Vernal Utah Temple
Number51
DedicationNovember 2, 1997, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site1.6 acres (0.65 ha)
Floor area38,771 sq ft (3,601.9 m2)
Official website • News & images
Church chronology
←
St. Louis Missouri Temple
Vernal Utah Temple		 →
Preston England Temple
Additional information
AnnouncedFebruary 13, 1994, by Ezra Taft Benson
GroundbreakingMay 13, 1995, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Open houseOctober 11-25, 1997
Designed byFFKR Architects
LocationVernal, Utah, United States
Geographic coordinates40°27′11.53799″N 109°32′14.68680″W / 40.4532049972°N 109.5374130000°W / 40.4532049972; -109.5374130000
Exterior finishFace brick
Temple designAdaptation of Uintah Stake Tabernacle
Baptistries1
Ordinance rooms2 (Movie, two-stage progressive)
Sealing rooms3
Clothing rentalYes
()

The Vernal Utah Temple is the fifty-first temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The temple is located in Vernal and is the tenth LDS temple built in the state of Utah.

Upon its dedication November 2, 1997, the Vernal Temple was unique for being the only LDS temple built from a previously existing structure. Since 1997, the Copenhagen Denmark, Manhattan New York, and Provo City Center temples have been similarly adapted from existing structures.

History

Originally, the building served as the Uintah Stake Tabernacle for Latter-day Saints in eastern Utah. The Tabernacle's foundation was constructed of nearby sandstone with walls built of four layers of fired brick from local clay. The building was built with considerable donated labor from the fall of 1899 until it was dedicated on August 24, 1907, by LDS Church president Joseph F. Smith. Smith reportedly said he would not be surprised if a temple was built there some day.[1]

Relative to other LDS Tabernacles, Roger Jackson characterized the Uintah Stake Tabernacle as relatively modest, without the decorative details found on Tabernacles in central and northern Utah. Nonetheless, he wrote, "the building is the most prominent structure in Vernal and considered the finest building in all of eastern Utah."

The tabernacle was superseded by an adjacent, more modern LDS stake center in 1948. Only used irregularly thereafter, the LDS Church announced the Tabernacle's closing in 1984 for public safety reasons. Among other things, the Tabernacle lacked indoor bathrooms and access for the disabled.

A local "Save the Tabernacle" committee was formed, and in 1989 a preservation study was prepared. The LDS Church opted to turn the building into one of its new smaller temples, and plans were announced in 1994. In addition to preserving the exterior, bringing the building up to code, and altering the floor plan, the eastern spire of the temple was elongated to make it taller than the spire of the neighboring stake center. A golden statue of angel Moroni was placed on top of the spire facing east, which is a common element of almost all LDS Temples.

Over 120,000 visited the temple during its two-week open house in October 1997.

In 2020, like all of the church's other temples, the Vernal Utah Temple was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

See also

Temples in Utah ()
Wasatch Front Temples
Temples along the Wasatch Front ()
  • = Operating
  • = Under construction
  • = Announced
  • = Temporarily Closed
()

References

  1. ↑ Avant, Gerry (February 19, 1994). "'Memorial to pioneering spirit' to have new function as temple". The Deseret News. p. 3. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  2. ↑ Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.

Additional reading

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