Snowflake Arizona Temple

The Snowflake Arizona Temple is the 108th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Snowflake Arizona Temple
Map
Number108
DedicationMarch 3, 2002, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site7.5 acres (3.0 ha)
Floor area18,621 sq ft (1,729.9 m2)
Height60 ft (18 m)
Official websiteNews & images
Church chronology

Columbia River Washington Temple

Snowflake Arizona Temple

Lubbock Texas Temple
Additional information
AnnouncedApril 2, 2000, by Gordon B. Hinckley
GroundbreakingSeptember 23, 2000, by Rex D. Pinegar
Open houseFebruary 2–16, 2002
Current presidentRichard Quentin Miller
Designed byTrest Polina
LocationSnowflake, Arizona, U.S.
Geographic coordinates34°30′8.2″N 110°6′40.8″W / 34.502278°N 110.111333°W / 34.502278; -110.111333
Exterior finishTwo tones of polished granite, Empress White and Majestic Grey, quarried in China
Temple designClassic modern, single-spire design
Baptistries1
Ordinance rooms2 (two-stage progressive)
Sealing rooms2
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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

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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.

See also

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

References

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  1. ^ 2-story, 2-tone design variant, nearly identical to the Fukuoka Japan Temple
  2. ^ Snowflake Arizona Temple Times, Vol. II, pp. 1–2 [full citation needed]
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