior demolition. And landscaping has been removed immediately around the temple including the west side.

2020

19 January 2020

Stair Tower of St. George Utah Temple Coming Down

Demolition has begun on the stair tower addition to the St. George Utah Temple, which extends from the rear side of the building. The stair tower was constructed in the 1970s to provide wider staircases and better access to the temple’s floors. The replacement structure will extend even farther and be made to the match the exterior of the original temple. It will include a grand staircase and two elevators with stops at each floor. The street on the south side of the temple, 500 S, has been closed to better accommodate construction.

3 February 2020

Original West Wall of St. George Utah Temple Revealed

With the 1970s stair tower addition removed from the west side of the St. George Utah Temple, the original windows and walls are visible for the first time in over 40 years in remarkably good condition. The annex, another 1970s addition, has also been removed from the north side of the building, and materials have been sorted for recycling or repurposing. Both the annex and stair tower will be reconstructed in a manner that is more safe, functional, and consistent with the original architecture of the temple.

2 March 2020

St. George Utah Temple: A Beacon of Light

Renovation activities at the St. George Utah Temple have not extinguished the exterior lighting system that creates a familiar beacon of light for St. George residents and visitors. With its 1970s additions removed, the 143-year-old temple appears more like it did during the first half of the twentieth century. On the east side of the temple, scaffolding has been erected, and a large mound of dirt is just about all that remains of the east-side landscaping.

24 March 2020

Scaffolding Reaches St. George Utah Temple Tower

An addition has been made to the scaffolding on the east side of the St. George Utah Temple that gives crews access to the roof and to the octagonal tower, capped with a weathervane. A large mound of dirt sits in front of the temple where landscaping was removed. It will be replaced with a patron plaza featuring palm trees, a tiered water fountain feature, and large garden spaces.

22 April 2020

Concrete Poured for St. George Utah Temple Annex Foundation

Crews performed an overnight pour at the St. George Utah Temple of a concrete slab for the foundation of the new annex. The fresh concrete will adjoin the existing basement of the former annex, making it one foundation structure. All of the landscaping has been removed from the block except for trees around the perimeter and fenced-off islands of trees and grass that are being preserved for integration into the new landscape plan.

9 May 2020

Landscaping Added to St. George Utah Temple Grounds

Landscaping elements are being added to the St. George Utah Temple grounds along the west and south sides of the property. Desert boulders are being strategically set in place. Trees are being planted including Deseret Willow and Olive. And beautiful shrubs are adding color like the Butterfly Bush. Work continues on building the new annex. The substructure has been established, and superstructure walls are just beginning.

10 June 2020

St. George Utah Temple Annex Growing

The basement for the St. George Utah Temple Annex is in place, and walls are rising for the superstructure of the building in a combination of structural steel and concrete block. The annex will serve as the main entrance to the temple, featuring elegant arched windows and doorways cased in ornamental moldings. The rear (west) side of the building will be significantly extended and include stairs, elevators, and restrooms.

23 July 2020

Structural Framing Continues for St. George Utah Temple Annex

A host of auxiliary functions will be housed in the extensive annex under construction next to the St. George Utah Temple, leaving the temple for the performance of ordinance work. The rest of the foundation walls have been poured for the annex, and structural steel is being set in place. Also visible are shear walls and an elevator shaft. A beautiful entrance plaza will be created in front of the annex, welcoming patrons who will walk across 400 South from the parking lot.

29 September 2020

Cladding of the St. George Utah Temple Annex Begins

White stone panels were hoisted by crane yesterday and attached to the exterior of the newly constructed annex of the St. George Utah Temple. The structure will beautifully complement the temple proper and serve as the main entrance to the building. The interior will be finished in dark hardwood floors and white moldings with arched windows and doorways and Victorian-style fixtures and furnishings—true to the design aesthetic of the late 19th century when the temple was originally constructed.

10 October 2020

St. George Utah Temple Annex Exterior Panel Progress

The St. George Utah Temple annex is becoming more beautiful by the day as sturdy white panels—matching the historic exterior of the temple—are attached to the steel frame of the new addition. A second addition is planned for the west side of the temple, where the stair tower was removed. A second temple in the city, the Red Cliffs Utah Temple, will begin construction next month.

29 October 2020

Majority of Panels Attached to the St. George Utah Temple Annex

The impressively sized annex for the St. George Utah Temple will add much-needed space to the 143-year-old House of the Lord, providing an area for the non-ordinance spaces. The majority of the exterior panels have been attached to the annex, beautifully matching the exterior of the temple, including battlements along the taller walls over the entrance. The center portion of the building is vaulted to accommodate elegant light fixtures in the foyer and mechanical equipment for the rest of the structure.

5 November 2020

One-Year Anniversary of the St. George Utah Temple Renovation

Watch a video presentation marking the one-year anniversary of the renovation of the St. George Utah Temple. Renovation activity is highlighted including the construction of the north entrance addition and the shoring up of the historic hand-laid rock foundation by wrapping the original fourteen columns in fiberglass and attaching them to micropiles that are driven deep into the earth. Aerial footage of the meandering walkway through the grounds captures the beauty of the improving landscaping.

8 December 2020

Making Headway on the St. George Utah Temple Renovation

A view of the east side of the St. George Utah Temple shows the installation of new concrete and irrigation lines for the welcoming east plaza that will feature palm trees, lawns, and gardens. Refurbishment of the tower is underway while construction of the north annex continues. Major renovation is ongoing inside the building, which will provide wired electricity to the top floor priesthood assembly room for the first time since its construction.

28 December 2020

Windows Installed in St. George Utah Temple Annex

Construction of the north addition (or annex) to the St. George Utah Temple has made progress, including the fitting of windows in the exterior walls and the installation of equipment on the mechanical level that runs down the center of the structure. On the west side of the annex, an enclosure has been built for additional mechanical equipment. The area immediately behind the temple has been excavated in preparation for the west addition that will replace the former stair tower.

2021

2 February 2021

Base Installed for the St. George Utah Temple Monument Sign

The concrete base for the monument sign at the St. George Utah Temple has been poured and cured. The sign will sit next to the sidewalk in front of the east plaza, identifying the historic building to visitors and passers-by. Excavations and other preparations are being made on the rear (west) side of the temple for an extension that will replace the former stair tower and feature a grand staircase.

25 February 2021

Cupola Removed from the St. George Utah Temple

The steeple of the St. George Utah Temple will be a little shorter for now with the recent removal of the familiar dome and weathervane that have sat at the highest point of the holy house for more than a century. The temporary absence of the cupola is part of an ongoing renovation of the temple and grounds. Construction continues on the new temple annex and a new visitors’ center annex.

17 March 2021

New Cupola Added to the St. George Utah Temple Steeple

A replacement cupola has been attached to the steeple of the St. George Utah Temple, topped with a ball and weather vane that mimics the former wind vane. The entire assembly is a shiny dark gray with inconspicuous lighting attached around the rim of the dome. The dark coloring is a return to a more historic look for the temple, similar to its appearance in the early 1900s.

30 March 2021

Scaffolding Removed from the St. George Utah Temple Tower

Scaffolding has come down from the steeple of the St. George Utah Temple, giving a better view of the recently installed dark gray cupola. Crew members are forming the walkways and landscape structures that will surround the temple while others are digging up the road in front of the building to access utility runs underneath. Numerous trees have been delivered but not yet planted.

8 April 2021

Landscaping the St. George Utah Temple Grounds

Hard landscaping of the east plaza at the St. George Utah Temple is underway. Concrete walkways have been poured in front of the temple with an oval opening where a basin will sit to catch water from the tiered fountain. Just west of the visitors’ center, trees have been planted along the new walkways that lead to the east plaza from 500 South. Most of the windows openings on the east side are currently uncovered, providing easy access for materials to reach the crew inside.

6 May 2021

Landscaping Progress at the St. George Utah Temple

The grounds of the St. George Utah Temple are looking more beautiful each day. Streaks of dark red have been added to the tree-lined walkways between the temple and visitors’ center in the form of concrete pavers, and irrigation lines have been installed in the garden spaces. Other areas are seeing landscape boulders, mulch, trees, and shrubs added. Demolition has wrapped up inside the temple, and micropiles are being installed on the west end for the extension that will replace the former stair tower. The annex interior has been framed and a skylight installed.

11 June 2021

Repaving Around the St. George Utah Temple

The street that lies east of the St. George Utah Temple block—300 East—has been temporarily closed and the asphalt removed. The road will be repaved, creating a handsome transition between the temple and the rebuilt stake center across the street. Footings were recently poured for the addition on the west end of the temple, but groundwater problems are being remediated before construction continues. The temple was famously constructed on marshy ground due to the presence of underground spring water.

16 July 2021

Footings Poured for the St. George Utah Temple Extension

At the west end of the St. George Utah Temple, a concrete foundation has been poured for an extension to the building that will replace the previously removed 1970s stair tower. The extension will house a grand staircase and two elevators for accessing each floor of the building. A sprinkler system is being installed on the east side for the garden spaces that will sit just outside the ornamental fence. Ornamental trees and rose bushes have also been planted. On the north side, street curbing is being poured for a greatly improved entrance experience from the parking lot.

24 September 2021

Paving the Road in Front of the St. George Utah Temple

The road located east of the St. George Utah Temple, 300 East, is being paved with new asphalt and a wide concrete path that connects the temple grounds to the meetinghouse across the street where temple or visitors’ center patrons may wish to park. Concrete has also been poured around the monument sign, creating a garden space and small plaza with safety bollards outside the gated entrance to the grounds.

21 October 2021

Landscaping the Vacated Road North of the St. George Utah Temple

A stand of royal palm trees line the walkway leading to the new annex of the St. George Utah Temple where the main entrance is located. Landscaping plans for the north side of the building were modified when the City of St. George vacated its interest in the block of 400 S immediately north of the temple block. Concrete has been poured for sidewalks, driveways, lamp post bases, and an anchoring landscape structure. The foundation for the west end addition has settled, and rebar is set for the first section of wall.

24 October 2021

Inscription Added to the East Facade of the St. George Utah Temple

In the center arch of the tower that supports the steeple of the St. George Utah Temple, a sacred inscription has been added proclaiming Holiness to the Lord – The House of the Lord – Constructed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 1871. The lettering and style of the words were inspired by the time in which the temple was constructed, fitting for this Pioneer-era temple.

10 November 2021

West End Addition to the St. George Utah Temple Rising

Steel bars and concrete forms have been set for the lower walls of the west end addition to the St. George Utah Temple, following the remediation of groundwater issues. Dry wall has been hung in the north annex, and an ornamental fence has been installed around the entrance plaza. Landscaping is progressing all around the temple, including the north side between the annex and the main parking lot.

11 December 2021

West-End Addition Grows Taller on the St. George Utah Temple

Construction continues on the west-end extension to the St. George Utah Temple where the 1970s stair tower was removed nearly two years ago. Cutouts in the ground-level concrete show where windows and doors will be located. Forms have been set for the next pour. Fresh windows were recently installed in the upper center section on the east side, and work is progressing on the interior of the annex. The St. George Utah Temple served as the only temple in southwestern Utah for 140 years until the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated.

2022

17 January 2022

An Overhead View of the St. George Utah Temple Site

Recent photographs of the St. George Utah Temple site give a bird’s-eye view of the current construction activity. Landscaping continues on the north end where a beautiful entrance plaza is taking shape with a water feature, royal palms, and plentiful garden spaces. The windows in the annex have been masked to protect them from interior painting, and an elevator shaft is visible inside the growing west-end addition.

26 February 2022

Installing the Balustrade on the St. George Utah Temple Annex

Installation has begun on the balustrade that decorates the top of the low profile tower over the main entrance to the St. George Utah Temple, located on the north end of the annex. While construction continues on the west extension to the building, landscaping has made significant progress on the north and east sides. The east plaza has been beautified with red pavers, royal palm trees, hedges, and other plants. Irrigation lines have been installed for the central planter.

28 March 2022

A Glimpse Inside the Historic St. George Utah Temple Renovation

A Church news release issued today features interior footage of the historic St. George Utah Temple, which has been under renovation for well over two years. “This job demands perfection,” says framing foreman Lorenzo Brieno. The painstaking reproduction of original woodwork will give patrons walking into the new north or west additions the feeling that they are in the historic temple.

23 May 2022

West Addition Walls Nearly Completed for the St. George Utah Temple

On the west end of the St. George Utah Temple, the structural walls for the new addition have topped out. Rebar is emerging from the concrete forms for the battlements that will ornament the roofline, coordinating with the originals. On the lower level of the addition, window installation is underway. Landscaping continues on the north and east sides of the temple including the planting of flowers. Red roses have returned to the grounds, and a wide variety of colorful flowers are filling the east plaza planters.

30 May 2022

St. George Utah Temple Grounds Coming to Life

A stunning aerial view of the St. George Utah Temple shows the abundant life being breathed back into the temple grounds. The north plaza is a gorgeous outdoor extension of the north addition (or annex) where patrons will enter and exit the temple. The east plaza serves as a gathering area for visitors at the historic front of the temple. Garden fountains with beautifully shaped basins have been installed on both plazas, which are lined with royal palm trees. Months of work remain ahead to convert the concrete west addition into a functioning, finished, and decorated portion of the renovated building.

2 July 2022

Installing Windows in the West Addition of the St. George Utah Temple

With the concrete walls completed for the west addition of the St. George Utah Temple, window installation has begun. One of the two largest window groups was recently installed, greatly beautifying the addition and initiating the process of enclosing the structure. No roof has been installed, and several more windows have yet to be added. This will allow interior work to begin on the addition.

11 August 2022

Parapet Poured for the St. George Utah Temple Addition

Concrete posts have been poured for the parapet on top of the west addition of the St. George Utah Temple. The parapet will feature the same iconic battlements that give the historic temple its castlelike appearance as a fortress for the King of Kings. “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2).

25 September 2022

Pouring Walkways Behind the St. George Utah Temple

Architectural finishes have been applied to the now-white walls of the west extension to the St. George Utah Temple. They are visible through the black debris net that hangs over the back of the building. Curved walkways have been poured on the west end of the property, and dozens of crated trees await planting. East of the temple, the basin for the tiered fountain has been faced in stone, and the interior has been tiled in blue.

9 October 2022

The black debris net that has covered the west addition of the St. George Utah Temple since early August has now been removed. The newly completed walls perfectly match the architectural design of the original building including the battlements, the buttresses, and the fenestration. Several areas on the interior have been completed, and work is progressing on finishing the west addition interior.

22 October 2022

East Monument Sign Assembled at the St. George Utah Temple

The monument sign on the east side of the St. George Utah Temple has been assembled. Stone panels cover the concrete base while darker coping stones sit on top, coordinating with the textured face that is inscribed with the name of the Church and the name of the temple. The seams will be filled before the sign is considered complete. While renovations of the temple continue, a second temple is under construction on the east side of the city—the Red Cliffs Utah Temple.

2023

24 January 2023

Plazas Taking Shape at the St. George Utah Temple

Beautiful plazas are taking shape on the east and north sides of the St. George Utah Temple. Both plazas feature royal palm trees, water fountain features, monument signs, colored pavers, urn planters, sod patches, and abundant plantings. Work is underway on the east stairs, which were originally made from volcanic rock and sandstone. Renovation of the temple began over three years ago and is expected to be completed this year.

1 March 2023

Delivering Furniture to the St. George Utah Temple

Workers at the St. George Utah Temple have been seen unloading semi-trailer trucks full of furniture and art, as furnishing of the interior begins. Repairs to the elevators and other punch-list items are underway, which may last for several months. The landscapers recently wrapped up their work on the temple grounds and will be moving to the Temple Square renovation project next. No open house or rededication dates have been announced.

8 May 2023

Open House and Rededication Announced for the St. George Utah Temple


The rededication of the historic St. George Utah Temple will be held on Sunday, December 10, 2023, in two sessions broadcast at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The public is invited to tour the interior of the renovated temple from Friday, September 15, through Saturday, November 11, with no tours held on Sundays or Saturday, September 30 (during general conference). A media day will kick off the open house on Monday, September 11. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/rededication-date-set-for-historic-st-george-utah-temple

14 August 2023

Reservations Available for the St. George Utah Temple Open House

Reservations to tour the interior of the newly renovated St. George Utah Temple are now available. Public tours will be offered Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. beginning Friday, September 15, and concluding Saturday, November 11, 2023. No tours are held on Sundays or Saturday, September 30. The temple will be rededicated on Sunday, December 10, 2023, in two sessions.

6 September 2023

Media Day Held for the Renovated St. George Utah Temple

“I think the pioneers who built this would be pleased with our work,” said Andy Kirby, director of historic temple renovations, at the media event held today for the renovated St. George Utah Temple. He continued, “They would be satisfied that we preserved their efforts and the beauty and the intent of their work.” The temple has been closed since November 2019, but tours for the media began today. Other invited guests will tour the facility over the next week and a half. Public tours of this historic House of the Lord will be offered from Friday, September 15, through Saturday, November 11, 2023, excluding Sundays and Saturday, September 30. Kirby said the north and west additions have been rebuilt to match the original architecture of the building. “The interior design matches the historic temple and furnishings that would have been appropriate in the 1870s and 1880s,” he said.

Open House

The Open House for the renovated St. George Utah Temple was held from September 15 until November 11 of 2023. With Sunday Closures, and Closure Saturday September 30, the Open House lasted a total of 48 days. During that time an estimated 30,000 volunteers assisted 669,080 people in touring the Temple. This is an average of 13,939 people touring the temple per day.[59]Taylor, Scott. “669,080 Tour St. George Utah Temple During 2023 Open House – Church News.” Church News, 22 Nov. 2023, www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/11/22/23970317/st-george-utah-temple-tour-during-open-house-renovation.

Start Date2023 09 15
End Date2023 11 11
Days49
Attendees669,080
Per day13,655

Rededicated

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). [60]”Renovated St. George Utah Temple Ready for Tours,” Newsroom, 6 September 2023, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/renovated-st-george-utah-temple-ready-for-tours[61]”Open House Dates for the Manti Utah Temple Announced,” Newsroom, 20 November 2023, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/open-house-dates-for-the-manti-utah-temple-announced

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

Date2023 12 10
Sessions2
ByJeffrey R. Holland
AsApostle
Attendees

SpanDuration
Announced
to
Groundbreaking		0 y,
5 m,
14 d
Groundbreaking
to
Dedication		4 y,
1 m,
7d
Announced
to
Dedication		4 y,
6 m,
19 d

Rededication Order

Summary

At the time of the temples rededication, there were 186 active temples. The following temples were under construction, awaiting groundbreaking, or under renovation.

Detail

Under Construction

Awaiting Groundbreaking

Under Renovation

Scope

The known scope of this renovation is as follows

  • Re landscaping of the entire temple block.
  • Incorporation of the road between the temple block and the parking area into the temple block.
  • Reinforced foundations for the temple.
  • New Mechanical Systems.
  • New Electrical Systems.
  • New plumbing Systems.
  • New Lighting.
  • New interior finishes.
  • Return of the murals to the endowment rooms.
  • Removal of the west annex added in 1975.
  • New west “Tower”matching the exterior of the original temple with a grand staircase, elevators, and maintenance spaces.
  • Removal of the North 1975 annex.
  • New annex better matching the exterior of the original temple.
  • 2 new sealing rooms in the annex.
  • New Waiting Chapel in the annex.
  • New patron waiting space in the annex.
  • New non-patron waiting areas in the annex.
  • New changing rooms.
  • New Laundry areas.
  • New administrative spaces.
  • New President and Matron offices.
  • New Brides room.
  • Removal of the Cafeteria.
  • New North entry plaza.
  • New baptistry entrance and plaza south of the temple.
  • New wedding exit/bridal plaza.

Firsts

  • Although the Salt Lake Temple was the first house of the Lord whose construction started in Utah Territory, the St. George Utah Temple was the first dedicated in the area. This makes it the oldest operating temple in the Church.
  • It was also the first temple where Latter-day Saints could perform all temple ordinances for the dead. Baptisms and sealings of a living person to a deceased spouse had previously been performed, but the St. George temple started vicarious endowments and sealings of two deceased persons.
  • It was the first and only temple dedicated during Brigham Young’s 29 years as Church President.

Myths

The Lightning Struck Tower

Story

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.

About a year after Brigham Young’s death, on October 16, 1878, a large storm rolled through Saint George and a lightening 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.

A fun story, to be sure, but not true.

Reality

  • Brigham Young was Chief Architect and Project Manager every winter when he came down to winter in Saint George. The workmen always followed his direction every time he was in town, and he spent nearly every day at the temple site.
  • There at some point early in the process, the drawings of the temple by Truman O. Angel were updated to show the short spire. Brigham would have been familiar with the drawings, but never objected to Truman about the design. Prior to the change, the spire was planned to be a short steeple.
  • There is no public record of Brigham Young ever complaining about the tower design. His son records him objecting to the design, but only once, and privately between the two of them. He did complain about the size, but complained more about the poor workmanship of the spire construction, and vowed he would keep the door to it locked.
  • There is evidence that temporary repairs were done to the tower (which was severely damaged, but not burnt completely down) in 1878 (shortly after the lightning strike.) However, the tower was not made taller until 1883, 5 years after the strike.
  • News reports at the time of the spire remodel announcement and the construction of the taller tower made no mention at all of Brigham Young.
  • The Story of Brigham demanding a taller spire and the saints refusing to change it does not appear anywhere in print until 1977, sometime after the complaint in Brigham Young Juniors private journal came to light.
  • A non-member visiting St. George during temple construction noted that anything Brigham asked his followers to do, they did. If Brigham had asked the saints to make the tower taller, they most likely would have.

Source for all above is The St. George Temple Tower: Evolution of a Design by Darrell E. Jones [62]“The St. George Temple Tower: Evolution of a Design on JSTOR.” www.jstor.org. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23290736.

The Moroni myth

Story

The location of the temple was chosen by Brigham Young over other locations suggested for the building.

It does not appear that President Young gave a reason for the insistence on that particular location, only stating “This site was selected by inspiration and dedicated to the Lord.” Somewhere in the following decades, the void of explination was filled with the claim that the location was chosen by Moroni, the ancient prophet.

One of the earliest versions filling the void of explination this story was related by David H. Cannon Jr. In his account he was 11 years old at the time of the site choosing and was the son of a longtime later temple president. According to Cannon, Young declared that the site had been chosen by Moroni. Said President Young, “They could not build it, but we can and will build it for them”.

Reality

The problem with the account is that Brother Cannon first shared it as an elderly man in 1942. Now 82, Cannon gave a detailed statement of what he remembered from that day. The account he shared was one prior to this point had largly been told about the site of the Manti Temple. But even in the case of Manti the story is not supported by the information that is available.

A second strick against the story is in Brigham insisting that the brethren in the area

Origins of the Canon

Story

It is well known that, when a means was needed to drive rock into the wet soil so suppor the temple, the member turned to an old cannon. For a long time, equally well told was a story about the provenance of the cannon. As the tale was told, the cannon wasm manufactured in France, used by Napoleon against Russia in 1812, abandoned in the French retreat from Moscow where it was then acquired by the Russian army. From there, the Russians took the cannon to Siberia, across the Bering Strait to Alaska, after which it was carried to California where it was bought by veterans of the Mormon Battalion and hauled to Utah. in 1847

The furthest south Russian colony was Fort Ross, Sanoma County California, North of what is now the Sanfrancisco Bay area. Historic records indicate that a small detachment of men from the Mormon Battalion passed well south and west of the San Francisco Bay on the California Trail, then traveled up and around Utah on the Oregon Trail to Ft Levenworth Kansas before being disbanded and moving to Utah.[63]Wikipedia contributors. “Mormon Battalion.” Wikipedia, 28 Mar. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Battalion.

In order for this canon to have made the miraculous It would have traveld from france, through Russia, Alaska, and the Pacific coast to the bay area, then either to Kansas and back to Utah, or somehow make it down to Los Angeles, back up from their either to Puebla Coloradao or Kansas, then to Salt Lake, all in just 35 years, without the aid of rail, or steamship.[64]Wikipedia contributors. “Mormon Battalion.” Wikipedia, 28 Mar. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Battalion.

Reality

There is debate as to where the cannon was manufactured. But is known is as that Erastus Snow commissioned area resident Jesse W. Crosby to buy a cannon while on a trip to California in 1860. (This would, technically, mean that if you leave out the Mormon Battalion part, the rest COULD be true in one form or another, as it gives another 13 years for the cannon to make the miracle journey. But again, the evidence for it does not currently exist.)

Erastus had the cannon purchased, believing that the Legislature would pay for it with militia funds for use in the defense of St. George from feared attacks by Native Americans. Lawmakers never paid, so Crosby held on to the cannon for 11 years (though he did allow the local militia to drill with it) He donated the cannon to the building of the temple in 1871.[65]“Ardis E. Parshall: ‘Mark’ of Cane, Moroni Myth, Napoleon’s Cannon, Brigham’s Lightning — St. George LDS Temple Legends Abound.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Sept. 2023, www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/09/07/ardis-e-parshall-mark-cane-moroni.

Presidents

Temple PresidentTemple MatronRangeYears
Keith Ray ReberStephanie Kay Millett Reber2022-
Randy Woodbury WilkinsonLinda Kae Neilson Wilkinson2016–20223
Dale Herman LarkinDixie Kay Barnum Larkin2013–20163
Bruce Clark HafenMarie Kartchner Hafen2010–20133
Robert Frank OrtonJoy Eveline Orton2007–20103
Harold Harrison HiskeyMona Ellett Hiskey2004–20073
LaRell David MuirNedra Hyer Muir2001–20043
Malcolm Seth JeppsenMarian Davis Jeppsen1998–20013
Kenneth Robertson MetcalfBeverly Robbins Metcalf1995–19983
John Thomas FyansHelen Cook Fyans1992–19953
Conrad Valoi HatchElva Oldroyd Hatch1989–19923
Thomas Lavoy EsplinPhoebe Lytle Esplin1986–19893
John Marshall RussonMargaret Ethelyn Cardon Tanner Russon1981–19865
Grant Martin BowlerVerna Leavitt Bowler1976–19815
Reed WhippleBirdie Bunker Whipple1970–19766
Rudger Clawson AtkinLeona Cox Atkin1963–19707
Harold Stafford SnowNina Burgess Fawcett1937–196326
George Frank WhiteheadSarah Ida Wiltbank Foremaster1932–19375
Edward Hunter SnowSarah Ida Wiltbank Foremaster1926–19326
Thomas Punter CottamSarah Ida Wiltbank Foremaster1925–19261
David Henry CannonWilhelmina Cannon Sullivan Morris
Jane Thompson Bleak
Wilhelmina Logan Mousley Cannon		1893–192431
John Daniel Thompson McAllisterAnna Lowrie Ivins1884–18939
Wilford WoodruffAnna Lowrie Ivins1877–18847

Details

Location

The St. George Utah Temple sits upon a small rise in what is now the center of city. When the temple was dedicated, the temple sat outside the southern edge of the city. Its stark white exterior stands as a stark contrast to the red cliffs and ground that surrounds the temple.

Location

250 E. 400 South,
St. George, UT
84770-3699

Latitude37.100532,
Longitude-113.577760

Phone

(+1) 435-673-3533

Elevation

FeetMeters
2,682817.47

Site

Exterior

The current exterior measures on Google Earth as being 253 ft (86.36 meters) wide by 230 ft (70.28 meters) long. The current estimated footprint of the temple is 45,221.7 square feet (4,2012.2 square meters.)

1877

1877

The temple at the time of dedication featured a tower shorter than the one it now has. The exterior was plastered and whitewashed, but the water table was a darker color, with white lines representing mortar to give the appearance of large stone or brick blocks.

Specifications

FeetMeters
Height14243.28
To Shoulder8024.4
Width10030.5
Length13240.25
Footprint10,1002938.452
1883

1883

The new tower has three tiers, with a base about 32 feet square, an octagonal second level, and a smaller octagonal third stage topped by a small dome. The tower is a wood construction, unlike the stone of the tower it sits on.

The first annex was built around this time, around the water tower that supplied the temple and its font with water.

St. George Utah Temple, 1883, isometric image

Specifications

FeetMeters
Height17553.3
To Shoulder8024.4
Width19459
Length13240.25
Footprint
1900

1900

Around the turn of the century, the water tower was removed from the temple. The annex was rebuilt to fill the gap.

Specifications

FeetMeters
Height17553.3
To Shoulder8024.4
Width19459
Length13240.25
Footprint0202
1927

1927

A fire on 20 November 1927 caused the destruction and neccesitated the reconstruction of the annex.

Specifications

FeetMeters
Height17553.3
To Shoulder8024.4
Width19459
Length13240.25
Footprint0202
1938

1938

A new annex was built expanding the abilities of the temple. This happened in conjunction with a renovation that changed much of the interior, and the addition of the first Bureau of Information on these grounds.

Specifications

FeetMeters
Height17553.3
To Shoulder8024.4
Width174.550
Length13240.25
Footprint14,56321,353.972
1958

1958

During the 1940s a two-inch layer of gunite (a mixture of cement, sand, and water) and steel reinforcing was applied to the temple’s exterior to hide cracks and eliminate future cracking. All of this was covered with a layer of white epoxy paint. During the 1958 renovation, the annex was expanded further to increase temple capacity and ability.

Specifications

FeetMeters
Height17553.3
To Shoulder8024.4
Width164.550
Length173.552.89
Footprint19,730.521,8332

Specifications

1975

1975

The annex was removed and replaced, and a new west tower was added during the 1975 renovation.

Specifications

FeetMeters
Height17553.3
To Shoulder8024.4
Width28787.5
Length20562.7
Footprint44,30524,1162
2023

2023

Because of aging and rot, the original wood dome exterior was replaced entirely with white fiberglass in the 1990s. As part of the 2023 renovation, the dome was again removed, and replaced with one silmilar to the Black Version seen in historic versions of the spire.

Specifications

FeetMeters
Height17553.3
To Shoulder8024.4
Width253.386.36
Length230.570.28
Footprint45,221.724,201.22

Cladding

The walls of the temple are made from red sandstone that has been covered, originally, with plaster and whitewash. Later, the exterior was covered with wiremesh and a thin layer of more permanent concrete.

Windows

The windows of the St. George Utah Temple have always had clear glass, similar to other temples such as Nauvoo, Kirtland, and Salt Lake. In 2021 the original 1877 wood windows were determined to be insufficient for needed thermal performance and were replaced by new wood windows made by Re-View Windows Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri. The new windows match the historic profiles and details of the original windows but have been upgraded to incorporate thermally insulated triple panes of glass.

Exterior Finish

Whitewashed Plaster on red Sandstone

Architectural Features

Single attached center of east end.

Symbolism

Inscription
1975
1975

There is one Inscription on the St. George Utah Temple. The letters are raised brass and are on the east face of the original portion of the temple. The letters are mounted on a brass horizontal plate, giving them the appearance of being underlines.

The inscription Inclueds the name of the Church, the name of the temple, the groundbreaking and the dedicaiton dates.

HOLINESS TO THE LORD

THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

St. George Temple inscription. Copyright Brian Olson
OrderHoliness > House
LocationEast face between the large central windows
LanguageEnglish
TypeRaised
ColorBrass
SettingConcrete facade
FontTBD
GlyphNone
Church NameYes
Temple NameYes
DatesYes
2023
2023

There are two inscriptions on the St. George Utah Temple.

East

The letters are raised brass and are on the east face of the original portion of the temple.

HOLINESS TO THE LORD

THE
HOUSE
OF THE
LORD

ERECTED BY
THE CHURCH OF
JESUS CHRIST
OF LATTER-DAY
SAINTS

1871

St. George Temple inscription. Copyright unknown
OrderHoliness > House
LocationEast face at the top of the temple
LanguageEnglish
TypeRaised
ColorBlack
SettingConcrete facade
FontTBD
GlyphNone
Church NameYes
Temple NameNo
DatesYes
North

There is an Inscription on the new annex of the St. George Utah Temple. The letters are raised brass and are on the north face of the new entrance tower of the temple.

HOLINESS TO THE LORD
THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

OrderHoliness > House
LocationEast face at the top of the temple
LanguageEnglish
TypeRaised
ColorBlack
SettingConcrete facade
FontTBD
GlyphNone
Church NameYes
Temple NameNo
DatesYes

Spires and Finial

Spires

The St. George Utah Temple has a single tower on the east center section of original temple. The tower is 2 level with a black dome.

Historically, the dome has been both silver and black. The original dome was replaced with Fiberglass in the 1990s, and the second wooden tower was replaced with fiberglass inthe 2019 renovation.

The original tower was a short tower with a larger dowme.

Spire Details

Spires1
Locationcenter east
Finishwhite paing
Typedome
shapeoctagonal
Tower shapeoctagonal
Finial

The temple spire, all versions, had a weathervane atop the center of the spire. The current finnial was placed 11 March of 2021, and features a black mettalic finish. The finial on the modern temple has a single sphere on the base, as did the prior white and silver vversions of the finial. The original finial had a set of two spheress, with the top one bbeing smaller than the upper one.

Spire Details

Finishblack metallic
Placed2021 03 11
Height#
Weight#

Interior

1877

1877

Church architect Truman O. Angell designed the temple, which was similar to the Nauvoo Temple in that it contained two large assembly rooms.

Entry
Basement Stairs

Access to the temple could be gained via 2 methods. The first was 4 stairs on the temple exterior leading down into the basement. There were 2 stairs on the north, and 2 on the south, on the third and sixth windows from the east end.

Patrons coming to attend a temple session would enter through one of these stairs to attend sessions which would start in the basement.

East Stairs

The East stairs of the temple give direct access to the second floor. On the original temple, this provided access to the lower assembly hall, which was initially where a portion of endowment sessions were held.

Area11,500 sqf (1,070 m2)
Floors above grade5
Floors below Grade1
Baptistries1
Initiatories4
Endowment RoomsInconclusive
Sealing Rooms1
Baptistry

The baptistry/font of the temple sits in the direct center of the temple. It is on both centerlines of the temple.

Attempt to reproduce the 1877 St. George Temple baptistry. This is by no means intended to be authoritative, it is just an attempt. Copyright Brian Olson.
Baptistries:1
Location:Center
Exterior Windows:No
Artwork:TBD
Artwork Type:TBD
Oxen:12
Type:1/4
Hoof:Buried
Color:Brass
Layout:3 spread each at Compass
Font Exterior:Brass
Interior:Brass
Shape:Oval
Bowl Shape:Oval
Pillar:Unornamented
Stairs:Dual, Opposing
Font Well:Interior
Initiatory Spaces

I believe that two small rooms to either side of the baptistry were used as initiatory spaces. I have not been able to confirm this.

StyleDetached*
TypeStationary*
Rooms4*
*Estimated
Instruction Rooms

To attend a session in the temple initially, patrons would begin in the basement where spaces were partitioned off for creation, garden and world room spaces. Then they would move upstairs to the lower assembly hall, which was curtained off for Telestial and Celestial spaces.

Rooms4*
TypeProgressive 4*
CapacityTBD
MuralsTBD
Total Muraled RoomsTBD
Mural TypeTBD
*Estimated
Celestial Room

Like the instruction rooms, the original Celestial room was initially a portion of the partitioned off lower Assembly Hall.

Assembly Hall

Initially, the temple consisted of two Assembly Halls, one above the other, and taking up the majority of the space of the temple.

Assembly Halls2
CapacityTBD
1938

1938

Over time it would become apparent that the lower assembly hall was unnecessary. The decision was made in about 1936 to permanently partition the lower hall off int framed rooms, putting the 5 rooms all together on a single level. A grand staircase was added towards the north east corner, allowing patrons to access the newly configured level without using the narrow and steeper tower stairs. An elevator would be added to the same area of the temple, further assisting with access in all levels of the temple.

Entry/Waiting Area

Once the annex was first added to the temple in 1882/3, the entrance to the temple became a door on the North end of the annex.

With this new annex, a new entryway was created in the middle of the front wall of the east side of the annex.

Baptistry

The baptistry in the temple remained in the same location, though the surrounding space was reconfigured to serve in a more appropriate manner for the times.

St. George Temple Baptistry
St. George Temple Baptistry, circa 1938. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.
Baptistries:1
Location:Center
Exterior Windows:No
Artwork:TBD
Artwork Type:TBD
Oxen:12
Type:1/4
Hoof:Buried
Color:Brass
Layout:3 spread each at Compass
Font Exterior:Brass
Interior:Brass
Shape:Oval
Bowl Shape:Oval
Pillar:Unornamented
Stairs:Dual, Opposing
Font Well:Interior
Instruction Rooms
Creation Room

Creation Room of the temple, circa 1938, Copyright Intellectual Reserve
Garden Room
Garden Room of the St. George Utah Temple, circa 1938. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.
World Room
Terrestrial Room
St. George Temple Terrestrial Room, circa 1938. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.
Rooms4
TypeProgressive 4
Capacity40
MuralsYes
Total Muraled Rooms3
Mural TypeFull
Celestial Room
Sealing Room
Sealing Rooms2
Largest Capacity*35
Assembly Hall
St. George Temple Assembly Hall, circa 1938. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.
Assembly Halls1
CapacityTBD

1975

1975

In the 1975 renovation, the addition of a stairway annex on the west end of the temple allowed for direct access to each of the three west instruction rooms. Previously these rooms could only be accessed by moving from room to room in a progressive fashion. As this was the way the endowment ceremony was being presented, this was not an issue except for emergency access. With the new addition, each of the 3 rooms could be used independently. With the endowment being presented primarily on film now, this allowed up to three sessions to be presented simultaneously, increasing the overall capacity of the temple.

Entry/Waiting Area

With this new annex, a new entryway was created in the of the north wall of the new addition.

Baptistry

The baptistry in the temple remained in the same location, though the surrounding space was reconfigured to serve in a more appropriate manner for the times.

St. George Utah Temple baptistry Copyright Intellectual Reserve.
St. George Utah Temple 1990s renovation baptistry Copyright Intellectual Reserve.

Baptistries:1
Location:Center
Exterior Windows:No
Artwork:TBD
Artwork Type:TBD
Oxen:12
Type:1/4
Hoof:Buried
Color:Brass
Layout:3 spread each at Compass
Font Exterior:Brass
Interior:Brass
Shape:Oval
Bowl Shape:Oval
Pillar:Unornamented
Stairs:Dual, Opposing
Font Well:Interior
Instruction Rooms

The instruction rooms in the St. George Temple were converted to “Stationary” configuration during this renovation. The three muraled rooms had the murals removed. The majority of the endowment now took place in one of the three initial rooms, and all rooms would then move to the fourth room for completion of the session. Technically, the sessions were now presented as Stationary, despite the end being in another room.

Instruction Room, previously the Garden Room, post 1975 renovation. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.
Rooms4
TypeProgressive 2
Capacity40
MuralsYes
Total Muraled Rooms3
Mural TypeFull
Celestial Room
Celestial Room, post 1975 renovation. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.
Sealing Room
CU040901-004HR
Sealing Rooms2
Largest Capacity*35
Assembly Hall
Assembly Halls1
CapacityTBD

Cafeteria
Yes
Clothing Rental
Yes
2023

2023

Entry/Waiting Area

St George Entryway 2023
St George Entryway 2023. Copyright Intellectual Reserve
Baptistry

The baptistry in the temple remained in the same location, though the font was removed, the floor raised about 6 feet, and the font rotated 180 degrees.

Baptistries:1
Location:Center
Exterior Windows:No
Artwork:TBD
Artwork Type:TBD
Oxen:12
Type:1/4
Hoof:Buried
Color:Brass
Layout:3 spread each at Compass
Font Exterior:Brass
Interior:Brass
Shape:Oval
Bowl Shape:Oval
Pillar:Unornamented
Stairs:Dual, Opposing
Font Well:Interior
Instruction Rooms
Creation Room
Garden Room
World Room
Veil (Terrestrial) Room
Rooms4
TypeProgressive 2
Capacity40*
MuralsYes
Total Muraled Rooms3
Mural TypeFull
*estimated
Celestial Room
Celestial Room, post 2023 renovation. Copyright Intellectual Reserve.
Sealing Room
Sealing Rooms2
Largest Capacity*35
Assembly Hall
Assembly Halls1
CapacityTBD


Contractors

1877

1877

Architect

Truman O. Angell was the architect for this temple, with Miles Romney as Assistant Architect. Miles Romney would eventually take over as Project Manager as well.

Projects By Truman O. Angell

ProjectYears
Nauvoo Temple
Superintendant of Joiners		????-1846
Salt Lake Temple
Architect		1856-1861
Salt Lake Temple
Architect		1867-1887
St. George Utah
Architect		1871-1877

Project Manager

Initially, the Superintendent of Construction was Joseph W. Young, in which position he served until his death in mid 1873. After that, the Superintendent of Construction was Miles P. Romney, who also served as assistant architect.

General Contractor

General Construction Member Built

Other Projects Member Built

ProjectYears
Kirtland Ohio1833-1836
Nauvoo Temple1841-1846
St. George Utah1871-1877
Logan Utah1877-1884
Manti Utah1877-1888
Salt Lake Temple1953-1893
Laie Hawaii1916-1919
Cardston Alberta1913-1923
Mesa Arizona1921-1927
Hamilton New Zealand1955-1958

Other Contractor

Head Mason Edward L. Parry

Projects By Edward L. Parry

ProjectYears
St. George Utah
Master Mason		1871-1877
Manti Utah
Master Mason		1877-1888
1938

1938

Architect

Don Carlos Young (Jr. ?)[66]As yet, I have been unable to determine if this project was overseen by Joseph Don Carlos Young, architect of the Salt Lake Temple, or his son Don Carlos Young Jr. Joseph Don Carlos Young died in October 1938, just a couple of months after this renovation completed, so he is a little less likely to have been the architect. was the architect over this particular renovation.

Projects By Don Carlos Young

ProjectYears
Salt Lake1887-1893
Mesa Arizona1919-1927
St. George Utah [renovation]1937-1938
Manti Utah [renovation]1948-1949

Project Manager

Howard J. McKean was the construction superintendent for this renovation of the temple.

General Contractor

Other Contractor

Irving T. Nelson was the landscape architect for this renovation.

A. N. Sisann was the electrical contractor who installed the floodlighting.

[Mr.] Fellowes of Dinwoody Furniture Co. upholstered and renovated the furniture.

Max Smith and A. L. Brown laid the new carpets.

Bob Tschanagenny and assistants upgraded the electrical and lighting systems.

Hanse Ford, Russell Ford upgraded the plumbing work.

[Mr.] Aldous installation of the new oil burner and upgraded the heating plant

S. M. Connolly installed the upgraded sprinkling setup.

1958

1958

Architect

Edward O. Anderson was the Architect for this project

Projects by Edward O. Anderson

ProjectYears
Idaho Falls Idaho1937-1945
Los Angeles California1937-1956
Bern Switzerland1952-1955
Mesa Arizona [renovation]1953-1955
London England1955-1958
Hamilton New Zealand1955-1958
St. George Utah [renovation]1956-1958
Salt Lake [renovation]1962-1966

Project Manager

General Contractor

David O. Woodbury, L. Leon Jennings, and Clarence M. Moss, were the General Contractors for this project.

Other Contractor

George Nelson was the Construction Engineer for this project.

Paul Forester repainted and restored some of the murals.

1975

1975

Architect

Emil B. Fetzer was the architect for the 1975 renovation of the temple.

Other Projects By Emil Fetzer

ProjectYear
Provo Utah1968-1972
Ogden Utah1968-1972
Washington D. C. [supervising architect]1968-1974
Lincoln Center skyscraper and Stake Center,
(now houses the Manhattan New York Temple)		1968
Idaho Falls Idaho [renovation]1972-1973
Mesa Arizona [renovation]1972-1975
St. George Utah [renovation]1972-1975
São Paulo Brazil1975-1978
Tokyo Japan1975-1980
Seattle Washington1975-1980
Laie Hawaii [renovation]1972-1978
Logan Utah1972-1979
Pago Pago American Samoa [original]1977-1981
Jordan River Utah1978-1981
Atlanta Georgia1980-1983
Nuku’alofa Tonga1980-1983
Santiago Chile1980-1983
Mexico City Mexico1980-1983
Sydney Australia1980-1984
Freiberg Germany1982-1985
Manti Utah [renovation]1982-1985

Project Manager

General Contractor

??Blackburn Construction??

Other Contractor

2023

2023

Architect

CRSA Architects; was the Primary Architect of Record for this project.

Projects by CRSA Architects

ProjectYear
Tijuana Mexico 🔗2010-2015
St. George Utah (Chiller Upgrade)2013-2014
Star Valley Wyoming 🔗2015-2017
Port-au-Prince Haiti 🔗2015-2019
Washington D.C. (Renovation) 🔗2017-2022
Moses Lake Washington (Architect, Landscape Architect)🔗2017-2023
St. George Utah (Renovation) 🔗2019-2023
Manti Utah (Renovation) 🔗2019-2024

Desert Edge Architecture assisted in the design.

Projects by Desert Edge Architecture

ProjectYears
Washington D. C. [renovation]2017-2022
Moses Lake Washington2019-2023
St. George Utah [renovation]2019-2023

Project Manager

General Contractor

Westland Construction was the General Contractor for this renovation.

Other Projects by Westland Construction

ProjectYears
Monticello Utah (Renovation)2000-2002
Anchorage Alaska (Renovation)2002-2004
Apia Samoa (Renovation)2002-2003
Manti Utah (Renovation)? Before 2009
Seattle Washington (Renovation)? Before2009
Vernal Utah (Renovation)? Before 2009
Columbus Ohio (Renovation)2019-2023
Chicago Illinois (Renovation)2013-2015
Provo Utah (Renovation)2013-2014
St. George Utah (Renovation)2013-2014
Suva Fiji (Renovation)2014-2015
Port-au-Prince Haiti2015-2019
Jordan River Utah (Renovation2016-2018
Hamilton New Zealand (Renovation)2017-2022
Memphis Tennessee (Renovation)2017-2020
Oklahoma City Oklahoma (Renovation)2017-2019
Praia Cape Verde2018-2021
Columbus Ohio2019-2023
St. George Utah (Renovation)2019-2023
Neiafu Tonga2019-
Orem Utah2019-2024
Pago Pago American Samoa2019-
Provo Utah (Renovation)2021-
Querétaro Mexico2022-
Ephraim Utah2022-
Freetown Sierra Leone2022-
Provo Utah (Renovation)2022-
Toronto Ontario (Renovation)2023-

Other Contractor

Sunroc Construction was the Concrete contractor on the St. George Utah Temple.

Other Projects by SunRoc

ProjectYears
Cedar City Utah2013-2017
St. George Utah
Renovation		2019-2023
Red Cliffs Utah2018-2024

Region

TEMPLES IN UTAH by county

Box Elder1Brigham City
Cache2Logan · Smithfield
Carbon1Price
Davis3Bountiful · Layton · Syracuse
Iron1Cedar City
Salt Lake6Draper · Jordan River · Oquirrh Mountain · Salt Lake · Taylorsville · West Jordan
San Juan1Monticello 
Sanpete2Ephraim · Manti
Tooele1Deseret Peak
Uintah1Vernal
Utah8Lehi · Lindon · Mount Timpanogos · Orem · Payson · Provo Rock Canyon · Provo City Center · Saratoga Springs
Wasatch1Heber Valley
Washington2Red Cliffs · St. George
Weber1Ogden

TEMPLES IN UNITED STATES (EXCEPT UTAH) by state

Alabama2Birmingham · Huntsville
Alaska1Anchorage · Fairbanks
Arizona7Gilbert · Mesa · Phoenix · Queen Creek · Snowflake · The Gila Valley · Tucson · Yuma
Arkansas1Bentonville
California12Bakersfield · Feather River · Fresno · Los Angeles · Modesto · Newport · Oakland · Redlands · Sacramento · San Diego · San Jose · Yorba Linda
Colorado4Colorado Springs · Denver · Fort Collins · Grand Junction
Connecticut1Hartford
Florida5Fort Lauderdale · Jacksonville · Orlando · Tallahassee · Tampa
Georgia1Atlanta
Hawaii4Honolulu · Kahului · Kona · Laie
Idaho10Boise · Burley · Coeur d’Alene · Idaho Falls · Meridian · Montpelier · Pocatello · Rexburg · Teton River · Twin Falls
Illinois2Chicago · Nauvoo
Indiana1Indianapolis
Iowa1Des Moines
Kansas1Wichita
Kentucky1Louisville
Louisiana1Baton Rouge
Maryland1Washington D.C.
Massachusetts1Boston
Michigan2Detroit · Grand Rapids
Minnesota1St. Paul
Missouri3Kansas City · Springfield · St. Louis
Montana3Billings · Helena · Missoula
Nebraska1Winter Quarters
Nevada4Elko · Las Vegas · Lone Mountain · Reno
New Jersey1Summit
New Mexico2Albuquerque · Farmington
New York2Manhattan · Palmyra
North Carolina2Charlotte · Raleigh
North Dakota1Bismarck
Ohio3Cincinnati · Cleveland · Columbus
Oklahoma2Oklahoma City · Tulsa
Oregon3Medford · Portland · Willamette Valley ·
Pennsylvania3Harrisburg · Philadelphia · Pittsburgh
South Carolina1Columbia
Tennessee3Knoxville · Memphis · Nashville
Texas10Austin · Dallas · El Paso · Fort Worth · Houston South · Houston · Lubbock · McAllen · McKinney · San Antonio
Utah30
Virginia3Richmond · Roanoke · Winchester
Washington6Columbia River · Moses Lake · Seattle · Spokane · Tacoma · Vancouver
Wisconsin1Milwaukee
Wyoming3Casper · Cody · Star Valley

TEMPLES IN NORTH AMERICA (EXCEPT US & MEXICO) by country

Canada11Calgary · Cardston · Edmonton · Halifax · Lethbridge · Montreal · Regina · Toronto · Vancouver · Victoria · Winnipeg
Costa Rica1San José
Dominican Republic1Santiago · Santo Domingo
El Salvador1San Salvador · Santa Ana
Guatemala6Cobán · Guatemala City · Huehuetenango · Miraflores Guatemala City · Quetzaltenango · Retalhuleu
Haiti1Port-au-Prince ·
Honduras2Tegucigalpa · San Pedro Sula
Mexico26
Nicaragua1Managua
Panama1Panama City
Puerto Rico1San Juan
United States143

Sources and Citations

See Also

References

References
↑1, ↑4 Wood, Dale Glen, “Brigham Young’s Activities in St. George During the Later Years of his Life” (1963), p27. Theses and Dissertations. 5224. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5224
↑2 Taylor, John, “Journal of Discourses,” XXIII, 9 November 1881, p14.
↑3 Gates, Susa Young and Widtsoe, Leah B. “The Life Story of Brigham Young.” New York: The” Macmillan Company, 1930.
↑5 Mortensen, A. R. (ed.). “Utah’s Dixie… The Cotton Mission”, Utah Historical Quarterly. XXIX. 1961.
↑6 Charles Smith, “Diary”, 1819-1905, p. 184. Copied by Brigham Young University Library, 1945-46.
↑7 Taylor, John, “Journal of Discourses,” XXIII, 9 November 1881, p14.
↑8, ↑12, ↑15 Wood, Dale Glen, “Brigham Young’s Activities in St. George During the Later Years of his Life” (1963), p27. Theses and Dissertations. 5224. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5224
↑9, ↑11 Charles L. Walker diary, Brigham Young University, p. 418-419
↑10 Bennett, Richard E. (2005) “”Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept”: Reflections on the 1877 Commencement of the Performance of Endowments and Sealings for the Dead,” BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 44: Iss. 3, Article 4. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol44/iss3/4
↑13 Yorgason, Blaine M., “All That Was Promised: The St. George Temple and the Unfolding of the Restoration”, Deseret Book, 2003.
↑14 Bleak, James Godson, “Annals of the Southern Utah Mission”, Book B, p. 183, Copy in Brigham Young University Library.
↑16 Curtis, Kirk M., “History of the St. George Temple” (1964), Ch. Theses and Dissertations. 4630. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4630
↑17 Bleak, James Godson, “Annals of the Southern Utah Mission”, Book B, p. 126-127, Copy in Brigham Young University Library.
↑18 ”Extensive Improvements Completed During Year,” Washington County News, 3 November 1938.
↑19 ”THE ST. GEORGE TEMPLE,” Deseret Evening News, 2 April 1874, p2.
↑20 The Deseret News, 12 May 1874, p3.
↑21 Salt Lake Herald, 9 November 1874.
↑22 Deseret News, 11 November 1874, p5.
↑23 Deseret Evening, 10 December 1874.
↑24 Deseret Evening News, 26 December 1874, p3.
↑25 Salt Lake Herald Republican, 3 January 1877 Says between 200-300 people were present. “Dedication Services At The Temple At St. George, Utah Territory, January 1, 1877” Deseret News, 17 January 1877 Says there were 2,000. I am uncertain how the temple could have accomodated the latter number, especially in the baptistry where the service was held.
↑26 ”Dedication Services At The Temple At St. George, Utah Territory, January 1, 1877″ Deseret News, 17 January 1877
↑27 Local and General News, Washington County News, 21 June 1917
↑28 ”St. GEorge Temple Media Kit” Intellectual Reserve, Inc., February 2023
↑29 ”St. George Temple Improvements Completed,” Iron Country Record, 04 January 1918, p1.
↑30 ”Local Breifs,” Iron Country Record, 04 January 1918, p4.; “Temple Opening.” Washington County News, 31 January 1918.
↑31 ”Remodeling Of Temple Considered By Leaders,” Washington County News, 31 December 1936.
↑32 ”St. George Temple Closes Until August 30,” Washington County News, 08 July 1937, p1.
↑33 ”Temple Closed,”Kane County Standard, 23 July 1937.
↑34 ”Temple Being Remodeled,” Washington County News, 19 August 1937, p1.
↑35 ”Temple To Open For Regular Work On April 1,” Washington County News, 10 February 1938, p1.
↑36 ”Temple Notice,” Washington County News, 30 September 1937, p1.
↑37 ”Temple Notices,” Deseret News, 12 October 1937.
↑38 The previous president, George F. Whitehead, was unexpectedly released after 5 years of service. While this is not unheard of in modern temples, prior Temple and even Mission presidents had served several decades int heir positions. In a letter from President Grant, it was explained the Church was implementing a new policy that would reduce the amount of time that individuals hold office, for the good of the individuals in those positions and the Church as a whole. “Letter Explains Change At St. George Temple,” Washington County News, 21 October 1937, p1.
↑39 ”St. George Temple To Open Soon Says President,” Washington County News, 3 February 1838, p5.
↑40 “Remodeling Of Temple Nears Completion,” Washington County News, 26 May 1938, p1.
↑41 ”Further Improvements Planned At Temple,” Washington County News, 2 June 1938, p1.; “Power Driven Lift At Temple Nearly Ready For Service,” Washington County News, 7 July 1938, p1.
↑42 ”Church Officials Check New Improvements At St. George Temple,” Washington County News, 21 July 1938, p1.
↑43 Deseret News, 3 August 1938
↑44 ”Temple Court Plans To Be Discussed,” Iron County Record, 30 September 1937, p1.; “St. George Temple Cottages Near Completion” Iron County Record, 21 April 1938.
↑45 ”Large Flood Lights To Play On Temple Grounds,” Washington County News, 3 November, 1938, p.12
↑46 ”New Annex Approved For St. George Temple,” Deseret News, 11 February 1956, p27.
↑47 ”St. George Temple Construction Now Under Way,” Deseret News, 19 May 1956, p22.
↑48 ”The opening of the St. George Temple has been postponed until September 23.,” Washington County News, 4 September.
↑49 ”Five Temples Are To Be Renovated,” 1972 October 28, The Church News, p4.
↑50 ”Arizona and st. George temples close as part of renovation project,”, 1974 January, ENSIGN.
↑51 ”Tours set for remodeled st. George temple,” 1975 May 10, Deseret News.
↑52 Scarlet, Peter, “LDS President Outlines Church Aims at St. George Temple Rite,” The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 October 1975.
↑53 ”St. George Temple Rededication Planned,” Ensign, July 1975.
↑54 ”Tours Set for Remodeled St. George Temple,” 1975 May 10, Deseret News.
↑55 Jarrard, Jack E., “St. George Temple Dedicated,”15 November 1975, Deseret News.”
↑56 ”St George Temple rededicated,” Ensign, January 1976.
↑57 Baluf, Amanda Leigh, “Helicopter Lifts New and Improved Dome atop St. George Temple.” The Spectrum, 24 October 1994.
↑58 “Rededication Date for St. George Temple Released.” Newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org, 8 May 2023, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/rededication-date-set-for-historic-st-george-utah-temple.
↑59 Taylor, Scott. “669,080 Tour St. George Utah Temple During 2023 Open House – Church News.” Church News, 22 Nov. 2023, www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/11/22/23970317/st-george-utah-temple-tour-during-open-house-renovation.
↑60 ”Renovated St. George Utah Temple Ready for Tours,” Newsroom, 6 September 2023, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/renovated-st-george-utah-temple-ready-for-tours
↑61 ”Open House Dates for the Manti Utah Temple Announced,” Newsroom, 20 November 2023, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/open-house-dates-for-the-manti-utah-temple-announced
↑62 “The St. George Temple Tower: Evolution of a Design on JSTOR.” www.jstor.org. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23290736.
↑63, ↑64 Wikipedia contributors. “Mormon Battalion.” Wikipedia, 28 Mar. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Battalion.
↑65 “Ardis E. Parshall: ‘Mark’ of Cane, Moroni Myth, Napoleon’s Cannon, Brigham’s Lightning — St. George LDS Temple Legends Abound.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Sept. 2023, www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/09/07/ardis-e-parshall-mark-cane-moroni.
↑66 As yet, I have been unable to determine if this project was overseen by Joseph Don Carlos Young, architect of the Salt Lake Temple, or his son Don Carlos Young Jr. Joseph Don Carlos Young died in October 1938, just a couple of months after this renovation completed, so he is a little less likely to have been the architect.

One reply on “St. George Utah Temple Wiki”

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