By far the most striking building in the southern Utah city of St. George is the LDS (Mormon) temple. The stark whitewashed stone of the St. George temple contrasting with the stunning red rock landscape that surrounds it presents a truly memorable sight. While all temples are sacred to us, this temple hold particular significance as being the place where my parents were married.
How to Get to the St. George Temple
The St. George Temple is easily visible when passing through the city on I-15. And great views can be seen from the surround cliffs, such as at Pioneer Park. To actually reach the temple you have to go down into the city itself, and a ways off of the main drag.
Take exit off of I-15 and head west on St. George Boulevard. Turn left onto 200 East and head south until you reach 400 South. Then take a left turn and you will see the temple. The parking lot is just to the north of the temple, but if you are going to the visitors center you may want to park on 300 East if parking is available since it is closer to the visitor center which is on the Southeast side of the temple.
What You Will See at the St. George Temple
The St. George temple and visitors’ center is a great place to learn the history of the area, see the remarkable temple, and contemplate.
The Temple
You can only enter the temple if you are a member of the LDS church currently holding a temple recommend. If you are not a member of the LDS church, or do not currently have a recommend the temple is still a wonderful place to visit. Beautiful grounds surround the temple and provide a quite and mostly shaded area to walk and enjoy this beautiful piece of architecture.
If you are a member of the LDS faith we highly encourage you to participate in ordinances while visiting St. George. It is a unique opportunity to visit the oldest active LDS temple and to worship in a place built by the pioneers of Southern Utah. Be aware when you go that it is an old build so it can get quite warm inside during the summer, this is particularly true of the upper sealing rooms. As with all temple visits we encourage you to check the temple schedule before your trip. We have had the disappointing experience of arriving at the temple only to find that it is closed for maintenance.
If you are there to do ordinances you will enter through the door facing the parking lot (the historic front doors are not in use). This is the door with the fountain in front of it. If you are to do baptisms for the dead however you need to go around to the back corner of the temple where there is a special entrance to the baptismal font.
The Visitors’ Center
On the southeast corner of the temple lot there is the visitor center. There are actually two buildings here connected by a covered path.
The building closest to the temple deals only with the history of the St. George temple. In it you can watch a couple short videos about the history of the temple and also see period tools used in its construction. There is also a glass wall affording a good view of the temple with explanatory plaques showing pictures of the interior.
The second building is a more general visitors center dedicated to explaining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here you can view several displays including a Christus statue, an exhibit on Mormon missionaries, and view the documentary “Meet the Mormons”, among other things.
The second building is also where you can find the restrooms and drinking fountains. This is where we normally change out of our church clothing when we finish our temple work if we are going outdoors that day.
Sum Up
The St. George temple is a must see site when visiting St. George. It is the building with the most historic and cultural significance in the area. It is beautiful even if you can’t go inside and the visitors’ center provides a nice respite from the heat. There is also a nearby park just north of the temple a few blocks that is great for having picnics.
