St. George Utah Temple

{{Short description|Latter-day Saint Temple in St. George, Utah}}

{{LDS Temple/St. George Utah Temple |format= Infobox LDS Temple }}

The St. George Utah Temple, formerly known as the St. George Temple, is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in St. George, Utah, United States. After the death of Joseph Smith, whom they considered to be a prophet, Mormon pioneers migrated west. They were later directed by his successor, Brigham Young, to settle in southwestern Utah and where this temple was completed in March 1877. It was the church's first completed in Utah, to meet an immediate need to conduct temple ceremonies.

The temple was built over swampy land. Workers created a dry foundation by using a French cannon, used by Napoleon during his Russian campaign, which they lifted thirty feet to use as a pile driver for compacting the foundation. For more than six years, members willingly contributed to the temple, which included daily travel to the work site, and dedicating one day out of ten as a form of tithing labor. Brigham Young, the church president, considered the completed cupola too short. Two years after he died, a lightning strike razed the tower, and the reconstructed height of the tower was doubled to his desired height. It is the oldest temple in active use by the church and the only one completed during Young's tenure.

In August 1877, Wilford Woodruff, then the temple president, recorded that the spirits of "eminent" historical figures manifested themselves to him in the temple and requested that ordinances be performed on their behalf. These were recorded by Woodruff over the span of two days and nights, which lead to proxy baptisms and endowment ceremonies being performed for 100 historical men and women.

Truman O. Angell designed the temple with interior structural similarities to the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples. It has exterior elements that give it the appearance of a fortified castle. It has three ordinance rooms and 18 sealing rooms, covering a total floor area of 143,969 square feet (13,400 m²). Its architectural style combines Neo-Gothic and French Norman Revival design. Dedicated in April 1877, the St. George Temple was the first where members could complete all temple ordinances for the dead. The temple has gone through ten major renovations throughout its history. Only church members with a current temple recommend may enter, while the nearby visitors' center is open to the public.

History

As part of a "cotton mission", an initiative announced during general conference, 309 men and their families were called upon to bolster the regional economy through cotton production, to settle the area that became St. George.{{Cite web |date=2014-05-24 |title='Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, and the St. George Temple' |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/2014/5/24/23211951/brigham-young-wilford-woodruff-and-the-st-george-temple |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Church News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=St. George Utah Temple {{!}} Church News Almanac |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/almanac/temples/st-george-utah |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Almanac |language=en}} Bruce C. Hafen has said of those assembled that there were "mixed emotions", as this was the first that they had heard about it. Andrew Karl Larson wrote of the event that the groups response resembled a comment and a shout of apostle Erastus Snow: "Glory! Hallelujah!" Hafen also described that this response was characteristic of those called to live in the area. The settlement period posed challenges of starvation and economic hardship.{{Cite web |title=Utah History Encyclopedia |url=https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/s/ST_GEORGE.shtml |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=www.uen.org}}

= Planning =

Brigham Young, the second church president, called a special meeting on January 31, 1871, in which he proposed the idea of constructing a temple in St. George.{{Cite book |url=https://wchsutah.org/documents/st-george-temple-history-1.pdf |title=The St. George Utah Temple Facts |publisher=Washington County Historical Society |pages=2–3 |access-date=February 10, 2025}} This was agreed to with a unanimous vote. Projects in the area were still underway, such as the St. George Tabernacle.{{Cite web |title=The St. George Tabernacle: United Effort in Southern Utah |url=https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/exhibit/historic-sites/st-george/st-george-tabernacle?lang=eng |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=history.churchofjesuschrist.org}} The temple's site dedication and groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 9, 1871.{{Cite web |title=St. George LDS Temple, Utah's first, to close Nov. 4 for several years to undergo seismic upgrade and major renovation |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/05/22/st-george-lds-temple/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=St. George Utah Temple |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/st-george-utah-temple |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}} Young selected St. George for the temple's location due to the presence of loyal area church members and a desire to unify a region considered challenging to settle.{{Cite web |last=Wadsworth |first=Reuben |date=October 21, 2018 |title=St. George Temple day; a significant, sacred beacon for over 140 years |url=https://archives.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2018/10/21/raw-st-george-temple-day-a-significant-sacred-beacon-for-over-140-years/ |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=St. George News |language=en-US}} The temple's construction provided both employment and a source of economic stability. Because the area had a similar climate to the deep south and was intended to grow cotton, the members began to call it Utah's "Dixie".{{Cite web |title=History of the Dixie National Forest |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/dixie/about-forest/?cid=fswdev3_006710 |website=Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture}}{{Cite web |title=The name 'Dixie' lives on in St. George at a second school |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2023/01/30/name-dixie-lives-st-george/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US}}

At the time of the St. George Temple's announcement, the Salt Lake Temple was still in the early stages of construction and would not be completed until 1893.{{Cite web |title=The Design, Construction, and Role of the Salt Lake Temple {{!}} Religious Studies Center |url=https://rsc.byu.edu/salt-lake-city-place-which-god-prepared/design-construction-role-salt-lake-temple |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=rsc.byu.edu}} The St. George Temple met an immediate need for a place to conduct temple ceremonies. The temple became the third completed by the church (besides the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples) and the first in Utah{{Cite web |title='Absolutely incredible'; LDS church reveals details of pending St. George Temple renovations |date=May 22, 2019 |url=https://archives.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2019/05/22/mgk-absolutely-incredible-lds-church-reveals-details-of-pending-st-george-temple-renovations/ |access-date=November 5, 2024 |language=en-US}} following the member migration westward after the death of church founder Joseph Smith.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-31 |title=Read the original St. George temple dedicatory prayer and why Brigham Young was not the one who gave it |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/10/31/23940695/original-dedicatory-prayer-st-george-utah-temple |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Church News |language=en}} It is the first in the list of operating temples.{{Cite journal |title=List of Temples in the World |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/multimedia/file/List-of-Temples-in-the-World.pdf |journal=Temples, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}}{{Cite web |date=2024-08-18 |title=The path to 200 houses of the Lord: Temple Nos. 1-20 |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2024/08/18/path-to-200-houses-of-the-lord-temples-1-to-20-st-george-salt-lake-logan-manti/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Church News |language=en}} The St. George Temple was the first place where the endowment was performed on behalf of deceased individuals, also making it the first temple where all temple ordinances could be performed for the dead, and the opening of this temple renewed the practice of sealings on behalf of deceased individuals (since the migration from Nauvoo).{{Cite book |last1=Allen |first1=James B. |title=The Story of the Latter-day Saints |last2=Leonard |first2=Glen M. |publisher=Deseret Book Company |year=1976 |edition=2nd |pages=377–378 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Five Things You Should Know about the St. George Utah Temple |url=https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/content/historic-sites/utah/st-george/five-things-you-should-know-about-the-st-george-utah-temple |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=history.churchofjesuschrist.org}} Up until this point, the wording of the temple ordinances were given verbally and by memory until the St. George Temple was dedicated, where the ordinances were written down for the first time.{{Cite web |title=Significant Temple Work Started at St. George Utah Temple - Church News and Events |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/significant-temple-work-started-at-st-george-utah-temple?lang=eng |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org}}

= Construction =

File:St. George Temple Architecture Elevation.jpgYoung sent scouts to explore potential sites for the temple. When local leaders stated that they were unable to choose a site for the temple, Young took them on a wagon ride and selected a site southwest of St. George.{{Cite web |date=2008-03-29 |title=A path still trod |url=https://www.deseret.com/2008/3/29/20787350/a-path-still-trod/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} Young chose a six-acre plot as the temple site, and, despite health difficulties, supervised construction from his nearby home.{{Cite web |title=A look inside the renovated St. George Utah Temple |url=https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2023/09/09/a-look-inside-the-st-george-utah-temple/70807788007/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=The Spectrum |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-08-30 |title=Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to unveil newly renovated St. George Temple |url=https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-to-unveil-newly-renovated-st-george-temple/ |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=ABC4 Utah |language=en-US}} The chosen site of the temple had swampy conditions. Some workmen suggested relocation, but Young stated that they would build a foundation, and kept the same site.{{Cite web |date=2008-03-29 |title=A path still trod |url=https://www.deseret.com/2008/3/29/20787350/a-path-still-trod |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} A 1942 interview with a local resident stated that Young said the location had been dedicated by ancient Nephites for a temple.{{Cite book |last=Curtis |first=Kirk |url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5629&context=etd |title=HISTORY OF THE ST. GEORGE TEMPLE |date=October 19, 1964 |publisher=Brigham Young University |pages=23–28 |access-date=November 5, 2024}} However, this account surfaced nearly 70 years after Young's death and is not documented during his lifetime.

To address the conditions, workers created drains to eliminate as much water as possible before adding in stone for the foundation. Teams of oxen brought large lava rocks from a nearby quarry to the site to be crushed into gravel, creating a dry foundation. Workmen suggested using a cannon the city had acquired to crush the stone.

alt= St. George temple cannon, used by Napoleon in the [[French invasion of Russia, that used to hang in the visitors center in St. George. |thumb|The cannon used as a pile driver]]

Originally of French manufacture, the cannon was employed by Napoleon during his siege on Moscow.{{Cite book |last=Peterson |first=John Alton |url=https://npshistory.com/publications/pisp/hrs.pdf |title=Brigham's Bastion - Pipe Springs and its Place on the Mormon Frontier |publisher=National Park Service History |pages=352–354 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Curtis |first=Kirk M. |url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5629&context=etd |title=History of the St. George Temple |date=October 19, 1964 |publisher=Brigham Young University |pages=35–37 |language=en}} The cannon was left behind during his retreat, and it traveled to Siberia, then Alaska, and eventually to California. Members of the Mormon Battalion acquired the cannon, mounted it on wheels, and brought it to Utah. After creating a pulley system using horsepower, workers filled the cannon with lead, encased in timbers, lifted it thirty feet in the air, and used it as a pile driver to compact the foundation.{{Cite web |date=2020-11-07 |title=How is the St. George temple renovation going? |url=https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/11/6/21550063/latter-day-saints-mormon-temple-st-george-utah-renovation-historic-pioneer |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} Young advised the workmen to test the foundation's strength by dropping the cannon, and that if it bounced three times, then the foundation was solid.{{Cite web |date=2010-04-26 |title=St. George failed as a Western cotton capital |url=https://www.deseret.com/2010/4/26/20111193/st-george-failed-as-a-western-cotton-capital |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}

The cannon's origin has been disputed and has multiple origin stories. Kirk M. Curtis, writing for Brigham Young University, wrote that the cannon coming from Napoleon was an "interesting story". Deseret News, in 2010, quoted the Church News on the origin of the cannon in 1979 that said it came from Napoleon, and in 2020 Deseret News only mentioned that the cannon was purchased from California.{{Cite web |date=2020-11-07 |title=How is the St. George temple renovation going? |url=https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/11/6/21550063/latter-day-saints-mormon-temple-st-george-utah-renovation-historic-pioneer/ |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}

Ardis E. Parshall of the Salt Lake Tribune said that the origin of the cannon is in doubt, and stated that Erastus Snow told a local member, Jesse Crosby, to buy the cannon whilst out at California, for defense against Native-Americans.{{Cite web |title=Ardis E. Parshall: 'Mark' of cane, Moroni myth, Napoleon's cannon, Brigham's lightning — St. George LDS Temple legends abound |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/09/07/ardis-e-parshall-mark-cane-moroni/#:~:text=George.,George%20Temple. |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US}} When the legislature refused to pay for it, Crosby lent it out for local militia use. The cannon ended up being too cumbersome for anything other than drills, and eventually was donated to build the temple in St. George in 1871.{{Cite web |title=St. George Temple |url=https://wchsutah.org/churches/st-george-temple.php |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=wchsutah.org}} The Church Newsroom, in 2011 stated that Crosby did buy the cannon out in California, but that its origin was in either Mexico or South America.{{Cite web |date=2011-08-10 |title=Summer Travel Series: St. George, Utah's Dixie |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/summer-travel-series-st-george-a-desert-oasis |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}} Other sources, like the Washington County Historical Society, and Rueben Wadsworth of St. George News state that the cannon has origins from the Mexican-American war.{{Cite web |last=Wadsworth |first=Reuben |date=2018-10-21 |title=St. George Temple day; a significant, sacred beacon for over 140 years |url=https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/opinion/st-george-temple-day-a-significant-sacred-beacon-for-over-140-years/article_2d95d7e2-c18a-55d0-b811-4a691cbe2525.html |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=St. George News |language=en}}File:St George Utah temple construction.gifFollowing the stabilization of the foundation, construction began. The walls were built with local red sandstone, finished with a whitewash coating.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-02 |title=An inside look at the newly renovated St. George Utah Temple |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/10/2/23889127/st-george-utah-temple-renovation-what-changed-photos/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=Church News |language=en}} Historians James Allen and Glen M. Leonard stated that the temple was a symbol of independence, self sufficiency, with "painstaking handwork" and a great labor of love by the pioneers. They also noted that it was part of a determination to follow the path set by Joseph Smith Jr, with a deep dedication to temple ordinances.

Many worked long hours in the quarry after walking five miles to the site, often for minimal pay, and still contributed half their earnings to the temple. Others donated food, clothing, and other goods to support those working full-time on the construction, and members contributed one day in ten as tithing labor.

File:Oxen Hauling St. George Temple's Baptismal Font.jpg

Women decorated the interior with handmade carpets, along with fringe made for the altars and pulpits from Utah-produced silk. It took six years to complete construction.{{Cite web |last=Beery |first=Tim |title=Alder tells history of St. George Temple |url=https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/2015/04/11/alder-tells-history-st-george-temple/25650145/ |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=The Spectrum |language=en-US}} At its completion, it contained 1,000,000 board feet (2,000 square meters) of lumber,{{Cite book |url=https://wchsutah.org/documents/st-george-temple-history-1.pdf |title=The St. George Utah Temple Facts |publisher=Washington County Historical Society |pages=5 |access-date=February 11, 2025}} which had been hand-chopped and hauled 80 miles (100 km).{{Cite web |title=The Temple Trail |url=https://wchsutah.org/roads/temple-trail.php |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=wchsutah.org}} They carved two types of volcanic rock from a nearby quarry.{{Cite web |last=Romney |first=T. S. |date=2014-06-26 |title=Explore: A heritage hike along Temple Quarry Trail |url=https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/life/explore/explore-a-heritage-hike-along-temple-quarry-trail/article_b666d693-894e-5c6b-857f-61a85bc48986.html |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=St. George News |language=en}} Average stones were about the size of a coffin, and weighed 5,500 pounds.{{Cite web |title=The Temple Quarry in St. George, Utah |url=https://wchsutah.org/miscellaneous/temple-quarry.php |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=wchsutah.org}} The baptismal font of 12 oxen was paid for personally by Brigham Young at a price of $5,000, and the cast oxen were transported by train and oxen drawn wagons from Salt Lake City.{{Cite web |last=Cannon |first=Margaret M. |year=1995 |title=The St. George Temple Baptismal Font |url=https://issuu.com/utah10/docs/uhq_volume63_1995_number2/s/165459 |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Issuu |publisher=Utah Historical Society |language=en}}{{Cite book |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/multimedia/file/PD80013634_000_-Local-History-letter-new.pdf |title=St. George Utah Temple Renovation |publisher=Church of Jesus Christ Newsroom |pages=4 |language=en}}

= Opening and reconstruction =

On January 1, 1877, a partial dedication of the temple was held, making the basement, ground floor, and sealing room available for ordinances before the structure was fully completed.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-18 |title=The path to 200 houses of the Lord: Temple Nos. 1-20 |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2024/08/18/path-to-200-houses-of-the-lord-temples-1-to-20-st-george-salt-lake-logan-manti/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Church News |language=en}} The dedication was performed by Wilford Woodruff, Erastus Snow, and Brigham Young Jr..

To commemorate the finished structure, on April 6, 1877, the church's general conference was held there, during which the temple was dedicated.{{Cite web |title=St. George Utah Temple, Dedicatory Prayer |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/dedicatory-prayer/st.-george-utah-temple/1877-04-06?lang=eng |access-date=February 8, 2025 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org}} It was dedicated by Daniel H. Wells, Young's second counselor in the First Presidency.{{Cite web |date=1950-01-01 |title=St. George Utah Temple: For sacred and holy purposes |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/1950/1/1/23264474/st-george-utah-temple-for-sacred-and-holy-purposes |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Church News |language=en}} It is the only temple completed during Young's tenure as church president and is the oldest still actively used by the church.{{Cite web |title=St. George LDS Temple, Utah's first, to close Nov. 4 for several years to undergo seismic upgrade and major renovation |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/05/22/st-george-lds-temple/ |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US}} After the temple was dedicated, members of the church from Arizona would travel a long distance to be married in the temple; this wagon trail was traveled so often by couples that this path was called the Honeymoon Trail.{{Cite web |title=Honeymoon Trail {{!}} Bureau of Land Management |url=https://www.blm.gov/visit/honeymoon-trail |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=www.blm.gov |language=en}}

File:St. George Temple with the shorter Dome.jpg

Young was initially displeased with the height of the tower, he felt that it was squat.{{Cite web |date=2003-07-11 |title=Temple burns — but not angel |url=https://www.deseret.com/2003/7/11/19734272/temple-burns-151-but-not-angel |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} Since construction had taken so much time, historians speculate that he did not want to delay the project any longer. In 1883, two years after his death, the tower was struck by lightning, resulting in a fire that destroyed the tower and left the rest of the temple unharmed. Local legends vary in interpretation: some narratives suggest the lightning strike and subsequent fire were perceived as a means to appease Young, while others propose that he may have instigated the event.{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Aleah |date=2023-10-06 |title=10 Fascinating Facts About the St. George Utah Temple |url=https://www.ldsdaily.com/personal-lds-blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-st-george-utah-temple/ |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=LDS Daily |language=en-US}} The reconstructed tower was doubled in height to reflect Young's expressed preference.

In an August 1877 account, Wilford Woodruff said the spirits of the Founding Fathers and other historical figures manifested themselves to him in the St. George Temple.{{Cite web |last=Woodruff |first=Wilford |date=September 16, 1877 |title=Journal of Discourses Vol. 19, page 229 |url=https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/JournalOfDiscourses3/id/914/ |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Digital Collections BYU Library |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Demille |first=Janice Force |title=The St. George Temple First 100 Years |publisher=Homestead Publishers |year=1977 |location=Hurricane, Utah |pages=130–131, 181 |language=en}} They requested that the rite of the endowment be performed on their behalf, noting that it had not been done despite the Endowment House's long use.{{Cite web |date=December 28, 2012 |title=Eminent Spirits Appear to Wilford Woodruff |url=https://josephsmithfoundation.org/wiki/eminent-spirits-appear-to-wilford-woodruff/ |access-date=November 5, 2024}}{{Cite web |date=1989-02-18 |title=Painting honors founding fathers |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/2/18/23263227/painting-honors-founding-fathers |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Church News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Chapter 4: Wilford Woodruff: Fourth President of the Church |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/presidents-of-the-church-student-manual/chapter-4?lang=eng |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org}} Woodruff documented these occurrences over multiple occasions spanning two days and two nights in his personal journals. Subsequently, baptisms and endowments were performed for these individuals in the temple by John D. T. McAllister, Woodruff, and other church members in the area, contributing to ordinance work for a total of 100 men and women. Some historical figures individuals mentioned in these records include George Washington, Christopher Columbus, John Wesley, Marie Antoinette, Jane Austen, and Dolley Madison.

= Renovations and later history =

File:St George, UT, USA - panoramio.jpg

Between 1917 and 2023, the temple had ten renovations, including repairs to the cupola necessitated by a lightning strike.Scribner, Herb. [https://www.deseret.com/2019/5/22/20674253/what-will-the-st-george-utah-temple-look-like-in-2022-is-the-st-george-temple-closed-here-s-everythi#a-rendering-of-the-new-temple-annex-for-the-st-george-utah-temple-the-temple-will-close-nov-4-for-extensive-renovations "What will the St. George Utah Temple look like in 2022? Is the St. George Temple closed? Here's everything you need to know"], Deseret News, 22 May 2019. Retrieved on November 5, 2024. Upgrades in 1917 included an enlargement of the annex.{{Cite web |title=St. George Temple Media Kit |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/multimedia/file/St-George-Temple-Media-Kit.pdf |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=Newsroom for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints}} In 1938, significant modifications were made to the floor plan, involving the relocation of endowment rooms from the basement to the main level, the introduction of murals, and the alignment of the temple with architectural trends of the 20th century. In 1975, the annex was expanded to facilitate the transition from live actors to a film presentation of the endowment.{{Cite web |last1=Wixom |first1=Cassidy |date=May 8, 2023 |title=St. George Utah Temple will be dedicated in December |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/50640199/st-george-utah-temple-will-be-dedicated-in-december |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=www.ksl.com |language=en}} The temple was rededicated on November 11–12, 1975 by church president Spencer W. Kimball.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-13 |title=Picturing history: President Spencer W. Kimball — temple dedications, historic sites and the church's 150th anniversary |url=https://www.deseret.com/2019/2/13/20665745/picturing-history-president-spencer-w-kimball-temple-dedications-historic-sites-and-the-church-s-150/ |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} In 1977, the temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places.{{Cite web |date=November 7, 1977 |title=National Park Service |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/77001325}}{{Cite web |title=St. George Temple |url=https://wchsutah.org/churches/st-george-temple.php#:~:text=DESCRIPTION,of%20Historic%20Places%20(#1977001325). |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=wchsutah.org}}

On November 4, 2019, the temple closed for renovations.Noyce, David. [https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2019/01/31/this-week-mormon-land/ "This week in Mormon Land"], The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 January 2019. Retrieved on November 5, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Riess |first=Jana |title=Mormons get back to basics at church's General Conference |url=https://religionnews.com/2019/04/08/mormons-get-back-to-basics-at-churchs-general-conference/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=religionnews.com|date=April 8, 2019 }} During this project, crews removed certain 20th-century additions to restore the original architectural style and incorporated seismic upgrades.{{Cite web |title=The wait is over: The St. George LDS Temple reopens. See the renovated interior and exterior. |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/09/06/wait-is-over-st-george-lds-temple/ |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US}} Renovations included motifs such as a five-point gold star and a quatrefoil. Other additions included a skylight, a bride's exit, trees and landscaping improvements, an entrance to the baptismal font, steel trusses, murals, a new annex, and updated electrical, heating, and cooling systems.{{Cite web |last=Ashcraft |first=Emily |date=September 6, 2023 |title=Renovations on oldest Latter-day Saint temple still in operation complete; now open for tours |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/50724632/renovations-on-oldest-latter-day-saint-temple-still-in-operation-complete-now-open-for-tours |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=www.ksl.com |language=en}} During the renovations completed in 2023, new murals were introduced for each instruction room, commissioned by three different artists. Each was designed to "capture the rugged natural beauty of the southwest Utah landscape." The temple was rededicated on December 10, 2023 by Jeffrey R. Holland, a native of St. George and the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.{{Cite web |title=In an unexpected 'crowning moment,' LDS apostle Jeffrey Holland rededicates a historic temple in his hometown |url=https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/12/10/an-unexpected-crowning-moment-lds/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-12-10 |title=President Holland Rededicates the St. George Utah Temple |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-holland-rededicates-his-hometown-s-house-of-the-lord |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}} Notable temple presidents include Wilford Woodruff (1877–1884);{{Cite web |title=Wilford Woodruff and the Rise of Temple Consciousness among the Latter-day Saints, 1877-84 {{!}} Religious Studies Center |url=https://rsc.byu.edu/banner-gospel-wilford-woodruff/wilford-woodruff-rise-temple-consciousness-among-latter-day-saints-1877-84 |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=rsc.byu.edu}} John D. T. McAllister (1884–1893);{{Cite web |title=Diaries and letters of John D.T. McAllister |url=https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p16003coll15/id/41265/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=hdl.huntington.org}}{{Cite web |title=John D. T. McAllister journals, 1851-1906 |url=https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/record/bc277424-088e-495b-b604-c45369c2f70f/0?view=summary |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org}} J. Thomas Fyans (1992–1995);{{Cite web |date=2008-05-19 |title=Elder J. Thomas Fyans dies |url=https://www.deseret.com/2008/5/19/20381329/elder-j-thomas-fyans-dies/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} and Bruce C. Hafen (2010–2013).{{Cite web |title=Hafen, Bruce C. {{!}} Religious Studies Center |url=https://rsc.byu.edu/author/hafen-bruce-c |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=rsc.byu.edu}}https://kmyu.tv/news/local/st-george-utah-temple-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-rededicated-by-president-jeffrey-r-holland-quorum-of-the-twelve-apostles

Design and access

File:Cristus Visitors Center St. George Utah Temple Visitors Center.jpg Christus in the visitors' center]]

To church members, temples are regarded as sacred houses of the Lord.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-26 |title='A special place with a special purpose': Helping open-house visitors see a temple as the house of the Lord |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/11/26/23972359/st-george-utah-temple-special-place-purpose-helping-temple-open-house-visitors-house-of-the-lord/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Church News |language=en}} Once a temple has been dedicated, they are only accessible to members with a current temple recommend.{{Cite web |date=2007-11-15 |title=Of Chapels and Temples: Explaining Latter-day Saint Worship Services |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/of-chapels-and-temples-explaining-mormon-worship-services |access-date=November 7, 2024 |website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Temple Open House, Dedications and Rededication Dates |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/event/temple-open-house-and-dedications#:~:text=Visitors%20of%20all%20ages%20are,faithful%20members%20of%20the%20Church. |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=St. George Utah Temple Public Open House |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/featured/st-george-open-house?lang=eng |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Temple Open Houses |language=en}} The visitors' center is open to the public.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=May 4, 2016 |title=Artist Julie Rogers' work at Temple Visitors' Center |url=https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/2016/05/04/artist-julie-rogers-work-temple-visitors-center/83945624/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=The Spectrum |language=en-US}}

File:St. George Southeast View with Garden.jpg

The temple was designed by Truman O. Angell, under Brigham Young's supervision.{{Cite web |last=pls4e |date=2018-07-17 |title=St. George Utah Temple |url=https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/UT-01-053-0041 |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=SAH ARCHIPEDIA |language=en}} Angell, who had worked as a carpenter on the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples, used architectural elements from both.{{Cite news |title=St. George Utah Temple Fact Sheet |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/multimedia/file/St.-George-Fact-sheet-letter-new.pdf |access-date=November 7, 2024 |work=Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Newsroom |pages=3}} The temple has a rectangular shape made up of two stories, an octagonal spire, and a large assembly hall. The temple is on a 6.5-acre plot (2.6 ha) with multiple pedestrian plazas, along with gardens, seating elements, and a tiered water feature.

While the St. George Temple has a similar overall layout to the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples, the exterior designs differ. The temple combines castellated (resembling fortified castles){{Cite web |date=2010-03-12 |title=St. George Utah Temple |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/2010/3/12/23228658/st-george-utah-temple/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Church News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Manti Utah Temple |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/almanac/temples/manti-utah/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Church News |language=en}} Neo-Gothic Architecture with a French Norman Revival Style, with parapets and battlements, with hexagonal staircases inside the towers.{{Cite web |date=2010-03-12 |title=St. George Utah Temple |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/2010/3/12/23228658/st-george-utah-temple/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=Church News |language=en}} Certain elements, like the neoclassical pilasters of Nauvoo and Kirtland, were replaced with thin buttresses, and in the space between them, Angell added a porthole motif. The St George temple is 143,969 square feet (13,400 m²), and is eighty feet tall.{{Cite web |title=St. George Temple |url=https://wchsutah.org/churches/st-george-temple.php |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=wchsutah.org}}

The temple was originally designed with two large assembly halls, like the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples. The lower Assembly Hall was divided with curtains to facilitate ordinance rooms for the endowment ceremony. Following the renovations completed in 2023, the temple's interior has a large assembly hall, a baptistry, three ordinance rooms, areas for the initiatory ordinance, and eighteen sealing rooms.{{Cite web |title=Sealing |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/manual/gospel-topics/sealing |access-date=November 7, 2024 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Lesson 35: The Eternal Family |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/manual/duties-and-blessings-of-the-priesthood-basic-manual-for-priesthood-holders-part-a/gospel-principles-and-doctrines/lesson-35-the-eternal-family |access-date=November 7, 2024 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}} A skylight completed in 2023 uses decorative art glass.

Following the renovations in 2023, the temple was updated to reflect architecture from the historical pioneer era. According to Andy Kirby, the church director of renovations for historic temple projects, said that the design for the interior "matches the historic temple and furnishings that would have been appropriate in the 1870s and 1880s."{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title=Renovated St. George Utah Temple Ready for Tours |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/renovated-st-george-utah-temple-ready-for-tours |access-date=November 7, 2024 |website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}} Lighting fixtures match the time period with wheel-cut glass shades with a gothic/grapevine design.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title=See inside the newly renovated St. George Utah Temple as media, special-guest tours begin |url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/9/6/23861287/inside-renovated-st-george-utah-temple-media-day |access-date=November 7, 2024 |website=Church News |language=en}} The millwork is period-specific throughout the building.