Stake History[]
2019 Stake Center Fire[]
- 26-Jan-2019 : The new East Stake Center Building which was shortly to be dedicated and occupied was totally destroyed by a suspicious fire in the early morning hours.[1][2]
Fire guts new stake center on 26 Jan 2019
ST. GEORGE — A nearly-completed chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located just east of the St. George Latter-day Saint temple was destroyed by a fire early Saturday. The new chapel, which was being built to replace an aging building that was torn down last year, was to serve as the stake center, or primary chapel, of the Latter-day Saint church's St. George East Stake.
While a fire was reported over 911 around 1:15 a.m. Saturday, St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker said security cameras on the temple grounds across the street picked up signs of the fire possibly burning for an hour before that. When the firefighters arrived in the area of 300 East and 400 South where the church is located, they found signs of a fire coming from the attic in the southeastern corner of the building. Fire crews were sent into the building and there were only signs of light smoke and no flames at first, but then the roof and ceiling started to cave in due to the attic fire. The firefighters were pulled out of the building and they began to mount a defensive attack on the fire from the outside, Stoker said.
As the fire progressed, it ran from the eastern end of the building to the western end where the chapel’s steeple was located. Along the path of the fire loud pops and crashes were heard as the roof collapsed bit by bit. As the hours wore on, the fire engulfed the building and the steeple began to lean backward until it eventually gave way and fell into the burning structure.
Aiding the St. George Fire Department were the Washington City and Santa Clara-Ivins fire departments. The Hurricane Valley Fire District also responded to a call for aid by moving firetrucks and crews into parts of Washington City and eastern St. George, so they could provide cover for those areas while the other fire departments fought the blaze at the stake center.
After hours of dealing with the fire, it began to die down some by 4 a.m. However, small sections of the church remained aflame and were continuously blasted with water by the fire crews that surrounded the building. As of 6 a.m. when Stoker spoke with St. George News, he anticipated fire crews would continue to fight the remnants of the fire for much of the day. By that time, while part of the church was still burning, the overall building had been gutted by the flames.
Early St. George LDS History[]
For the early history of the first pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to this region please see the main article : History of St. George Stake.
See Also :
- LDS Church History Map of St George Utah - Interactive Map: Latter-day Saint Places of Interest, St. George and Santa Clara.
- Encampment Mall Memorial - Tribute to LDS Church Pioneers that settled St. George in 1861-62.
- First Families of St. George, Utah
- Notable people of St. George, Utah
- St. George Family Activities - Local landmarks and history groups. ScoutHut.
Washington County Home Centered Church Opportunities[]
We teach that true religion begins in the home: "Home Centered / Church Supported". To that end families may consider the following local resources and programs to strengthen your core beliefs and values:
1. Come Follow Me: - Daily & Weekly family gospel study
2. Vanguard Scouting: - Featuring age-appropriate Family Activities, Service, Crafts, Field Trips, & Outdoor Adventures. The Benefits of Scouting are many, and there are lots of personal growth ideas to help your family pursue the new Churchwide Children & Youth Program.
3. LIFE School Curriculum: an LDS gospel based homeschool program that is built on the foundation of the scriptures, giving the child a sense of who he is and setting him on the path of discovering his divine mission. It is presented in a four year chronological rotation, integrating all areas of study to create a clear picture of the history of our world.
4. Family History: Resources to help you explore your family tree
- Mormon Pioneers - 200+ stories of early faithful Latter-day Saint pioneers.
- Familypedia - Come help build Utah's largest Family History online Encyclopedia.
5. Stripling Warriors on Facebook - LDS Children preparing to build Zion across Utah and around the world.
6. Local Recreation:
- Washington County, Utah Scouting - Outdoor Trails, camping, museums and other family attractions.
- Pioneer Treks -
St. George Utah Temple[]
St. George Utah Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Completed in 1877, it was the church's third temple completed, but the first in Utah, following the migration west of members from Nauvoo, following the death of the church's founder, Joseph Smith making it the oldest continually operating temple of the church. It will be closing in 2019 for a major two-year renovation program.
See Also[]
- Utah List of Stakes of the Church
- Washington County Historical Society (Utah) -
- Notable People of St. George UT -
- First Families of St. George UT -
- Churches of St. George Utah -
References[]
- ↑ Fire destroys new stake center near St George Temple - KSL.com
- ↑ St George Stake Center Fire StGeorgeUtah.com