The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full report, CLICK HERE.
An open house is set to begin for the renovated St. George Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in southern Utah. The pioneer-era house of the Lord has been closed for extensive renovation since November 2019.
This was the second major renovation of this historic structure, which was originally announced by Brigham Young, the second President and Prophet of the Church.
Media Day
The news media gathered at the St. George Utah Temple in St. George, Utah, on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, for a briefing and tour of the sacred edifice. Invited guests will get a chance to go inside this week and walk through the many rooms, including the baptistry, instruction rooms and celestial room, where patrons can pray and feel closer to their Father in Heaven.
Andy Kirby, director of the Church’s historic temple renovations, is excited for people to see the beauty of the renovated temple, which has been updated with a new mechanical system.
“It has [an] all-new heating, air conditioning and cooling system … LED lighting and state-of-the-art high-efficiency systems throughout the temple, so it will operate in an efficient way for many years,” said Kirby.
“I think the pioneers who built this would be pleased with our work,” said Kirby. “They would be satisfied that we preserved their efforts and the beauty and the intent of their work.”
Kirby said the north and west additions to the temple have been rebuilt to match the original architecture of the building. The sacred structure is more accessible, with added elevators, better stairs, walkways and hallways. There is also a new baptistry entrance on the south side of the temple and a bride’s exit on the northeast corner.
Elder Matthew S. Holland, General Authority Seventy, addresses invited guests at the St. George Utah Temple media day in the St. George Utah Temple Visitor’s Center on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
“The interior design matches the historic temple and furnishings that would have been appropriate in the 1870s and 1880s,” he said.
The landscaping on the temple grounds now includes water-wise plants, and the irrigation system is enhanced with secondary water.
