Demolition has begun on the back of the St. George Utah Temple.
According to St. George News, the portion of the temple being removed was part of an addition made in the 1970s. Many curious onlookers watched as heavy machinery exposed the original end of the temple—one of many steps being made to match the building’s unique historic architecture.
Other renovation plans for the St. George temple include temple landscaping, a new plaza, a new annex, and a new bride's exit (added to the east side of the annex). A baptistry entrance and exit will also be added to the south side of the temple.
The St. George temple closure began on November 4, 2019, and will remain closed for approximately three years. In 2018 general conference, President Nelson announced renovation plans for pioneer-era temples, including the Salt Lake Temple, which began decommissioning earlier this month.
Shortly after the St. George temple closure, the Church also announced the location of the Washington Utah Temple, which is currently planned to be three stories high and approximately 88,000 square feet.
Originally dedicated in 1877, the St. George Utah Temple was the first temple completed in Utah. Other pioneer-era temples followed the St. George Utah Temple dedication, including the Logan Utah Temple dedication in 1884, the Manti Utah Temple dedication in 1888, and the Salt Lake Temple dedication in 1893.
READ THE FULL STORY AT St. George News.
