CENTRAL, ARIZ.
As construction on The Gila Valley Arizona Temple progressed day by day over the past 14 months, so did testimonies, conversions, reactivations and commitments to being worthy to attend the temple.
Since ground was broken Feb. 14, 2009, Church leaders in seven stakes comprising the new temple district have seen miracles happen in the lives of people.
"It has been an incredible experience," said Bishop Vaughn Grant of the Pima 4th Ward, Pima Arizona Stake. "It's the Lord's work, but to see it happen so quickly is nothing short of a miracle," he said. "There has been an incredible increase of the Spirit here."
He has witnessed the effects of that Spirit in lives that are changing and families that are being blessed.
His ward has already had 14 baptisms of those whose spiritual conversions are linked to the temple being built or from experiences during the recent open house. "Ours is just one of many wards where this is happening," he said.
The temple is on Highway 70 — the main route through the communities of Pima, Central, Thatcher and Safford along the Gila River in eastern Arizona. More than 90,800 people attended the temple's public open house from April 23 to May 15.
Mark Bryce, temple committee coordinator, said that while a temple open house is not designed for the purpose of proselytizing, it happens anyway because of the abundance of the Spirit.
He said that one woman stopped a tour while in the baptismal font area and asked, "What is this? I feel the most peaceful feeling I've ever felt in my life."
She was not alone in her experience as many visitors were so overcome by deep, spiritual feelings, especially in the sealing rooms and celestial room, that tears would flow and as they left the temple they wanted to learn more.
"These people were moved upon by the Spirit to come here," he said. "Why else would that many people come to this obscure, mountain valley in the desert of Arizona — was it to see a building or outstanding art?" he asked, then answering: "No. Without a doubt, we have been part of a miracle; the Spirit of the Lord brought many thousands of choice souls to The Gila Valley."
Temple president Keith Crockett said wonderful things occurred during the open house and that it went smoothly in large part because of the help of more than 2,500 volunteers who served as ushers and tour guides as well as helping with parking, security, refreshments and cleaning.
He is sure that attitude of service will continue as the temple officially opens.
"Everywhere we go we are told, 'We'll do anything, just let us serve in the temple,' " he said.
Those who live in the neighboring communities and in outlying areas in southeastern Arizona and western New Mexico — about 22,000 Latter-day Saints will benefit by the closeness of the new temple — are overwhelmed and humbled by the blessing that has come to them.
"After all these years of hoping and praying for a temple, I feel that the Lord has accepted our love, desire and willingness to serve and has granted this blessing," said Jeanette Mulleneaux of Thatcher, Ariz.
She and her husband, Ladd, who were born in The Gila Valley in 1932, have heard stories and seen the faithfulness of the saints in attending the temple, even though it was never convenient.
For those who came as early as 1879 to settle the area under the direction of Brigham Young, the closest temple was in St. George, Utah.
Many made the 600-mile trip in wagons to be married or sealed as families. Because so many couples from throughout eastern Arizona made the trip — despite the arduous, monthlong journey across some of Arizona's harshest terrain — it became known as the Honeymoon Trail.
After Arizona's first temple was dedicated in 1927 in Mesa, a temple trip was made shorter, but it was still not easy to travel on winding roads through steep mountain grades and across hot and arid desert land.
A new highway constructed in the mid 1950s finally gave a direct route to the Mesa Temple — from The Gila Valley, the drive was about three hours — and the Latter-day Saints of eastern Arizona were committed to regularly attending the temple.
"I think it was a common thought that we needed to be down there every single month," said Bishop Grant. "If we missed a month it was a big deal and we better go twice next month."
Many were committed to even more: Hundreds served as temple workers, making the weekly trip to Mesa from throughout the new temple district — some as far away as a six-hour drive.
"We all wonder why on earth we have this blessing of a temple," Bishop Grant said. "We'll never think we deserve it — like most blessings from the Lord, we are blessed much more than we'll ever deserve.
“Now we feel the weight and responsibility of making good use of the temple,” he added. “We want to keep it busy, to have it bless the lives of others and to use it for what it was intended for — the work of the Lord.”
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