The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Mesa Arizona Temple.Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Mesa Arizona Temple.Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
The Mesa Arizona Temple.Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Mesa Arizona Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1927 Dedication of the Mesa Arizona Temple
The first donation toward a Latter-day Saint temple in Arizona came almost 33 years before its announcement. On Jan. 24, 1887, Helena Roseberry — a widow from Pima, Arizona — gave $5 to Elder Moses Thatcher of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for a house of the Lord in her home state. That money was held dear in Salt Lake City until a temple was announced for Arizona on Oct. 3, 1919.
Over 40 years after the widow’s mite was donated, the Mesa Arizona Temple — at the time called the “Arizona Temple” — was dedicated on Oct. 23, 1927. President Heber J. Grant, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dedicated the building. This was the third temple he dedicated in his lifetime.
The dedication was a four-day event, including a public concert on the temple roof during the second day to offer gratitude and prayer. The 300-person choir included 32-year-old Spencer W. Kimball, who later became President of the Church.
The quote below, spoken in the dedicatory prayer, was referenced by President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, during the temple’s 2021 rededication prayer.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May Thy peace ever abide in this holy building, that all who come here may partake of the spirit of peace, and of the sweet and heavenly influence that Thy Saints have experienced in other temples, may all who come upon the grounds which surround this temple, whether members of the Church of Christ or not, feel the sweet and peaceful influence of this blessed and hallowed spot.”
In February 1974, the temple was closed for extensive remodeling. These renovations included an expansion of 17,000 additional square feet, new technology in the ordinance rooms and a new entrance.
After remodeling was finished over a year later, President Spencer W. Kimball rededicated the temple in seven sessions, three on April 15 and four on April 16, 1975. President Kimball, a native of Arizona, opened the first of seven rededication services by mentioning this was the first house of the Lord in Latter-day Saint history to be rededicated.
Twenty-eight of the 72 stakes or missions represented in attendance during the first dedicatory session were Spanish-speaking. President Kimball also told those in attendance that an unseen audience was present.
A man and his wife, Peter and Nancy Blaine, started taking missionary lessons after visiting the Arizona Temple’s open house on March 19, 1975. They were baptized less than a month later, on April 12, and attended an Arizona Temple rededication session on April 16.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Through this nearly half-century, millions of people have seen and have been caused to wonder and deliberate on the sacred purposes of such a structure. Through these gates and doors, by these sparkling pools, people have walked and loved and gloried. They have wept with joy. They have watched the shrubs and trees grow from spindling plantings to maturity, covered with green verdure and golden fruit to bring joy and gladness.”
After a second closure and more than three and a half years of renovations, the Mesa Arizona Temple was rededicated a second time on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, throughout three sessions. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, offered the dedicatory prayer.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who was in attendance, spoke to the congregation as well. A message was also given by Church President Russell M. Nelson through a prerecorded video shown at the rededication ceremony.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We invoke Thy power to assure that this temple and all of its spaces will be sacred unto Thee so that Thy Holy Spirit will ever be present here and that Thy glory will rest down upon this temple and upon all that has been done and will be done here.”
Church President Heber J. Grant announced plans for a temple in Arizona on Oct. 3, 1919. Within a month, local residents donated around $125,000, which would be more than $2 million today.
The Arizona Temple site was dedicated for construction on Nov. 28, 1921, by President Heber J. Grant. However, the groundbreaking did not happen until five months later.
Instead of an open house, the Church led tours through the temple during the last two years of its construction. This open house started May 1925 and continued until the building was dedicated. An estimated 200,000 people toured the building during this time.
October
23
1927
Dedication
The Mesa Arizona Temple — at the time called the “Arizona Temple” — was dedicated on Oct. 23, 1927, by Church President Heber J. Grant.
1951
Bureau of Information dedicated
In 1951, Elder Delbert L. Stapley of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — born in Mesa — dedicated the Bureau of Information and Genealogical Library, a building that functioned as a visitors’ center. Before this permanent edifice was created at 464 E. First Ave., a small table with literature racks was set up at the Arizona Temple’s west entrance in the late 1940s.
December
30
1956
Visitors’ center dedicated
Church President David O. McKay dedicated a visitors’ center on Dec. 30, 1956. This took the role of the Bureau of Information and Genealogical Library, although it was built at a different location.
February
1974
Closed for renovations
The temple was closed in February 1974 for extensive remodeling. This included an expansion of 17,000 additional square feet to add ordinance rooms and larger dressing rooms. New technology in the ordinance rooms and a new entrance were also added.
March
17
1975
Rededication open house
An open house was held from March 17 to April 3, 1975. More than 205,200 visitors toured the building throughout the event, including 527 ministers of other churches.
April
15
1975
Rededication
The Arizona Temple was rededicated in seven sessions — from April 15 to April 16, 1975 — by President Spencer W. Kimball. During the first session, after announcing the dimensions of the temple to the congregation, President Kimball said that “it was considered one of the most carefully measured structures of concrete and steel.”
1979
Visitors’ center closed
The visitors’ center, at the time too small to meet the needs of the community, was closed in 1979 for expansion renovations. An addition would enlarge the building size by 3 ½ times.
1981
Visitors’ center renovated
Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the new addition to the Arizona Temple’s Visitors’ Center in 1981.
October
16
1999
Name changed
The name of the Arizona Temple was changed to the “Mesa Arizona Temple” on Oct. 16, 1999, when the First Presidency announced that temples would include the city in the name.
May
19
2018
Closed for renovations
The Church announced in June 2017 that the temple would be closed for renovations starting May 19, 2018. These renovations helped preserve the temple’s interior design, such as by restoring historical light fixtures and replicating existing millwork patterns. Massive existing murals were also cleaned and restored, and some partly damaged murals were re-created based on photographs of the originals. New heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems were also installed, and new landscaping was done around the grounds.
May
19
2018
Visitors’ center demolished
The visitors’ center was closed on May 19, 2018 — the same day the temple was closed. The center was then demolished to make room for extensive renovation plans with the Mesa temple and its grounds. A new visitors’ center was planned to be built across the street from the temple site’s northwest corner.
August
12
2021
New visitors’ center dedicated
Elder Ulisses Soares dedicated the new Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors’ Center on Aug. 12, 2021. The dedication service was livestreamed online and broadcast to meetinghouses throughout Arizona. Elder Soares said the idea behind this new center was “to integrate the messages of Jesus Christ, the temple, eternal families and history in a way that helps guests understand how they are part of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and provide them an inspired opportunity to take a new step in their spiritual journey.”
October
16
2021
Rededication open house
A temple open house was held during five weeks, from Oct. 16 to Nov. 20, 2021. A media day was also held on Oct. 11, with Elder Ronald A. Rasband and Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders conducting tours through the temple. Around 347,000 people attended the open house in total, including government leaders and representatives from the state’s interfaith community.
December
12
2021
Rededication
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, rededicated the Mesa Arizona Temple on Dec. 12, 2021. About 2,400 people came to each of the three rededication sessions.
The Arizona Temple — built in Mesa, Arizona — was dedicated on Oct. 23, 1927, by Church President Heber J. Grant. After renovations that started in February 1974, the temple was rededicated by Church President Spencer W. Kimball from April 15 to April 16, 1975, during seven sessions.
The name was changed to the “Mesa Arizona Temple” in October 1999. After renovations that started May 19, 2018, this house of the Lord was rededicated for the second time, on Dec. 12, 2021, by President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency.
Architecture and Design of the Mesa Arizona Temple
The design of the Mesa Arizona Temple’s exterior, built in a Neoclassical architectural style, was inspired by Solomon’s temple of ancient Jerusalem. Although having undergone renovations and expansions in its history, the temple currently has a floor area of 113,916 square feet and a height of 53 feet.
The exterior is made of concrete reinforced with steel, with a terracotta glaze that is eggshell in color and tile-like in finish. Rectangular windows and vertical columns surround the edifice, with a brick-like pattern imprinted into the walls. Around the corners, Frieze panels in carved stone show Isaiah’s Old Testament prophecies about gathering Israel from the four corners of the earth.
Inside the temple are popular interior designs from the 1920s, as seen in the colors and motifs. The Colonial Revival style, for example, included fluting, rosettes, gold leaf, and egg and dart motifs, and it can be seen in the Mesa temple’s ceilings, walls and door frames. The baptistry includes a mural depicting Joseph Smith’s baptism in 1829.
A large reflecting pool resides on the temple’s north side, and a smaller one sits outside the main entrance on the west side. The theme of rectangles and right angles is prominent throughout the grounds, from the sidewalks to the grassy areas and flower gardens. More than 300 olive trees and palm trees adorn the 20-acre site.
Housing Developments Around the Mesa Arizona Temple
In 2018, the Church of Jesus Christ broke ground for a downtown revitalization project, called the Grove on Main, west of the Mesa Arizona Temple. The project, covering 4.5 acres along the Main Street light rail corridor, included constructing 240 apartments, 12 townhomes, retail space, underground parking and 70,000 square feet of landscaping.
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An aerial view from the entrance of First Avenue, a historic district of Mesa, Arizona, in May 2021. City Creek Reserve Inc., the real estate arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, restored and remodeled several homes and aesthetically improved the street that leads to the front entrance of the Mesa Arizona Temple as part of a multiuse construction project called the Grove on Main. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The Grove on Main, a multiuse construction project by City Creek Reserve Inc., the real estate arm of the Church, is a short distance to the Mesa Arizona Temple. The purpose of the project — which consists of retail space as well as apartments, condominiums, townhouses and detached homes — is to protect and enhance the grounds around the temple. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Several homes on First Avenue in Mesa, Arizona, were restored and remodeled in May 2021 as part of the Grove on Main, a multiuse construction project by City Creek Reserve Inc., the real estate arm of the Church. The street is designated a historic district and leads to the front entrance of the Mesa Arizona Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A home on First Avenue, a historic district of Mesa, Arizona, in May 2021. City Creek Reserve Inc., the real estate arm of the Church, restored and remodeled several homes and aesthetically improved the street that leads to the front entrance of the Mesa Arizona Temple as part of the Grove on Main, a multiuse construction project. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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View of an apartment unit at the Grove on Main, a multiuse construction project by City Creek Reserve Inc., the real estate arm of the Church. The complex features apartments, condominiums, townhouses and detached homes in studio, one- and two-bedroom layouts in Mesa, Arizona. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A view of the clubhouse at the Grove on Main, a multiuse construction project by City Creek Reserve Inc., the real estate arm of the Church. The facility also includes an outdoor pool, fitness center and the first underground parking garage in Mesa, Arizona. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A view from the entrance of First Avenue, a historic district of Mesa, Arizona, in May 2021. City Creek Reserve Inc., the real estate arm of the Church, restored and remodeled several homes and aesthetically improved the street that leads to the front entrance of the Mesa Arizona Temple as part of a multiuse construction project called the Grove on Main. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
According to a news release from the Church, “the driving force of the redevelopment was to protect and enhance the environment around the temple grounds. The Church considers its temples to be the most sacred places on earth. A secondary but essential purpose of the project was to attract businesses and home buyers to infuse more economic life into the community.”
This project was also featured in the October 2021 edition of the World Report (a semiannual video report of the news of the Church):
Mesa Easter Pageant
On the north lawn of the Mesa temple, volunteers hold what is believed to be the largest annual outdoor Easter pageant in the world. The 75-minute event, called “Jesus the Christ,” is sponsored by the Church and follows the life, ministry, Atonement and Resurrection of the Savior. This tradition started in 1938 and has since grown to a 425-member musical performance with dance, live animals and special effects.
Six other pageants have also been held in other parts of the world, but the Church announced in December 2018 that four of those pageants would be discontinued. The Mesa Pageant was canceled in 2019, 2020 and 2021 while the Mesa temple was undergoing renovations.
Stephen L. West — who served as pageant president from 2013 to 2021 and as the executive director of the Mesa Temple Events Committee starting 2022 — said, “The pageant gives us an opportunity as a community to acknowledge together that He is the way, the truth, the life and the light and that His great love extends to all of us, no matter what our religious affiliation, race, culture or economic circumstance might be.”
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Actors depict the Savior’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem during a dress rehearsal for the annual Mesa Easter Pageant. | Scott P. Adair
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Looking out from the top level of the four-story-high stage, men and women portraying angels will overlook 9,600 chairs that will be set up on the north lawn of the Mesa Arizona Temple. | Scott P. Adair
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The Nativity is portrayed during a scene from the Mesa Easter Pageant. | Scott P. Adair
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Actors depict the Savior’s telling of the story of the Good Samaritan, during a dress rehearsal for the Mesa Easter Pageant. | Scott P. Adair
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Actor Ben Mason depicts the Apostle Peter walking on water, during a dress rehearsal for the Mesa Easter Pageant. | Scott P. Adair
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A live donkey is included in the annual Mesa Easter Pageant. | Scott P. Adair
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Jesus teaching His disciples is portrayed during a scene from the Mesa Easter Pageant. | Scott P. Adair
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Actors portray the Last Supper during the Mesa Easter Pageant. | Scott P. Adair
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A mob jeers at Jesus in a scene from the Mesa Easter Pageant, performed on the Mesa Arizona Temple grounds. | Scott P. Adair
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A scene from the Mesa Easter Pageant portrays the empty tomb. | Scott P. Adair
Interior Photos of the Mesa Arizona Temple
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View of the grand foyer of the Mesa Arizona Temple. More than 50 decorative paints from the original 1920s color palette were used to bring this room back to its original luster. Checkerboard marble flooring from Turkey and Spain and marble wainscot and base from the original quarry in Birdseye, Utah, are some of the other materials used. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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View of the redesigned front entrance (west side) of the Mesa Arizona Temple with artwork of the Savior Jesus Christ as the central focus. Dark walnut finishes, checkerboard marble flooring from Turkey and Spain, and marble wainscot and base from the original quarry in Birdseye, Utah, help bring back the authentic Colonial Revival décor of the 1920s. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The Mesa Arizona Temple underwent an extensive three-year exterior and interior renovation that included a new guest waiting area just off the main entrance. All interior changes were done within the existing footprint of the structure. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A view of an instruction room in the Mesa Arizona Temple in May 2021. This is where members learn about God’s Creation and the purpose of life. New murals that honor the original murals’ artists cover the walls. Unique to the Mesa temple, patrons advance room to room. Each instruction room is slightly elevated above the previous, symbolizing progression to heaven. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The Mesa Arizona Temple baptismal font in May 2021. Its purpose is in keeping with the Savior’s commandment that all must be baptized. Here, temple patrons act on behalf of those who didn’t have that chance in this life. The font is cladded with rare terracotta tiles and rests on oxen, also made of terracotta, that represent the twelve tribes of Israel. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A view of the celestial room of the Mesa Arizona Temple. Lustrous crystalline chandeliers highlight the Neoclassical motif with fluted pilasters and Corinthian capitals, which are offset by crystalline sconces. These, combined with exquisite handcrafted furnishings, are designed to uplift the spirit and inspire the soul. Entering this sacred space represents the ultimate progression one can achieve: into heaven itself. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A detailed arched door casing in the upper grand hall of the Mesa Arizona Temple shows off the Colonial Revival style, popular in 1920s America, that includes fluting, rosettes, and egg and dart motifs. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A sealing room in the Mesa Arizona Temple. A replica crystalline chandelier, fluted pilasters and inlaid wood-backed chairs are reminiscent of the Colonial Revival style popular in the 1920s. Here, families are joined together for time and eternity. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The bride’s room in the Mesa Arizona Temple. A crystal chandelier, decorative friezes just below the crown molding, mahogany-framed mirrors from Vietnam and custom-painted walls are some of the features designed to create a warm and calm ambiance. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A portion of the ceiling and walls show the ornate décor found in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Neoclassical cues of egg and dart, flutes, rosettes and urns accented with gold leaf are ever-present in the popular 1920s design. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A detailed arched door casing of the celestial room in the Mesa Arizona Temple shows off the Colonial Revival style, popular in 1920s America, that includes fluting, rosettes, cartouches, and egg and dart motifs, accented with gold leaf. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A major project during the Mesa Arizona Temple renovation was the restoration of two murals in the upper grand hall. The original artwork depicts the first president of the Church, Joseph Smith, and his brother Hyrum sharing the message of the gospel to the Native American nations. Photo taken May 2021. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A scale model of the Mesa Arizona Temple with cutout views for each room. This model is located in the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors’ Center. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Arizona. It was also the first temple in the continental United States outside of Utah that is still in operation.
Fact #2
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, before the Mesa temple’s dedication, many Latter-day Saints in Arizona traveled to the St. George Utah Temple to receive their endowments. Because of this, the wagon road they rode through was nicknamed the “Honeymoon Trail.”
Fact #3
The temple was originally named the Arizona Temple. It was renamed the Mesa Arizona Temple in October 1999, when the First Presidency announced that temples would include the city in the name.
Fact #4
After its dedication, the Arizona Temple was often referred to as a “sermon in stone.”
Fact #5
In 1945, it became the first temple to offer ordinances in a language other than English, with Spanish being the second language. Thousands of families in Latin America sacrificed a great deal to journey to the Mesa temple to participate in Spanish ordinances.
Fact #6
In 1962, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles received his temple endowment in the Arizona Temple. He made a surprise visit to the temple in November 2022 and congratulated two bridal groups that were sealed earlier.
Fact #7
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple to be rededicated.
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Arizona. It was also the first temple in the continental United States outside of Utah that is still in operation.
Fact #2
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, before the Mesa temple’s dedication, many Latter-day Saints in Arizona traveled to the St. George Utah Temple to receive their endowments. Because of this, the wagon road they rode through was nicknamed the “Honeymoon Trail.”
Fact #3
The temple was originally named the Arizona Temple. It was renamed the Mesa Arizona Temple in October 1999, when the First Presidency announced that temples would include the city in the name.
Fact #4
After its dedication, the Arizona Temple was often referred to as a “sermon in stone.”
Fact #5
In 1945, it became the first temple to offer ordinances in a language other than English, with Spanish being the second language. Thousands of families in Latin America sacrificed a great deal to journey to the Mesa temple to participate in Spanish ordinances.
Fact #6
In 1962, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles received his temple endowment in the Arizona Temple. He made a surprise visit to the temple in November 2022 and congratulated two bridal groups that were sealed earlier.
Fact #7
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple to be rededicated.
