The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
In its 148-year history, the St. George Utah Temple has undergone many changes.
Since 1877, the historic structure has had more than 10 renovations. The cupola was replaced in 1883 following a lightning strike. The first temple annex was added the same year. Other renovations occurred in 1917, 1938 and 1975. The baptistry was renovated in 1999.
During the October 2018 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to renovate the Salt Lake Temple and other pioneer-era temples. “With the passage of time, temples are inevitably in need of refreshing and renewal,” he noted.
In January 2019, it was announced that the house of the Lord in St. George would close to undergo the process of being “refreshed” and “renewed.”
The latest overhaul was completed earlier this month, with the public being welcomed to tour the sacred house of the Lord prior to its rededication on Sunday, Dec. 10.
Andy Kirby, director of the Church’s historic temple renovations, anticipates these updates to last 50, 60, “maybe even 75 years without a major renovation,” he said in a news release published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
So what exactly has changed during this sacred, historic edifice’s most recent renovation? Here’s a brief look at the renewed St. George Utah Temple.
Changes to the outside of the St. George temple
The temple fact sheet explains that the exterior walls of the temple were originally built from red sandstone that was stacked and grouted together by the early Saints. In the 1940s, a 2-inch layer of a mixture of sand, cement and water, known as gunite, and steel was applied to reinforce and hide cracks on the temple’s exterior. A layer of white epoxy paint was then applied.
The new north addition of the temple has exterior walls covered with a light sand and white epoxy paint to match the color and texture of the historic building.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
