RANKED: Utah’s 8 Most JAW-DROPPING Mormon Temples!

Writer's Note:

For years, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints were known as "Mormons". Many people have referred to this religion as the "Mormon Church". Now, members prefer to be called "Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints", but in this article, I will be referring to those members simply as "Mormons" to ensure that everyone knows what we're talking about. Thanks.

No matter your religious affiliation, living in Utah, LDS Temples are part of our culture. Almost no matter where you travel in the state, you'll see a temple along the way. Sometimes you'll see several temples during your roadtrip. Flat out, it's just part of the Utah fabric. Whether you are LDS or not, we can all still appreciate the beauty in the buildings that stand in our state.

Utah's TOP 8 Most Beautiful LDS Temples:

8. Taylorsville:

Last night, while writing a story about Taylorsville, I came across the Taylorsville temple on Google Maps. Seeing this gorgeous temple inspired me to write this article. I love the way this thing looks (it doesn't even look like the average LDS Temple). But, the backdrop alone brings this temple to my TOP 8! The design was inspired by local pioneer tabernacles.

7. St. George:

Maybe the most historic temple on this list is the St. George temple. It was the first temple to be completed in Utah after the pioneers arrived and is the longest-operating temple in the Church. This temple was built on very swampy ground, but was packed with black volcanic rock with a canon!

6. Manti:

I've always heard a lot of good things about the Manti temple, but never had seen it until today. This temple looks very castle-ish, but very old. It was completed in 1888. The Manti temple was built on a rattlesnake-infested site, known as the Manti Stone Quarry. But don't worry, those snakes are gone now!

5. Red Cliffs:

The newest temple on the list is the Red Cliffs Temple near Washington. Completed earlier this year, I think this temple has a ton of charm! The color matches the area well, and it's lined with palm trees. This was Utah's fourth temple to in a town with ANOTHER LDS temple (St. George completed in 1877)

4. Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple:

This Oquirrh Mountain temple is on the far west side of the Salt Lake Valley. The word "Oquirrh" is actually a Goshute Indian word meaning “wooded mountain” or “shining mountains". When completed in 2009, this became Utah's 13th temple.

3. Bountiful:

The Bountiful Temple is Utah's snowiest temple, getting over 10 1/2 feet of snow per year. The exterior of this temple is made from Bethel white granite, which was quarried near Sharon, Vermont, that birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Pretty cool huh?

2. Salt Lake City:

It was incredibly hard putting this temple at #2 on the list. Salt Lake City's temple was always my favorite, until today... When I saw the NEXT Temple. But Salt Lake's temple is incredibly beautiful, and I love the history behind it! It took 40 years to complete this bad boy! Also interesting, some of the walls are up to 9 feet thick! This temple was completed before Utah was even a state!

1. Logan:

Until today, I never knew what the Logan temple looked like... But it's jumped to #1 in my book in terms of looks. It's like the St. George temple went full-goth. The exterior is very Castle-like, and I think it's unbelievably cool looking! Originally this temple was painted pink to cover the dark limestone, but it withered away in the early 1900's, giving it this awesome look.

Was I wrong? Did I snub a totally gorgeous Utah temple? Let me hear your thoughts!

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