Snowflake Arizona Temple
The Snowflake Arizona Temple is the 108th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It was Mormon pioneers that first settled Snowflake Arizona in 1878 as requested by President Brigham Young. The town of Snowflake was named after William Jordan Flake and Erastus Snow, two of the Church's early leaders who helped supervise colonization of the area.
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “We are thankful for those who laid the foundations of this and other nearby communities. They struggled so desperately for so long against adversities of many kinds. Now their posterity enjoy the sweet fruits of their efforts, and crowning all is this magnificent and beautiful temple.” [1]
The Snowflake Arizona Temple serves 35,000 members, many of them descendants of the first pioneers to the area. The temple is set on a knoll that has become known as "Temple Hill." About eight feet was removed from the top of the knoll so the two-level temple could be built. The lower level is partially set into the knoll.
There are about 9,000 people who live in the Snowflake area, but more than 94,000 people attended the temple open house during February. Temple President Leon T. Ballard believes that so many visitors came because of their ancestral ties to the area. President Hinckley dedicated the Snowflake Arizona Temple in four sessions on 3 March 2002. Enthusiasm for the new temple did not stop after the dedication. "We offer 24 sessions a week, and nearly every one of them has been completely full," [2] said President Ballard.
The temple grounds complement the natural surroundings and feature a beautiful water fountain. The exterior of the temple is finished with two tones of polished granite imported from China. Much of the furniture has a pioneer look out of respect for the area's pioneer ancestry. The temple interior also incorporates Native American patterns stenciled on walls and sculpted into the carpet. [3] Items such as handcrafted rugs, baskets, and pottery also decorate the interior. The Snowflake Arizona Temple has a total of 18,621 square feet, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. It is Arizona's second temple, the first having been dedicated in Mesa, Arizona in 1927.
Notes
- "Dedicatory prayer: 'The sweet fruits of their efforts,'" Church News, 9 Mar. 2002, 25 Jun. 2005
- “News of the Church,” Ensign, May 2002, 109
- Snowflake Arizona Temple Times, Vol. II, pp. 1–2
See also
External links
- Official LDS Snowflake Arizona Temple page
- Snowflake Arizona Temple page
- Mormon Temple Ordinances - ReligionFacts
- Mormon Temples - Lightplanet
- Mormons Open Temple Doors to Share Beliefs - USAToday
- Mormon Missionaries - BBC Religion & Ethics
- Joseph Smith - American Prophet
