TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 13, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dedicated the Tucson Arizona Temple on Sunday, making it the state’s sixth Mormon temple and the 157th worldwide.
The dedication capped off a summer of celebrations, including one Saturday evening when thousands gathered in Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium to watch 2,100 young Latter-day Saints present the church’s history in Arizona through song and dance.
There are currently more than 423,000 Latter-day Saints in the state.
“The temple is such a wonderful sign of light and of purpose, which is the purpose, which is heavenly, even the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Uchtdorf, during Sunday’s dedication.
Uchtdorf then placed mortar around the temple’s cornerstone
The announcement to build the Tucson Temple was made by LDS President Thomas S. Monson during the October 2012 general conference, and construction began shortly thereafter.
The LDS Church released a statement which explained Latter-day Saint temples differ from meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services.
“Temples are considered ‘houses of the Lord,'” the statement read. “Where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity.”
