QUIZ: Which Came First? The St. George Utah Tabernacle Or...

The St. George Utah Tabernacle is one of the most recognized landmarks in Southern Utah.

The St. George Utah Tabernacle is one of the most recognizable monuments in Southern Utah. (lds.org)

It stands as a monument to our pioneer forefathers and their determination to build a house of worship that would last through the ages in this punishing desert climate.

Although work began on the St. George Tabernacle as early as 1863, the structure was not finished until the end of 1876.

From our modern frames of reference, building things doesn't take that long. But that's just because we are so accustomed to building materials and technology being available at a moment's notice. Back then everything had to be made by hand, and using only the materials and tools that were locally available.

The St. George Tabernacle under construction circa 1872 and Today (lds.org)

It is also important to keep in mind that none of the laborers on the Tabernacle were paid tradesmen. It was all made during the off-time that people had free after their normal jobs and responsibilities trying to survive.

Without a frame of reference, time can be quite nebulous. Nebulous. 1876 is just a number until we compare it to other things that were happening at that time.

So to put everything into perspective, let's play a game! What came first… St. George, Utah Tabernacle or these other notable inventions?