Gila Valley Arizona Temple
| Gila Valley Arizona Temple | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Exterior, December 2009 |
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| Number | 132 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dedication | 23 May 2010 by Thomas S. Monson |
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| Site | 17 acres (6.9 hectares) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Floor area | 18,561 sq ft (1,724 m2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 100 ft (30 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Vancouver British Columbia Temple | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Followed by | Cebu City Philippines Temple | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official website • News & images | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coordinates: 32°51′48″N 109°47′23″W / 32.86333°N 109.78972°W
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 period from April 23 to May 15.
The announcement of the temple on April 26, 2008 came concurrently with the Gilbert Arizona Temple, and together were the first new temples announced since Thomas S. Monson assumed responsibilities as the president of the LDS Church.
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.
A groundbreaking and site dedication ceremony took place on February 14, 2009, officially beginning the construction process. 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.
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Wikipedia