MESA, ARIZ.
One hundred and thirty years ago Latter-day Saint settlers began colonizing what would become the state of Arizona. While initial efforts were futile, overcoming obstacles was their common lot. Severe hardships came in the form of harsh temperatures, isolation from Church leaders in Utah, drought, crop failures, difficulties with neighbors and floods, but still they were undaunted.
Eventually, more than 30 colonies were started throughout Arizona. The greatest concentration and development started in the Salt River Valley in the central part of the state with the founding of Lehi in 1877 and Mesa the following year. Phoenix was a distant neighbor to the west.
Resurrecting an ancient Indian canal system made life in the desert possible; later automobiles, dams and reservoirs and air conditioning made it easier.
The area, nicknamed "Valley of the Sun," grew steadily. Other towns sprang up — connecting the dots — including Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, Apache Junction, Queen Creek on the east side and Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Goodyear and Buckeye on the west.
During the past decade, population increased at an explosive rate. Phoenix, the state capital, recently surpassed Philadelphia as the country's fifth largest city with 1.5 million residents and construction in its suburban towns kicked into high gear, bringing the total population of the valley to nearly 4 million.
According to a US Census Bureau report last year, Gilbert and Chandler, in the southeast part of the valley, and Peoria in the northwest, were named in the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the country. Some have grown nearly 300 percent in the last few years.
All of this makes Arizona one of the fastest growing states, with a current population of more than 6 million, not counting many thousands of "snowbirds" from other states and Canada who, drawn by the warm climate, take up temporary residence here each winter.
Church membership in Arizona has also flourished; nearly 400,000 members are divided among 87 in 2008 stakes. Additional stakes are frequently created and leaders struggle to meet demand for meetinghouses.
In the valley, where 65 percent of Church members live, five new stakes were organized since last fall in neighborhoods of tremendous growth including Goodyear and Maricopa, two more in the Queen Creek area and another one in Mesa.
Mesa has grown in Church membership more than any other community in the state. There are now 20 stakes covering the city. The first Arizona temple came to Mesa, being dedicated in 1927 and rededicated in 1975 after expansion and remodeling.
Prior to 1927, members throughout Arizona traveled to the St. George Temple in Utah. So many bridal parties traversed the trail during the early years that the wagon road to St. George became known as the "Honeymoon Trail."
For more than 50 years the Mesa Temple served much of the Southwest, Mexico and Central America and was the first to offer sessions in Spanish.
A smaller temple was built and dedicated in Snowflake in 2002, serving 11 stakes in northeastern Arizona.
Currently, 74 stakes are in the Mesa Temple district. The Church's Temple Department reports that, outside of Utah, the Mesa Temple is the busiest one in the world.
So Church members rejoiced when President Thomas S. Monson announced last month plans to build two new temples in Arizona, one in southeast Gilbert and the other one in the Gila Valley; and then at the announcement last week of plans to build another temple in Phoenix.
The three new temples are the first to be announced by President Monson since he became president of the Church on Feb. 3.
"It is my personal priority to make sure members of the Church have access to the blessings of the temple," said President Monson, in the April 28 announcement of the new temples in Gilbert and Gila Valley. "It is here where members learn of their divine origin and destiny; where they are strengthened spiritually as individuals and as families. Temples are sanctuaries from the storms of life."
Church leaders believe these future temples honor early Arizona pioneers as well as present-day members.
"How blessed we are to have announcements of these new temples," said Elder James J. Hamula, an East Valley resident who was called as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in April after eight years as an Area Seventy. "It is a tribute to the vision of our prophet and the faithfulness of our people here who have been faithful for many, many years."
"We have seen such dramatic growth in the Phoenix metropolitan area," he said. "Even though that has slowed a bit with the recent downturn in the economy, we are still seeing a pattern of significant growth."
He believes four areas contributing to growth are: The consistent and steady growth in convert baptisms; families that move to the area for affordable housing, weather and favorable market conditions; young people who were raised here choose to remain to raise their families; and Hispanic immigration.
"I think we will see continued growth for many years to come," he said.
Elder W. Douglas Shumway of the Seventy and a native Arizonan, said of the new temples, "It's a blessing to the dedicated saints in Arizona who love the Lord. These temples will bless the families and lives of the saints and bring them closer to their Father in Heaven through ordinances and temple attendance."
"We were shocked, surprised and elated," said Gilbert Arizona San Tan Stake President Matthew L. Riggs of the announcement of a temple within his stake's boundaries in southeast Gilbert near the western edge of Queen Creek.
"It will be a lot more convenient to the many members of our stake who have young families; more will be able to go." He said it will also make temple attendance more available for so many in areas further south and east who have been a part of a warp-speed transition from rural to urban.
On the other side of town, Surprise Arizona Stake President Alvin B. Hancock, who has seen his stake double in size in three years, said a temple in Phoenix will be a great blessing to the members on the west side of the Valley.
"Phoenix is not an easy town to cross," he said. "The traffic is atrocious and time consuming."
G. Wesley Wagner, president of the Peoria Arizona North Stake, said having a temple closer will be a particular blessing to the older members of his stake, many who live in the large retirement communities of Sun City and Sun City West. One ward charters a bus once a month to take more than 50 members to the temple for two sessions, leaving at 7:30 a.m. and returning at 4 p.m. Many in the ward make the nearly 90-minute, one-way drive weekly.
"We have many faithful souls who make that trek across the valley and the Lord is blessing them," said Sun City Ward Bishop Stan Buell.
Ward member Linda Slocum helps with the bus arrangements. "There is just no easy way to get to the temple through all the traffic," she said. She is thrilled at the prospect of a closer temple. "We are so excited; we never thought we'd see the day!"
Temple President Ezra T. Clark Jr., who oversees 1,600 temple workers in the Mesa Arizona Temple, said many workers and patrons drive nearly three hours from the Gila Valley, in the eastern part of the state, which includes the Mormon-settled towns of Thatcher, Safford, Pima and Central. He is glad they can also look forward to having a temple in their area.
"A lot of faithful brothers and sisters come from the Gila Valley," he said. President Spencer W. Kimball, 12th president of the Church who served from 1973-1985, was reared in the community of Thatcher.
President Clark said he is confident great blessings will come to the people of Arizona as these temples are built and dedicated, ensuring less travel time, more availability, more opportunities for temple workers, increased interest in family history work and resulting temple work, more opportunities for youth to do baptisms, more temple worship and service.
"Bringing temples closer to the people allows more of them to participate in the magnificent blessings that are there," he said. "Many very sacred and spiritual things will occur."
