Mormons dedicate temple with a ‘pioneer feel’ in Cedar City

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) The Cedar City Utah Temple.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultural celebration in the America First Event Center on the campus of Southern Utah University. They presented the history of the Church in Cedar City and the surrounding area with the theme “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will.”

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) “You will never forget this night,” said President Henry B. Eyring. Speaking at the cultural celebration December 9, 2017, he said, “Years from now you will bring your children back here. You will tell them how you felt as you participated in this great cultural celebration before the dedication of a beautiful temple of God.”

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) More than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth performed a history and culture of the settling of Cedar City, Utah, during a cultural celebration December 9, 2017. “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will,” was the theme of the program and preceded the dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) Elder Holland remarked while observing the sacred occasion of the Cedar City Utah Temple dedication. “I sit here looking at these people and looking at these mountains and think how lovely was the morning.”

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) The theme of the cultural celebration, “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will,” marked the completion of the Cedar City Utah Temple. Iron was mined in the area and later the county was named Iron County. The evening event was held at the America First Event Center on the campus of Southern Utah University, December 9, 2017.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church conducted the symbolic cornerstone ceremony and invited children and adults to place mortar around the cornerstone of the Cedar City Utah Temple December 10, 2017.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) Prior to the dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church conducted the symbolic cornerstone ceremony that signifies the construction is complete and the new temple is ready to be dedicated and ready for sacred use. Joining President Eyring were Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, his wife, Patricia, and other Church leaders.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) Latter-day Saint youths participating in the cultural celebration, December 9, 2017, marking the completion of the Cedar City Utah Temple carried flags of each of the countries in the world where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reside.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) Latter-day Saint youth participated in a cultural celebration, December 9, 2017, which marked the completion of the Cedar City Utah Temple. More than 3,000 teens practiced several months to be ready for this special evening of music and dance.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultural celebration in the America First Event Center on the campus of Southern Utah University. They presented the history of the Church in Cedar City and the surrounding area with the theme “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will.”

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultural celebration in the America First Event Center on the campus of Southern Utah University. They presented the history of the Church in Cedar City and the surrounding area with the theme “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will.”

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) A tribute was given to Native Americans who were the first to inhabit what later became Cedar City. More than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth participated in the cultural celebration, December 9, 2017, the day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) More than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth performed a history and culture of the settling of Cedar City, Utah, during a cultural celebration December 9, 2017. “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will,” was the theme of the program and preceded the dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) It’s a joyous occasion as a choir of Latter-day Saints from within the area of the Cedar City Utah Temple provides sacred music in celebration of the temple’s completion. President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, conducted the traditional cornerstone ceremony and dedicated the temple December 10, 2017.

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church conducted the symbolic cornerstone ceremony and invited children and adults to place mortar around the cornerstone of the Cedar City Utah Temple December 10, 2017.

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(Courtesy of the LDS Church) The Cedar City Utah Temple. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultur... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) “You will never forget this night,” said President Henry B. Eyring. Speaking at the cultural cel... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) More than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth performed a history and culture of the settling of Cedar ... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) Elder Holland remarked while observing the sacred occasion of the Cedar City Utah Temple dedicat... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) The theme of the cultural celebration, “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will,” marked the complet... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church conducted the s... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) Prior to the dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselo... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) Latter-day Saint youths participating in the cultural celebration, December 9, 2017, marking the... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) Latter-day Saint youth participated in a cultural celebration, December 9, 2017, which marked th... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultur... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultur... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) A tribute was given to Native Americans who were the first to inhabit what later became Cedar Ci... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) More than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth performed a history and culture of the settling of Cedar ... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) It’s a joyous occasion as a choir of Latter-day Saints from within the area of the Cedar City Ut... (Courtesy of the LDS Church) President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church conducted the s...

(Courtesy of the LDS Church) The Cedar City Utah Temple. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultural celebration in the America First Event Center on the campus of Southern Utah University. They presented the history of the Church in Cedar City and the surrounding area with the theme “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will.” (Courtesy of the LDS Church) “You will never forget this night,” said President Henry B. Eyring. Speaking at the cultural celebration December 9, 2017, he said, “Years from now you will bring your children back here. You will tell them how you felt as you participated in this great cultural celebration before the dedication of a beautiful temple of God.” (Courtesy of the LDS Church) More than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth performed a history and culture of the settling of Cedar City, Utah, during a cultural celebration December 9, 2017. “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will,” was the theme of the program and preceded the dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) Elder Holland remarked while observing the sacred occasion of the Cedar City Utah Temple dedication. “I sit here looking at these people and looking at these mountains and think how lovely was the morning.” (Courtesy of the LDS Church) The theme of the cultural celebration, “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will,” marked the completion of the Cedar City Utah Temple. Iron was mined in the area and later the county was named Iron County. The evening event was held at the America First Event Center on the campus of Southern Utah University, December 9, 2017. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church conducted the symbolic cornerstone ceremony and invited children and adults to place mortar around the cornerstone of the Cedar City Utah Temple December 10, 2017. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) Prior to the dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church conducted the symbolic cornerstone ceremony that signifies the construction is complete and the new temple is ready to be dedicated and ready for sacred use. Joining President Eyring were Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, his wife, Patricia, and other Church leaders. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) Latter-day Saint youths participating in the cultural celebration, December 9, 2017, marking the completion of the Cedar City Utah Temple carried flags of each of the countries in the world where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reside. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) Latter-day Saint youth participated in a cultural celebration, December 9, 2017, which marked the completion of the Cedar City Utah Temple. More than 3,000 teens practiced several months to be ready for this special evening of music and dance. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultural celebration in the America First Event Center on the campus of Southern Utah University. They presented the history of the Church in Cedar City and the surrounding area with the theme “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will.” (Courtesy of the LDS Church) The day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated, 3,500 youth danced and sang in a cultural celebration in the America First Event Center on the campus of Southern Utah University. They presented the history of the Church in Cedar City and the surrounding area with the theme “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will.” (Courtesy of the LDS Church) A tribute was given to Native Americans who were the first to inhabit what later became Cedar City. More than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth participated in the cultural celebration, December 9, 2017, the day before the Cedar City Utah Temple was dedicated. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) More than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth performed a history and culture of the settling of Cedar City, Utah, during a cultural celebration December 9, 2017. “A Light on a Hill, Iron in Our Will,” was the theme of the program and preceded the dedication of the Cedar City Utah Temple. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) It’s a joyous occasion as a choir of Latter-day Saints from within the area of the Cedar City Utah Temple provides sacred music in celebration of the temple’s completion. President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, conducted the traditional cornerstone ceremony and dedicated the temple December 10, 2017. (Courtesy of the LDS Church) President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church conducted the symbolic cornerstone ceremony and invited children and adults to place mortar around the cornerstone of the Cedar City Utah Temple December 10, 2017.

By Pamela Manson

· 6 hours ago

Mormon church leaders dedicated a temple Sunday in Cedar City that will serve about 45,000 members in southern Utah and eastern Nevada.

President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the governing First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, conducted a ceremony sealing the temple’s cornerstone before the dedication.

“This is a ceremonial moment when we mark this great occasion by sealing the cornerstone which represents, really, the savior,” Eyring said, according to an LDS news release. “The Lord is the cornerstone of the work.”

The materials used in the temple include African mahogany and sapele woodwork, as well as stone and tile flooring from Israel, Turkey, Spain and Iran, according to the news release. The color palette draws from the rich colors of southern Utah, incorporating native flowers and juniper berries.

The release also says the structure has elements similar to those of historic buildings and temples in southern Utah, giving it a “pioneer feel.”

Mormon apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, who grew up in nearby St. George, said the temple is striking.

“They’ve had a pioneer’s touch on some of the wood and the craftsmanship,” Holland said. “ ... It’s a tie to the very earliest temples in the church in southern Utah and right up to today. I’m very moved by it.”

On Saturday, 3,500 youths danced and sang in a cultural celebration on the campus of Southern Utah University and presented the history of the Mormon church in Cedar City and the surrounding area.

More than 187,000 people toured the temple during a three-week open house that kicked off in October, the release says.

Ground was broken for the temple — the 17th in the faith’s home state and the 159th operating worldwide — on Aug. 8, 2015. Plans for an 18th Utah temple, in Saratoga Springs, were announced by LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson in April.

Mormons view temples as houses of God, places where devout members take part in their faith’s most sacred ceremonies, including eternal marriages.