Snowflake Arizona Temple

Snowflake Arizona Temple
Snowflake Arizona Temple
Number	108
Dedication	March 3, 2002, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site	7.5 acres (3.0 ha)
Floor area	18,621 sq ft (1,729.9 m2)
Height	60 ft (18 m)
	Official website • News & images
Church chronology
Additional information
Announced	April 2, 2000, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Groundbreaking	September 23, 2000, by Rex D. Pinegar
Open house	February 2–16, 2002
Current president	Richard Quentin Miller
Designed by	Trest Polina
Location	Snowflake, Arizona, U.S.
Geographic coordinates	34°30′8.2″N 110°6′40.8″W / 34.502278°N 110.111333°W
Exterior finish	Two tones of polished granite, Empress White and Majestic Grey, quarried in China
Temple design	Classic modern, single-spire design
Baptistries	1
Ordinance rooms	2 (two-stage progressive)
Sealing rooms	2
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The Snowflake Arizona Temple is the 108th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Mormon pioneers first settled Snowflake, Arizona in 1878 at the request of LDS Church president Brigham Young. The town of Snowflake was named after William J. Flake and Erastus Snow, two of the church's early leaders who helped supervise colonization of the area.

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.

History

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 2002. Church president Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Snowflake Arizona Temple in four sessions on March 3, 2002.

The exterior of the temple is finished with two tones of polished Empress White and Majestic Grey granite from China, similar to that of the Fukuoka Japan Temple. 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 woven into the carpet.^[2] Items such as handcrafted rugs, baskets, and pottery also decorate the interior. The Snowflake Arizona Temple has a total of 18,621 square feet (1,729.9 m²), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. It is Arizona's second temple, the first having been dedicated in Mesa in 1927.