ST. GEORGE — The Red Cliffs Utah Temple dedication is set for March 24, 2024, according to a Monday announcement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Henry B. Eyring of the church’s First Presidency is slated to oversee two dedicatory sessions that day at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Prior to the dedication, a public open house period will run from Feb. 1-March 2 with the exception of Sundays. Before the public open house, a media day will be held on Jan. 29. Invited guests will also tour the temple from Jan. 30-31.
Church President Russell M. Nelson announced plans for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple, the second LDS temple in St. George, in October 2018 with the exact location announcement in November 2019. Construction began in November 2020 following a groundbreaking overseen by LDS church apostle Elder Jeffery R. Holland.
The Red Cliffs Temple took shape over the following years and was accompanied by accommodating roadwork.
Earlier this year the church called a St. George couple – John and Debra Ence – to serve as the new temple’s president and matron.
The announcement of the Red Cliffs Temple’s dedication and open house come in the middle of the open house period for the St. George Temple, which ends Nov. 11 with its dedication set for Dec. 10.
The Red Cliffs Temple is one of 28 LDS temples in Utah and 335 worldwide that are either in operation, under construction or renovation or have been announced.
The purpose of Latter-day Saint temples
Latter-day Saint temples are considered “Houses of the Lord” for members of the faith and are among their most sacred places of worship.
While all are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses, the primary purpose of temples is for faithful church members to participate in ceremonies related to marriage as well as proxy baptisms and other ordinances on behalf of deceased ancestors.
Temples also are central to the church’s longstanding doctrine related to the “eternal nature of the family,” which teaches a family unit can be “sealed” together for eternity in the afterlife. The eternal binding of the family can extend back through the generations, which is why Latter-day Saints place heavy emphasis on genealogical research. It allows them to find ancestors whose names they can take to a temple where proxy ceremonies on behalf of that ancestor can be performed.
The temples also are considered a place Latter-day Saints can go to find peace and comfort in the face of difficult times or trying decisions as they seek to connect with the Almighty.
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