A public open house will start on Friday, September 15, and continue until Saturday, November 11, excluding Sundays and Saturday, September 30, due to general conference.
Reservations for the free tours can be scheduled online. The tours run from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
The St. George temple will be rededicated on Sunday, December 10, 2023, in two sessions.
The First Temple in the Western U.S.
“This is the first temple in the West,” said Steven E. Snow, former Church Historian and St. George native. “I think Brigham Young was very, very happy that finally a temple had been built in the West before he passed.”
The St. George Utah Temple was originally dedicated in 1877 ahead of the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, which was also under construction in the Beehive State.
“This just happens to be my favorite temple because this is a temple [that] I’ve known all my life,” said Snow.
“I feel a connection to my ancestors, not only because they built this building but because we have a shared faith,” explained Dana Moody, the great-granddaughter of George Brooks, who carved stone for the St. George temple and the nearby historic
St. George Tabernacle.
Moody said her ancestors “made sacred promises and covenants with God that can’t be done in other places.”
She continued, “We believe that as we make those promises and those covenants with God, it binds us together for eternity.”
This is the second time the St. George Utah Temple has received extensive renovation. “This temple now has stood for almost 150 years, and it was remodeled somewhat extensively in the mid-’70s,” Snow said.
The St. George temple was rededicated in 1975 by President Spencer W. Kimball.
Church President Russell M. Nelson announced the renovation of pioneer-era temples during general conference in October 2018. Detailed renovation plans for the St. George temple were released in May 2019.
“I anticipate that this temple will last for 50, 60, maybe even 75 years without a major renovation, if it’s maintained well,” Kirby said.
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J Washburn
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