Cedar City Temple

Temple #83

Cedar City Utah 

12/27/2017

     We had been looking forward to going to the Cedar City Temple for a long time, even before it was announced. How is this possible? Well, the first day Ivy and I met, December 2nd 2012 at church, someone mentioned the Church had bought land in Cedar City and people were speculating there would be a temple built there. So a few months later when a temple was announced for Cedar City we were elated but not surprised. 

     It was fun to watch the temple being built and to see its progression. Every time we drove down to my parents house we would see it on the horizon, each time a little more built. 

     The temple was dedicated December 10, 2017. Many people we know and family went to the open house, but we didn't get to go. We finally went after it was dedicated on our last trip down to Southern Utah before we headed to Mexico for four months. 

     On our way home from La Verkin we made time to go to the temple. My mom Laurel, and my sister-in-law Kara, joined us as we went to the temple. It was a great last activity we did together before we didn't see each other for about six months. 

     The temple is an old, castle-like style with a single steeple in the front. It reminded us of a smaller, newer version of the St George, Manti, Logan or Nauvoo temples. 

     We went inside and the entire time we loved it! There was a beautiful, large stained glass picture of Christ in the entranceway reminding us why we were there. 

     We did a session all together. For me it's hard to pay attention to a session in a new temple that is as beautiful as the Cedar City temple. There was so much beauty in the woodwork, decor and everything else. One neat thing about the decor was it had a lot of juniper flowers and berries in it because of the very common juniper trees in the area. 

     There were also columbine flower decor throughout the temple. The main one most noticeable is on the steeple facing east, made of stained glass that shines at night. 

     The paintings in temples are always fun to pay attention to. In many some of the paintings are originals or rarely seen anywhere. In the Cedar City Temple there are paintings of the nearby Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks and Kolob Canyon. It was neat to see these paintings in the temple and it's fun to continue to look at paintings in all the temples. 

     We did a session, hugged and kissed in the Celestial Room, then sat and enjoyed the peace for a little bit. The Celestial room was glowing as it had the sunlight from the West shining through. This is a common thing in many Celestial rooms and we love how the temples are planned like that. 

     After the temple we went out and ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Cafe Rio, which we do often after the temple. Ivy's cousin and her husband, Ellen and Justin, came and met us there. They live in a Cedar City and just had a baby so hadn't had time to go to the newly built temple yet. We weren't in too much of a hurry so we watched their six month old baby while they went and did sealings. 

     We love going to the temple, but we also love helping others go to the temple because we know how much it brings peace to our lives and to others. So we do what we can to get others to the temple even if we have to watch cute little babies or children, as we have done often. 

     The Cedar City Temple is a great addition to the Cedar City skyline as you drive South on I-15. We’re so excited every time Utah gets a new temple and can't wait for more to be built. They are a blessing for everyone, and we were so glad to have helped Ivy's cousin go and to also go with my Mother and sister-in-law one last time before we left. It is one of the best activities a family could do! Because families are forever, and Temples are where those dreams are made true!