Gilbert Arizona Temple
Encyclopedia
The Gilbert Arizona Temple is a temple
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...

 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being constructed in the town of Gilbert
Gilbert, Arizona
-Demographics:As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments, Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. there were 217,521 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household....

, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

. The announcement of the temple on April 26, 2008 came concurrently with the Gila Valley Arizona Temple
Gila Valley Arizona Temple
The Gila Valley Arizona Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the town of Central between the communities of Pima and Thatcher in Arizona...

, and together were the first new temples announced since Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...

 assumed responsibilities as the President of the LDS church.

According to regional church spokesman Don Evans, the new temple in Gilbert will be constructed near the intersection of Pecos and Greenfield roads in a rapidly growing part of the southeast Phoenix metropolitan area
Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area, centered on the city of Phoenix, that includes much of the central part of the US state of Arizona...

. The announcement came in part as a response to the high concentration of church members in the area, one of the fastest growing member areas, and will help ease the load on the nearby Mesa Arizona Temple
Mesa Arizona Temple
The Mesa Arizona Temple is the seventh operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Mesa, Arizona, it is the first of five LDS temples built or planned in the state.-History:...

.

The Gilbert town council gave its unanimous approval to the requested zoning changes in a meeting on September 29, 2009. Key among the requests was an allowance to build to a height of 85 feet, higher than the existing restriction at 45 feet. The temple's planned 180 feet (54.9 m) steeple did not require an exemption, as the town does not restrict the height of steeples. While not providing a specific timeframe for construction, an anticipated completion within three years was repeated at the meeting.

The groundbreaking
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...

 ceremony was held in 2010 on November 13 at 11:30 am (local time). Completion of the temple is expected within approximately two years.

See also


External links

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