ST. GEORGE — After nearly four years of renovations and upgrades to the St. George Utah Temple, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Monday that the temple will be rededicated in December.
The St. George Temple, which closed in November 2019 for renovations, will be rededicated Dec. 10 in two sessions. Prior to the rededication, a public open house will run from Sept. 15 through Nov. 11, excluding Sundays and Saturday, Sept. 30, when the church holds the fall session of its semiannual general conference, according to a press release from the church.
The dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all congregations in the St. George Utah Temple district.
The St. George Temple is one of three pioneer-era Utah temples that the LDS church closed for renovation. The other two are the well-known Salt Lake City Utah Temple and Manti Utah Temple.
The St. George Temple was originally dedicated in 1877 and was the first temple completed in Utah. It is one of 28 Latter-day Saint temples in Utah either in operation, under construction or announced.
Work on the temple has focused on updating and strengthening existing infrastructure, as well as the demolition and rebuilding of the Temple’s western wing and northern annex. Both have been rebuilt to resemble the 19th Century architecture of the temple. The outdoor temple grounds and landscaping also have been overhauled.
Before its closure, the St. George Temple was estimated to serve 12,000 Latter-day Saint youth and 90,000 adults in the region. The temple was also operated by a combination of 3,200 church members and volunteers.
During its renovation, the St. George Temple gained a neighbor to the southeast in the Washington Fields area of St. George as ground was broken for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple in November 2020. While the Red Cliffs Temple also appears to be nearing the end of its construction, the church has yet to issue a date for a dedication and open house.
In preparation for when the new temple does open, the church called a local St. George couple to act as the Red Cliffs Temple’s president and matron in March.
Latter-day Saint temples are considered “Houses of the Lord” for members of the faith and are among their most sacred places of worship.
While all are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses, the primary purpose of temples is for faithful church members to participate in ceremonies related to marriage as well as proxy baptisms and other ordinances on behalf of deceased ancestors.
Temples also are central to the church’s longstanding doctrine related to the “eternal nature of the family,” which teaches a family unit can be “sealed” together for eternity in the afterlife. The eternal binding of the family can extend back through the generations, which is why Latter-day Saints place heavy emphasis on genealogical research. It allows them to find ancestors whose names they can take to a temple where proxy ceremonies on behalf of that ancestor can be performed.
The temples also are considered a place Latter-day Saints can go to find peace and comfort in the face of difficult times or trying decisions as they seek to connect with the Almighty.
As of April 1, the church has 300 temples worldwide either in operation, under construction or announced, according to the Church News.
Photo Gallery
The St. George Utah Temple following renovation work on the building and temple grounds, St. George, Utah, May 2023 | Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News The St. George Utah Temple following renovation work on the building and temple grounds, St. George, Utah, May 2023 | Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News The St. George Utah Temple following renovation work on the building and temple grounds, St. George, Utah, May 2023 | Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News
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