The Red Cliffs Utah Temple open house is underway

The open house for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple has officially started.

The news conference and media tour was held Monday ahead of the public open house which begins on Thursday. It’ll run from Feb. 1 to March 2, excluding Sundays. Reservations to attend the open house can be scheduled online.

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are sacred spaces to worship God and make special promises to God. Open houses gives the public an opportunity to see the beauty of the temple before it’s reserved for members’ use only.

The Red Cliffs Utah Temple marks the second temple in St. George, Utah. The first temple, the pioneer-era St. George Utah Temple, was rededicated in December after renovation. There are currently 335 temples in use, under construction or dedicated.

Elder Hugo E. Martinez, General Authority Seventy, Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt, General Authority Seventy and Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women General Presidency attended the news conference and tour Monday, a press release stated.

President Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ, announced the Red Cliffs Utah Temple on Oct. 7, 2018.

“I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time,” President Nelson said in his address announcing the temple. “Invest time in your future and in that of your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.”

Ground was broken on the temple in Nov. 7, 2020 and it’s scheduled for dedication on March 24. President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, will dedicate the temple in two sessions. Reservations are not required to attend, but they are recommended. Modest dress and comfortable shoes are encouraged.

The Red Cliffs Utah Temple has design features inspired by the St. George area and sits on more than 15 acres of land. The square footage totals 96,000,

“The motifs designed in the precast concrete exterior were inspired by Southern Utah’s grand cottonwood trees and its numerous mountains and canyons,” the release said. “The main motif inside the house of the Lord is the dwarf bearclaw poppy. The other motifs in the temple include succulents, Indian paintbrush, cottonwood leaves and pomegranates. The succulent motif is also used throughout all window designs in the temple.”