Gila Valley Arizona Temple
Exterior, December 2009
Map
Number132
DedicationMay 23, 2010, by Thomas S. Monson
Site17 acres (6.9 ha)
Floor area18,561 sq ft (1,724.4 m2)
Height100 ft (30 m)
Official website • News & images
Church chronology
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Additional information
AnnouncedApril 26, 2008, by Thomas S. Monson[1]
GroundbreakingFebruary 14, 2009, by Neil L. Andersen[2]
Open houseApril 23 – May 15, 2010
Current presidentGary Wayne Stailey
Designed byGregory B. Lambright
LocationCentral, Arizona, United States
Geographic coordinates32°51′48″N 109°47′23″W / 32.86333°N 109.78972°W / 32.86333; -109.78972
Exterior finishArchitectural precast stone
Baptistries1
Ordinance rooms2 (two-stage progressive)
Sealing rooms2
(edit)

The Gila Valley Arizona Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the town of Central between the communities of Pima and Thatcher in Arizona. The temple was dedicated on May 23, 2010, following an open house lasting from April 23 to May 15.

History

The announcement of the temple on April 26, 2008 came concurrently with that of the Gilbert Arizona Temple, and together they were the first new temples announced since Thomas S. Monson assumed responsibilities as the president of the LDS Church.[3]

Local church leadership announced on September 21, 2008, that the temple would be built on church-owned property adjacent to U.S. Route 70 in the unincorporated community of Central. A petition to grant an exception to building height restrictions to accommodate a 100-foot-tall (30 m) steeple for the temple was given a favorable recommendation by the Graham County Planning and Zoning Commission and was subsequently approved by the county board of supervisors on October 20.[4][5]

A groundbreaking and site dedication ceremony took place on February 14, 2009, officially beginning the construction process.[6] The structure was completed on September 22 with the placement of the Angel Moroni statue on the temple's steeple. Additional site improvements, including landscaping and interior work, were completed in early 2010.[7]

The new temple serves the significant Latter-day Saint population in the eastern part of Arizona's Gila River Valley, who previously had to travel to the Mesa Arizona Temple, 150 miles to the west. The area has a historical significance to the LDS Church; Thatcher, which was founded by Mormon pioneers in 1881, was home to former LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball during his youth in the early part of the 1900s.[8] Speculation that the area would be home to a temple was made as early as 1882, when Jesse N. Smith predicted that a temple would be built in Thatcher.[9]

During remarks before the dedicatory prayer, Monson noted that an anonymous benefactor, a woman from the area, had given $500,000 to allow the temple to be adorned with much original artwork.

In 2020, the Gila Valley Arizona Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[10]

See also

Temples in Arizona (edit)
  • = Operating
  • = Under construction
  • = Announced
  • = Temporarily Closed

References

  1. ^ "Two new temples: Gilbert, Gila Valley". Church News. April 26, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "Open House and Dedication Dates Announced for Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple", Mormon Newsroom, LDS Church, January 31, 2009, retrieved October 15, 2012
  3. ^ Branom, Mike (April 27, 2008). "New Mormon temple slated for Gilbert". East Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on April 29, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  4. ^ Saunders, Diane (September 29, 2008). "Temple could be in Central". Eastern Arizona Courier. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  5. ^ Saunders, Diane (October 22, 2008). "Supervisors approve prelim plat for Sierra Del Sol". Eastern Arizona Courier. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  6. ^ Adair, Jill (February 16, 2009). "Ground broken for Gila Valley temple". Church News. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  7. ^ Johnston, Jon (September 27, 2009). "Angel placed atop LDS temple". Eastern Arizona Courier. Retrieved October 27, 2009.
  8. ^ "LDS Church announces two new temples in Arizona". The Salt Lake Tribune. April 27, 2008. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  9. ^ McClintock, James H. (1921). Mormon settlement in Arizona. Phoenix, Arizona: Office of the Arizona State Historian. p. 223. OCLC 1988605. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  10. ^ Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.

External links

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Western United States
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