Dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple
The Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated on Dec. 10, 2017, by President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency. He was joined by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Presidency of the Seventy, and two other members of the Seventy, Elder Joseph W. Sitati and Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr.
At the dedication, President Eyring called the temple a tribute to the early Latter-day Saint pioneers who, shortly after the Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, were called by Church President Brigham Young to settle southern Utah. President Eyring said those pioneers “must be so aware of this day,” and — when speaking to those present at the temple’s cornerstone ceremony — he said, “We honor them as we now seal the cornerstone.”
Local Latter-day Saints showed their appreciation for this house of the Lord at the dedication as well. A choir of Church members from the temple district provided sacred music for the dedication ceremony. Over the previous two months, 187,000 people attended the three-week temple open house, and more than 3,700 youth sang and danced in a cultural celebration in honor of the temple the day before the dedication.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May all that is done herein be done with an eye single to Thy glory and to the building of Thy kingdom. May hearts be turned to ancestors in the spirit world. May those who serve here feel the love and appreciation of those for whom they perform ordinances.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Cedar City Utah Temple here.
Timeline of the Cedar City Utah Temple
The Cedar City Utah Temple was announced by Church President Thomas S. Monson during April 2013 general conference. Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy presided over the groundbreaking ceremony two years later on Aug. 8, 2015.
A temple open house was held for the public from Oct. 27 through Nov. 18, 2017, attracting 187,000 visitors. Finally, this house of the Lord was dedicated by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency on Dec. 10, 2017.
Architecture and Design of the Cedar City Utah Temple
The Cedar City Utah Temple is a 39,802-square-foot building with three sealing rooms and one baptistry. It also features two stained-glass windows that depict the Savior and were donated by an LDS art collector who bought them from the the First Presbyterian Church of Astoria in Queens, New York.
The temple was designed to resemble a pioneer-era temple with colors and textures that were common to that time. Intricate details in the rugs, woodwork and paintings throughout the temple depict local flowers and red cliffs.
Elder Holland spoke about the temple’s design at the dedication ceremony, saying, “It looks like a pioneer temple” and “I’m very moved by it. It’s very striking.”
Interior Photos of the Cedar City Utah Temple
