Vernal Utah Temple Pictures
Rising from the red-brick shell of the century-old Uintah Stake Tabernacle just two blocks south of Main Street in Vernal, the Vernal Temple carries two dedication dates on its exterior — 1907 and 1997 — marking its transformation from pioneer meetinghouse to house of the Lord. It was the first Latter-day Saint temple built from an existing structure, an innovation President Gordon B. Hinckley said the Church had “never done before and are not likely to do again.” Dedicated November 2, 1997, it became the 51st operating temple of the Church and the 10th in Utah. Our collection of Vernal Utah Temple pictures, art prints, and paintings captures this historic landmark of the Ashley Valley.
Radiance
by Rory Wallwork
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As The Storm Clears
by Greg A. Farley
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Evening
by Alan Fullmer
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Heavenly Light
by Rory Wallwork
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Glory To The Highest
by Rory Wallwork
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For Eternity
by Rory Wallwork
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Summer Twilight
by Rory Wallwork
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Summer Sunset
by Rory Wallwork
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Summer Sunrise
by Rory Wallwork
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Flora Watercolor Painting
by Katauna Davis
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Trees Frame Aerial
by Jonny Neeley
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Spring Sunrise Illustration
by Steve Weller
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Oil Painting
by Tausha Schumann
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Painting
by Brent Borup
About the Vernal Utah Temple
Built with donated labor and local red clay brick beginning in the fall of 1899, the Uintah Stake Tabernacle was dedicated on August 24, 1907, by President Joseph F. Smith, who remarked that he would not be surprised if a temple were built there one day. By the mid-20th century the tabernacle had been superseded by a more modern stake center next door, and by 1983 it had stopped hosting stake conferences altogether, falling into serious disrepair. A 1984 proposal to convert the building into a temple was rejected by the First Presidency, and the tabernacle was even listed for sale at one point, prompting a local "Save the Tabernacle" committee to form. The idea resurfaced in 1993 and this time received approval, and on February 13, 1994, local leaders announced in Sunday meetings that the historic tabernacle would become a house of the Lord.
Before renovation began, the tabernacle hosted a five-day open house that drew over 18,000 visitors, and the furniture and fixtures salvaged from the building sold at public auction in just three and a half hours on April 15, 1995. President Hinckley presided over the groundbreaking and site dedication on May 13, 1995, before a crowd of nearly 12,000 accompanied by the self-named "Vernal Tabernacle Choir." Because the original tabernacle was narrow, architects innovated a two-stage endowment room to fit the space — a design later used in many other temples. Thousands of matching bricks were needed to complete the renovation, and a donated turn-of-the-century home in Vernal, the Reader Home, became an unlikely source for many of them. President Hinckley dedicated the completed Vernal Temple in a series of sessions from November 2 through 4, 1997 — the 30th temple he had dedicated or rededicated to that point.
Vernal Utah Temple Photos, Art & Prints
The Vernal Temple's twin domed towers — one topped with a gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni — rise above the historic brick façade of the old tabernacle, giving photographers a rare blend of pioneer-era architecture and sacred temple design in a single structure. Colorful flower beds and mature trees fill the grounds, framing the temple against the backdrop of the Ashley Valley and the Uinta Mountains beyond. Our collection features photography and fine art capturing this one-of-a-kind temple across the seasons of eastern Utah.
Vernal Temple prints make a meaningful and inspirational gift for members throughout the Uintah Basin and for anyone drawn to the temple's remarkable pioneer history. Perfect for weddings, mission homecomings, new homes, and other milestone occasions.