These were recorded by Woodruff over the span of two days and nights, which lead to proxy baptisms and endowment ceremonies being performed for 100 historical men and women.

[4][6] Andrew Karl Larson wrote of the event that the groups response resembled a comment and a shout of apostle Erastus Snow: "Glory!

[4][7] Brigham Young, the second church president, called a special meeting on January 31, 1871, in which he proposed the idea of constructing a temple in St.

[10][11] Young selected St. George for the temple's location due to the presence of loyal area church members and a desire to unify a region considered challenging to settle.

[7] Because the area had a similar climate to the deep south and was intended to grow cotton, the members began to call it Utah's "Dixie".

[24] Young chose a six-acre plot as the temple site,[16] and, despite health difficulties, supervised construction from his nearby home.

Teams of oxen brought large lava rocks from a nearby quarry in Little Cottonwood Canyon to the site to be crushed into gravel, creating a dry foundation.

After creating a pulley system using horsepower, workers filled the cannon with lead, encased in timbers, lifted it thirty feet in the air, and used it as a pile driver to compact the foundation.

[30][15] Historians James Allen and Glen M. Leonard said the temple was a "labor of love, and a striking example of the painstaking handwork of pioneer artisans.

[21] Many worked long hours in the quarry after walking five miles to the site, often for minimal pay, and still contributed half their earnings to the temple.

[21] Others donated food, clothing, and other goods to support those working full-time on the construction, and members contributed one day in ten as tithing labor.

[27][34][35] On January 1, 1877, a partial dedication of the temple was held, making the basement, ground floor, and sealing room available for ordinances before the structure was fully completed.

[6] Local legends vary in interpretation: some narratives suggest the lightning strike and subsequent fire were perceived as a means to appease Young, while others propose that he may have instigated the event.

[6] In an August 1877 account, Wilford Woodruff said the spirits of the Founding Fathers and other historical figures appeared to him in the St. George Temple.

[46][43][44] Subsequently, baptisms and endowments were performed for these individuals in the temple by John D. T. McAllister, Woodruff, and other church members in the area, contributing to ordinance work for a total of 100 men and women.

[45] Some historical figures individuals mentioned in these records include George Washington,[46] Christopher Columbus,[47] John Wesley,[47] Marie Antoinette, Jane Austen, and Dolley Madison.

[49] In 1938, significant modifications were made to the floor plan, involving the relocation of endowment rooms from the basement to the main level, the introduction of murals, and the alignment of the temple with architectural trends of the 20th century.

[56] Other additions included a skylight, a bride's exit, trees and landscaping improvements, an entrance to the baptismal font, steel trusses, murals, a new annex, and updated electrical, heating, and cooling systems.

"[56] The temple was rededicated on December 10, 2023 by Jeffrey R. Holland, a native of St. George and the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

[58][59] Notable temple presidents include Wilford Woodruff (1877–84);[60] John D. T. McAllister (1884–93);[61][62] J. Thomas Fyans (1992–95);[63] and Bruce C. Hafen (2010–13).

The temple is on a 6.5-acre plot (2.6 ha) with multiple pedestrian plazas, along with gardens, seating elements, and a tiered water feature.

The temple combines castellated (resembling fortified castles)[66][67] Neo-Gothic Architecture with a French Norman Revival Style, with parapets and battlements, with hexagonal staircases inside the towers.

[16][68] Certain elements, like the neoclassical pilasters of Nauvoo and Kirtland, were replaced with thin buttresses, and in the space between them, Angell added a porthole motif.