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Hundreds attend ceremony as LDS Church dedicates Cedar City Temple

Posted at 5:24 PM, Dec 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-10 23:29:06-05

SOUTHERN UTAH – Members of the LDS Church in Cedar City are welcoming the addition of a temple.

Hundreds of people braved the cold weather Sunday morning as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated their newest temple.

“It’s hard to overstate how full our hearts are for this opportunity to have our very own temple and how proud we are to be a part of this,” said Becki Brownson, a Cedar City resident.

Christian Lee, another Cedar resident, was likewise enthused.

“Being this close to the temple, it’s just amazing to me,” Lee said.

President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the LDS Church’s First Presidency, led the dedication and sealed the cornerstone on the long-awaited temple—the final act completing its construction.

“I think the anticipation is a little like Christmas morning, where the anticipation is almost as good as Christmas morning,” Brownson said. “You’re excited, you’re waiting for something wonderful to happen, and you know it’s going to happen.”

The Cedar City Temple is the 17th LDS temple to open in Utah. Members of the community who have lived here their entire lives have waited years and even decades for this day.

“We’ve been hoping and praying for the temple to come here; I know I have personally for my entire life,” said J.P. Melchior of Cedar City.

Justin Olsen, another Cedar City resident, said it’s hard to describe how he feels.

“Finally having something so near and dear to our hearts, something that we can call ours and love: It’s hard to put in words," Olsen said.

Construction on the Cedar City Temple began in August of 2015. Now, a little more than two years later, the building has been dedicated. For every LDS Church member, its significance has a personal meaning.

“People ask why and what it's for and it gives a great opportunity for us to explain what goes on inside the temple,” said Kyle Stringham of Cedar City.

“The temple in my mind symbolizes that the family goes on and on after this life,” Brownson said.

You can read more about LDS Church temples by clicking here.