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GRAHAM COUNTY, Ariz. -- The public is invited to tour The Gila Valley Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has recently been completed.
The public open house will begin April 23, and continue through May 15, excluding Sundays. The temple is located at 5291 W. Highway 70 in Central, Ariz., a small town between Pima and Thatcher, Ariz.
Public tours are available on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tours will begin at the Church meetinghouse adjacent to the temple. Free parking is available at the meetinghouse.
Following the public open house, the temple will be formally dedicated on May 23. Three dedicatory sessions will be held to accommodate Latter-day Saints in the area who will be served by the new temple.
The First Presidency of the Church announced plans to construct The Gila Valley Arizona Temple in April of 2008. Ground was broken on Feb. 14, 2009.
The temple is constructed on the exterior with architectural pre-cast concrete. Art-glass designs accentuate its windows. Interior materials include maple and cherry wood from the United States, along with marble and limestone. Interior murals depict local river, desert and mountain landscapes.
The Gila Valley Arizona Temple is the 132nd temple of the Church worldwide and the third temple in Arizona, with others in Mesa and Snowflake. Two more temples in Arizona have been announced for construction in Phoenix and Gilbert. The Gila Valley Arizona Temple will serve some 21,000 Latter-day Saints in the surrounding area of southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico.
