Red Cliffs Utah Temple

On 7 October 2018, during the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Russell M. Nelson that a second temple would be constructed in Washington County, Utah. The other temple in Washington County, dedicated in 1877, is the St. George Utah Temple — the oldest operating temple of the Church.

In his announcement remarks, President Nelson also noted that the pioneer-era temples of the Church would begin to be renovated in the near future. He specifically named the Salt Lake Temple. Renovations were begun on the Salt Lake Temple in December 2019. On 22 May 2019, it was announced that the St. George Utah Temple would be renovated. The St. George Utah Temple closed in November 2019 for extensive renovation and reopened in 2023. The Manti Temple closed for a major renovation in October 2021 and reopens in April 2024.

One other temple, the Cedar City Utah Temple, which was dedicated at the end of 2017, also operates in Southwestern Utah.

On 19 June 2020, the First Presidency approved that the name of the Washington County Utah Temple be changed to the Red Cliffs Utah Temple. The Red Cliffs Utah Temple is a three-story building of 96,000 square feet. The location of the temple was announced on 6 November 2019. The temple is constructed on a 14-acre site located northeast of the intersection of 3000 East and 1580 South in the Washington Fields area of St. George, Utah. The St. George Utah Temple is located west of I-15, and the Washington County Utah Temple will be east of the interstate.

President Jeffrey R. Holland recounted how he and his wife, Sister Patricia Holland, were driving in the proposed area of the new temple, knowing the need for a name since St. George has had its namesake temple for nearly a century and a half. He recalled his wife looking north toward Pine Valley and mentioned Red Cliffs as a possibility because of the dominating geological feature.[1]

They later suggested Red Cliffs as a name option to the First Presidency, the Apostle said, adding that the name represents not only the immediate area but also honors much of the entire temple district that encompasses the Virgin River region.[2]

The Red Cliffs Utah Temple is the 189th dedicated house of the Lord in the Church and the twentieth temple built in Utah, 17 of which are operating at the time of the dedication. The temple was announced in the 141st anniversary year of the St. George Utah Temple. The Red Cliffs Utah Temple and the St. George Utah Temple are the third pair of temples in Utah to be built in the same city, following the Jordan River Utah Temple (1981) and Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (2009) in South Jordan, Utah; and the Provo Utah Temple (1972) and Provo City Center Temple (2016) in Provo, Utah (the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple is under reconstruction). The Smithfield Utah Temple is under construction in Cache Valley near the historic Logan Utah Temple.

When the Red Cliffs Utah Temple was announced, President Daniel K. Frei, Santa Clara Utah Stake president, said, "Many people are moving here. We do have a temple, but only so much work can be done, and a lot of temple work is being done. We are already at capacity." He added: "This will provide an opportunity for more Church members to serve in the temple. It is also an indication of the Lord’s confidence in the people who live in the area. We will need to staff the new temple and do the work — it creates more opportunity for us to serve."

There are more than 2.1 million Latter-day Saints in Utah, an amount just under two-thirds of the state’s population of over 3.2 million residents. Utah has 28 temples announced, under construction, under renovation, or in operation.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Is Held for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple

On Saturday, 7 November 2020, a handful of leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and invited guests held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple. Because of the local COVID-19 restrictions, attendance at the event was limited.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and native of St. George, Utah, presided at the temple groundbreaking and offered the dedicatory prayer. He was joined by his wife, Sister Patricia Holland, his son, Elder Matthew S. Holland, General Authority Seventy, Elder Craig C. Christensen, Utah Area President, and other local guests.

During his remarks, Elder Holland said, "It is a privilege and delight to be with you today. Surely you can imagine some of the emotions Pat and I feel as we get older and more nostalgic, with fewer and fewer trips to this land of our childhood."

In the dedicatory prayer, he said, "We salute those pioneers who, with sacrifice and sweat, built just a mile or so away the beautiful St. George temple that has provided a symbolic anchor of our faith in this part of the state for a century and a half." He prayed, "May the breaking of this soil and the development of this site not only be evidence of the dedication of a parcel of land, but may it also mark a re-dedication of our personal lives. . . . Sadly, the limitations and dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic are still with us. We pray that this plague will soon be lifted and that the many who are restricted from witnessing this groundbreaking will soon be able to witness the dedication of a beautifully completed House of the Lord."

Elder Holland further commented, "When the St. George Temple was being built some 150 years ago, my great, great grandfather William Carter was called to strengthen the soil conditions in that soggy, boggy location President Brigham Young had designated. He continued, "Fast forward to 2020 and note that for the foundation of this temple, my cousin, Tyson Feller, 3rd great grandson of William Carter, oversaw the hauling of over 100,000 yards of earth to strengthen this foundation. What goes around comes around."

Utah Area President Craig C. Christensen commented, "President Russell M. Nelson has promised that the Lord will bring the miracles he knows we need as we serve in his holy temples earlier this year at a time when all the temples in Utah were closed. He stated that every minute we spend in temples will bless us and our families in ways nothing else can. He knows that we can have these experiences, even though the temples at the current time are limited in their service."

Open House

A public open house was held Thursday, February 1, 2024, through Saturday, March 2, excluding Sundays. Before the public open house, a media day was held on Monday, January 29. Invited guests also toured the temple from Tuesday, January 30, through Wednesday, January 31. During the five-week open house, the temple received a little more than 200,000 visitors.

The temple is 96,277 square feet and the measured height to the top of the single spire is 217 feet, and 230 feet to the top of angel Moroni. There are four instruction rooms, six sealing rooms, and one baptistry.

Dedication

President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the temple in two sessions on Sunday, March 24, 2024. The dedicatory sessions at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. MDT were broadcast to all units in the Red Cliffs Utah Temple district.

Also participating in Sunday’s dedication were Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, his wife, Sister Jennifer Kearon; Elder Kevin W. Pearson, a General Authority Seventy and Utah Area president, and his wife, Sister June L. Pearson; and Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt, a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Alexis Schmitt.

For a five-week period, St. George will be home to both the Church’s oldest operating temple — the St. George Utah Temple — and the newest — the Red Cliffs Utah Temple — until the dedication of the Urdaneta Philippines Temple by President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, on April 28.

The temple’s interior and exterior motifs were pulled from the environment that surrounds the St. George area. The motifs designed in the precast concrete exterior were inspired by Southern Utah’s grand cottonwood trees and its numerous mountains and canyons.

The main motif inside the house of the Lord is the dwarf bearclaw poppy. The other motifs in the temple include succulents, Indian paintbrush, cottonwood leaves and pomegranates. The succulent motif is also used throughout all window designs in the temple.