A remote part of the Arizona landscape is now home to the 132nd temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Gila Valley Arizona Temple was dedicated Sunday in three sessions and now serves 21,000 Church members in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico.
Before the dedication, President Thomas S. Monson joined with hundreds of members outside the temple to participate in the traditional cornerstone ceremony symbolizing the completion of the building as a “house to the Lord.” President Monson invited youth to participate by placing mortar at the cornerstone.
President Monson was joined by President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency; Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles; and Elders Claudio R.M. Costa and William R. Walker of the Seventy in the events surrounding the dedication.
Saturday evening, a cultural celebration for young adults was held at which more than 1,600 people between the ages of 12 and 18 retold the rich cultural history of the area through song and dance .
There are also temples operating in Mesa and Snowflake, Arizona, and two others planned for Gilbert and Phoenix.