Phoenix Arizona Temple

The Phoenix Arizona Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. It was completed in 2014 and is the 144th temple of the LDS Church. The announcement of the planned construction of the temple on May 24, 2008, came a month after the Gila Valley and Gilbert temples were announced for Arizona.[3][4]

Phoenix Arizona Temple

Temple at sunset
Number 144
Dedicated November 16, 2014 (November 16, 2014) by
Thomas S. Monson
Site 9 acres (3.6 hectares)
Floor area 58,000 sq ft (5,400 m2)
Preceded by Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
Followed by Córdoba Argentina Temple
Official website• News & images

History

The announcement to build a temple in Phoenix came in part as a response to the high concentration of church members in the area and to help ease the load on the nearby Mesa Arizona Temple.[3][5]

The original design of the temple, which resembled the Draper Utah Temple in design, exceeded the maximum height restrictions imposed by existing zoning law and required an exception be granted by the Phoenix city council. The primary issue was not the planned steeple height of 126 feet (38 m), as church steeples are exempt from zoning laws, but the temple's structural height of 40 feet (12 m).[6] The exterior color of the temple was also changed from the traditional white to a more natural stone color in an effort to address the concerns of residents in the neighborhood.[7]

The city council voted to approve the requested zoning exemptions on December 2, 2009.[8] Local residents opposed to the construction mounted a successful campaign to call for a voter referendum on the council's decision, delivering the requisite signatures by December 31, potentially delaying the approval process until September 2011 when the issue could be put to a vote.[9] After a series of talks with the opposition, LDS Church representatives announced on January 26, 2010, that the temple would be redesigned to comply with the zoning restrictions by limiting the structural height to 30 feet (9.1 m), obviating the need for any exceptions and eliminating the need for any further approval process.[10] LDS Church representatives indicated that the redesign process would take between eight months and a year. The height of the steeple, building color and lighting are not regulated by zoning laws and it was unclear at that time if the steeple height would be changed with the redesign, or previous design concessions would be retained in the new design.[11]

On August 17, 2010, the redesign was submitted to the city of Phoenix for preliminary approval.[12] A meeting for neighbors of the temple was held that same day.[13] The redesigned structure is 30 feet high with a 90-foot spire. This met the 30-feet zoning limit on building heights, and the total height is 9 feet lower than the previously proposed design.[12]

Ronald A. Rasband, of the Presidency of the Seventy, presided at a small groundbreaking ceremony held on June 4, 2011.[14][15] A public open house was held from October 10 to November 1, 2014.[1] The temple was formally dedicated on November 16, 2014, by Thomas S. Monson, and ended up being the last one he dedicated before his death.[2]

In 2020, the Phoenix Arizona Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[16]

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See also

References
  1. "Public Invited to Tour the Phoenix Arizona Temple", Newsroom, LDS Church, August 7, 2014
  2. "Phoenix Arizona Temple Dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson", Newsroom, LDS Church, November 16, 2014
  3. "New Temple for Phoenix Arizona Announced", Newsroom, LDS Church, May 24, 2008
  4. "President Monson announces new temple in Phoenix, Ariz.", Church News, May 24, 2008, retrieved November 2, 2012
  5. Biscobing, David (May 25, 2008), "Mormons planning to build temple in Phoenix", East Valley Tribune, archived from the original on November 1, 2008, retrieved May 25, 2008
  6. "Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Phoenix Temple", Hearing Draft Version, Rezoning Request from Re-35 to Planned Unit Development, Case No: Z-40-09-01" (PDF), Phoenix.gov, archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2013, retrieved November 2, 2012
  7. Reid, Betty (November 12, 2009), "Planning Commission OK's Mormon temple; critics won't give up", The Arizona Republic, retrieved November 2, 2012
  8. Heisner, Jodie (December 31, 2009), City council OKs addition to Phoenix LDS temple, ABC15.com (KNXV-TV), archived from the original on January 16, 2013, retrieved November 2, 2012
  9. Reid, Betty (December 31, 2009), "Phoenix Mormon temple foes claim enough signatures to overturn council action", The Arizona Republic, retrieved November 2, 2012
  10. Reid, Betty (January 26, 2010), "Mormon Church will lower height of Phoenix temple", The Arizona Republic, retrieved November 2, 2012
    (Note the height of the steeple was not addressed in the news reports.)
  11. Reid, Betty (February 5, 2010). "Phoenix Mormon temple backers, foes must wait for redesign". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  12. Reid, Betty (August 18, 2010), "LDS Church unveils Phoenix temple redesign", The Arizona Republic, retrieved November 2, 2012
  13. Sexton, Connie Cone (August 14, 2010), "Neighborhood to have meeting on height of Mormon temple", The Arizona Republic, retrieved November 2, 2012
  14. Adair, Jill B. (June 5, 2011), "Ground broken for Phoenix Arizona Temple", Church News, retrieved November 2, 2012
  15. Taylor, Scott (June 5, 2011), "Mormon temple in Phoenix now started", Deseret News, retrieved November 2, 2012
  16. Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
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