Red Cliffs Utah Temple takes shape as construction continues

ST. GEORGE — Nearly a year after ground was broken for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple in Washington Fields, the incoming Latter-day Saint temple has taken shape as a skeleton of steel and concrete has gradually risen from land once used for growing crops.

The Red Cliffs Utah Temple takes shape as construction continues. The temple is anticipated to complete in mid- to late-2023, St. George, Utah, Oct. 6, 2021 | Photo by Aaron Crane, St. George News

Located at the corner of 3000 East and 1580 South in the Washington Fields portion of St. George, the new temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had its foundation poured earlier this year.

Large shear walls reaching what would become the second and third floors of the temple began to go up in May, making the signs of construction at the temple site more noticeable to passersby.

Since then, work has progressed with the interior structure of the temple, and the skeleton of the iconic temple spire has taken shape, moving closer to the finished design shared by church officials soon after the location of Washington County’s second temple was announced in November 2019.

The first temple in the county was the St. George Utah Temple, which was built in the 1870s. The new temple was originally referred to as the Washington County Utah Temple until the official Red Cliffs Utah Temple name was announced.

Rendering of Red Cliffs Utah Temple | Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News | Click to enlarge

A reason given for the construction of the second temple was to help accommodate the growth in the region.

“St. George is growing, and for the same reason, we’re adding another temple,” Elder Craig Christensen, the Utah area president for the church, said during the Red Cliffs Utah Temple’s groundbreaking in November 2020. “It’s a growing community, and (the temple) will be a blessing to those that are coming here and those that have been here for generations.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles and a St. George native, was also present at the groundbreaking to offer a prayer of dedication over the temple site.

“What was once a boggy swamp with a lot of rocks and no irrigation is now going to be the site of a temple,” Holland said.

The land where the temple is being built was settled by Charles Seegmiller in 1880 and tended to by his family before the church eventually acquired it. Most recently the church leased it to Washington City farmer Ralph Staheli, who used it to grew feed for livestock.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland speaks at the groundbreaking for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George, Utah, Nov. 7, 2020 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“I pronounce a blessing on this property that once provided the bounties of the land, in the growth of hay and grain and other products of the soil, so too will now provide the bounties of thy (God’s) hand those baptized, ordained, endowed and eternally sealed families on both sides of the veil,” Holland said during the dedicatory prayer.

The Red Cliffs Utah Temple is estimated to be over 96,000 square feet once completed in mid- to late-2023. The overall temple site in Washington Fields covers nearly 15 acres.

According to the Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website, the temple’ spire will host an Angel Moroni statute at its tip.

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.

The Red Cliffs Utah Temple takes shape as construction continues. The temple is anticipated to complete in mid- to late-2023, St. George, Utah, Oct. 6, 2021 | Photo by Aaron Crane, St. George News

Temples are also 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 are also 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.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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