Gila Valley Temple Groundbreaking

Eastern Arizona Courier


New LDS temple breaks ground
By Jon Johnson Assistant Editor

Construction for The Gila Valley Arizona Temple officially began Saturday when local and world leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints overturned the ceremonial first shovel of dirt.
With a snow-capped Mount Graham serving as a picturesque background, the leaders, including Safford Arizona Stake President Mark Herrington and Pima Arizona Stake President Mark Bryce, struck their golden spades into the ground. Bryce also conducted the ceremony.
More than 1,700 people braved the crisp morning air and attended the event, while another 1,530 viewed an Internet simulcast at various stake centers throughout southern Arizona and western New Mexico.
Temples are sacred buildings to members of the church and differ greatly from the church's meeting houses.
Elder Neil L. Andersen, the senior president of the Presidency of the Seventy, was the featured speaker at the ceremony and gave a dedicatory prayer.
Andersen said it was fitting the ceremony was taking place on Valentine's Day due to the special link with God members receive inside the temple, allowing them to be with their wives and families forever.
"What does Valentine's Day mean when we think of these great words of the Savior to Peter, and again said in our day, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven," Andersen said.
Temple Department Executive Director Elder William R. Walker said the temple is scheduled to become the 137th operating LDS temple in the world. Construction is expected to take 12 to 18 months.
According to Walker, the temple will have two sealing rooms, one large and one small, and will be set up for a progressive presentation of the temple ceremony.
"It will be a magnificent, beautiful temple, just perfect for this part of the Lord's vineyard," Walker said.
According to a news release from the LDS Church, the temple will be 18,561 square feet and will feature steel and concrete, architectural precast stone and cherry and natural maple woods. The temple will serve approximately 32,000 members, according to the release.
Elder Andersen told the Courier that temples are a positive addition to any community. Whenever a temple is put in place, good things happen<” he said. I’ve seen it around the world. It will be a good thing for all people whether they are members of our faith. or not.” Saturday Feb 13. The grand day is here and I have just returned from the groundbreaking of the soon to be the Gila Valley Arizona Temple. My Granddaughter Shannon was here and we dressed up nice and warm and walked over to the Stake Ball park where the temple will be built and we were able to set up front and really see all that was going on. Seventy Elder Neil L Andersen cam and shook our hands and even though it was cold and we could not feel our feet this handshake was warm and his smile was great. It was so beautiful there with the Eastern Arizona Collage Choir singing and the snow on the Mountain. I’m so happy I was there on the spot and was able to feel the great Sprite that was there. Something that was really great was we were able to look up a prophesy that had been spoken in 18978 by the Apostle John W Taylor when he was at a stake conference e here in the valley and he prophesied that one of the most beautiful temples ever to be built among the saints in the Rocky Mountains would be built in the Gila Valley. That just give me chills? What a wonderful blessing comes from the Lord. I can still fell the presents of all those good people who have gone on before cheering the fact that the temple is coming.’ I'm happy to be living in this wonderful valley. Just a little personal note about 6 months after Paris passed away I had decided this place was to much ;work and I should sell. I put the place up for sale and showed it to a few people and one night I had a dream that I could here Paris talking on the phone. He was saying Lilly should not sell this is our home and we have worked hard for it. .I thought about the dream all morning and could not get it out of my head about noon that day a couple from Tucson came to give me an offer and I had to tell them it was no longer for sale. What a wise man Paris is. Looking out for his family from above.