Announcement:
7 October 2018Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:
7 November 2020 by Jeffrey R. HollandSite:
15.12 acres | 6.1 hectaresArchitectural Features:
Single attached central spire with an angel Moroni statueOrdinance Rooms:
Four instruction rooms, six sealing rooms, and one baptistryTotal Floor Area:
96,277 square feet | 8,944 square metersElevation:
2,618.38 feet | 798.08 metersGroundbreaking Ceremony
"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," prayed Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on November 7, 2020, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple—St. George's second temple. Elder Holland was joined by his wife, Patricia; his son, Elder Matthew S. Holland, General Authority Seventy; Elder Craig C. Christensen, Utah Area President; and other invited guests. The Hollands, who are natives of Southern Utah, were filled with emotion at the joyful occasion. The ceremony marks the start of construction for the beautiful three-story, 90,000-square-foot temple.1
Temple Design
The Red Cliffs Utah Temple will be a three-story building of approximately 90,000 square feet.
Temple Rendering
On April 7, 2020, an official exterior rendering of the Red Cliffs Utah Temple was released. Additional exterior and interior renderings will be made public later.
Temple Site
On November 6, 2019, the location of the Red Cliffs Utah Temple was announced. The temple will be 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 second temple to be constructed in the city. The St. George Utah Temple is located west of I-15, and the Red Cliffs Utah Temple will be east of the interstate.2
Temple Announcement
The announcement of Utah's twentieth temple came on October 7, 2018, when President Russell M. Nelson announced 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 restored Church of Jesus Christ. 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 as an upcoming renovation, and a renovation announcement was made for the St. George Utah Temple on May 22, 2019. One other temple operates in Southwestern Utah. The Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated at the end of 2017.
The seventeen dedicated temples in Utah include the St. George Utah Temple (1877), Logan Utah Temple (1884), Manti Utah Temple (1888), Salt Lake Temple (1893), Ogden Utah Temple (1972), Provo Utah Temple (1972), Jordan River Utah Temple (1981), Bountiful Utah Temple (1995), Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple (1996), Vernal Utah Temple (1997), Monticello Utah Temple (1998), Draper Utah Temple (2009), Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (2009), Brigham City Utah Temple (2012), Payson Utah Temple (2015), Provo City Center Temple (2016), and Cedar City Utah Temple (2017). Plans have been announced for the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple and Layton Utah Temple. There are 2.1 million Latter-day Saints who live in the state of Utah.3
Temple Facts
The Red Cliffs Utah Temple will be the twentieth temple built in Utah and the second built in Washington County, following the St. George Utah Temple (1877).
The Red Cliffs Utah Temple was originally announced as a temple planned for Washington County, Utah.
The Red Cliffs Utah Temple was announced in the 141st anniversary year of the St. George Utah Temple.
The Red Cliffs Utah Temple will be the fourth temple built in the same city as another operating temple, the St. George Utah Temple (1877), making St. George, Utah, the fourth city in the world to have more than one temple, following South Jordan, Utah; Provo, Utah; and Lima, Peru.
The Red Cliffs Utah Temple will be the third temple in Utah built in the same city as another operating temple.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, "Groundbreaking Held for Red Cliffs Utah Temple," 7 Nov. 2020.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple News Release, "Washington County Utah Temple Site Announced," 6 Nov. 2019.
- "Twelve Temples Announced as October 2018 General Conference Closes," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 7 Oct. 2018.