Erastus Snow — Inspired Wisdom for the St. George Temple Foundation

During the construction of the St. George Temple in the early 1870s, builders encountered a serious problem: the southeast corner of the site was a boggy 'seep' that would not support the weight of the stone walls. Erastus Snow, as the presiding authority in the Dixie Mission, sought divine guidance for the project. The solution—an unconventional and inspired engineering feat—involved using a heavy, old Mexican War cannon as a pile driver. By dropping the rock-filled cannon repeatedly, they packed the marshy ground with volcanic rock until it was solid. This inspired wisdom allowed the foundation to be completed, ensuring the stability of the first temple completed in Utah.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in How Was the St. George Temple Built? — From the Desk):

Builders faced serious foundation issues because the temple site was on unstable, swampy ground. They had to dig out mud by hand, reinforce the site with lava rock, and use a lead-filled cannon to compact the earth. It took nearly a year and a half to prepare the ground before laying the foundation stones. This process was repeated until the ground was compact enough to stabilize the footings, as evidenced by the cannon bouncing three times after impact. Drain lines were also created to funnel water away from the temple foundation.