Snowflake Arizona Temple
Encyclopedia
The Snowflake Arizona Temple is the 108th operating temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mormon pioneers first settled Snowflake
, Arizona
in 1878 at the request of LDS Church President Brigham Young
. The town of Snowflake was named after William J. Flake
and Erastus Snow
, two of the Church's early leaders who helped supervise colonization of the area.
The Snowflake Arizona Temple serves 35,000 members, many of them descendants of the first pioneers to the area. The temple is set on a knoll that has become known as "Temple Hill." About eight feet was removed from the top of the knoll so the two-level temple could be built. The lower level is partially set into the knoll.
There are about 9,000 people who live in the Snowflake area, but more than 94,000 people attended the temple open house during February 2002. Church President Gordon B. Hinckley
dedicated the Snowflake Arizona Temple in four sessions on 3 March 2002.
The exterior of the temple is finished with two tones of polished Empress White and Majestic Grey granite
from China
, very similar to that of the Fukuoka Japan Temple
. Much of the furniture has a pioneer look out of respect for the area's pioneer ancestry. The temple interior also incorporates Native American
patterns stenciled on walls and woven into the carpet. Items such as handcrafted rugs, baskets, and pottery also decorate the interior. The Snowflake Arizona Temple has a total of 18621 square feet (1,729.9 m²), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. It is Arizona's second temple, the first having been dedicated in Mesa
in 1927.
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.
Mormon pioneers first settled Snowflake
Snowflake, Arizona
Snowflake is a town in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. It was founded in 1878 by Erastus Snow and William Jordan Flake, Mormon pioneers and colonizers. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 4,958....
, 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...
in 1878 at the request of LDS Church President Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
. The town of Snowflake was named after William J. Flake
William J. Flake
William Jordan Flake was a prominent member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who helped settle parts of Arizona, and was imprisoned for polygamy.- Biography :William Flake was born in North Carolina...
and Erastus Snow
Erastus Snow
Erastus Fairbanks Snow , born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1849 to 1888. Snow was also a leading figure in Mormon colonization of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.Snow Canyon State Park Erastus...
, two of the Church's early leaders who helped supervise colonization of the area.
The Snowflake Arizona Temple serves 35,000 members, many of them descendants of the first pioneers to the area. The temple is set on a knoll that has become known as "Temple Hill." About eight feet was removed from the top of the knoll so the two-level temple could be built. The lower level is partially set into the knoll.
There are about 9,000 people who live in the Snowflake area, but more than 94,000 people attended the temple open house during February 2002. Church President Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
dedicated the Snowflake Arizona Temple in four sessions on 3 March 2002.
The exterior of the temple is finished with two tones of polished Empress White and Majestic Grey granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, very similar to that of the Fukuoka Japan Temple
Fukuoka Japan Temple
The is the 88th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Fukuoka temple serves more than 7,700 members in Kyūshū, Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima....
. Much of the furniture has a pioneer look out of respect for the area's pioneer ancestry. The temple interior also incorporates Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
patterns stenciled on walls and woven into the carpet. Items such as handcrafted rugs, baskets, and pottery also decorate the interior. The Snowflake Arizona Temple has a total of 18621 square feet (1,729.9 m²), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. It is Arizona's second temple, the first having been dedicated in Mesa
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:...
in 1927.
See also
- Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsComparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsBelow is a chronological list of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth...
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
- Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in ArizonaThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in ArizonaAs of October 2010, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 381,235 members in 794 Congregations in Arizona, with 4 missions and 3 temples.-Mormon Battalion:...