By CAMERON FULLER
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will break ground Monday for the Monticello Utah Temple and Elder Ben B. Banks, member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and president of the Utah South Area will preside.
'This is the first temple of this design to have a groundbreaking,' said Don Rascon, spokesperson for the church.
Rascon was referring to the smaller-sized temples announced by the church's leader, President Gordon B. Hinckley, in the priesthood session of the church's October general conference.
In the October conference, President Hinckley said the smaller temples will meet the same high structural standards as other temples but will operate on a limited basis and be presided over by local church members.
He said the decision to go forth with these temples came by revelation and that the temples will bless the lives of members who live in areas where church membership is not projected to be large enough to merit the building of a full-scale temple.
'We are determined, brethren, to take the temples to the people and afford them every opportunity for the very precious blessings that come of temple worship,' President Hinckley said.
According to Rascon, the temple will be about 7,000 square feet, a normal LDS stake center is 21,000 square feet. The temple will service approximately 15,000 members in four Utah stakes and one stake in Colorado.
Paul Redd, a church member who has lived in Monticello for 15 years, is excited to be getting the temple.
'Everyone in Monticello is walking just a little bit above the ground right now,' Redd said. People here are really excited about being able to work in the temple and have responsibilities there. We see it as making Monticello a lot better place.'
Redd said that many were surprised to learn the temple would be built in Monticello, but he believes Monticello's central location and the faithful temple attendance by its members both played a role in the temple coming to Monticello.
Duane Brown, a junior from Blanding, majoring in electrical engineering said he was 'shocked' at the announcement but pleased that the temple will be so close to his home.
'I think the area needs something like that to give people a better opportunity to serve in the church,' Brown said. 'There are plenty of ways to serve, but this will humble the people.'
The groundbreaking will take place at 10 a.m.