Gilbert Arizona Mormon Temple
April 4, 2009 by Gale
Filed under Temples in America
The announcement that a new temple will be constructed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Gilbert, Arizona, USA, was made on 26 April 2008. The temple should open in 2010, and will be located at the Southeast corner of Greenfield Road and Pecos Road, Gilbert, on a 10-acre parcel of land.
The design of the temple is expected to be similar to that of the Twin Falls, Idaho temple. Discussions are now taking place as to what sort of land use will surround the temple, since prior plans included recreational facilities not in keeping with the sacred nature of the temple. The Church prefers residential or peaceful commercial zoning.
This temple, and the one under construction in Gila Valley, are meant to take the pressure off the two temples already existing in Arizona, in Mesa and Snowflake.
Located in the fast-growing Southeast Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area—just south of Mesa—Gilbert and its surrounding communities enjoy a high concentration of Church members, who currently attend the Mesa Arizona Temple, which serves currently serves 74 stakes throughout much of Arizona. The edifice will make the sacred ordinances of the temple more accessible to the members of these communities.
Site and building plans for the Gilbert Arizona Temple went before the Town of Gilbert Design Review Board for preliminary evaluation. Please follow thislink to view an informative staff report.
The plans for the temple were revealed in June of 2010. “…the 83,000-square-foot temple will use ivory-colored stone and concrete and feature leaded-glass windows. A 195-foot spire will rise from the center of the three-story structure, capped by a gold-plated statue of a trumpeting angel, a trademark symbol of Mormon temples.” Pre-constuction began immediately after the plans were released and approved.
More information: LDS Church Temples.com
