PHOENIX — Northern Arizona will soon be home to a new Latter-day Saints temple. Church President Russell M. Nelson announced Sunday that Flagstaff is one of 15 new global sites selected for future temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The announcement was made during the church’s semiannual General Conference, where Nelson expressed gratitude for the growing pace of temple construction.
“We are grateful to the Lord for the acceleration of temple building in recent years,” Nelson said in a video message. “Under His direction, today we announce plans to construct a temple in each of these 15 locations.”
Temples are considered the most sacred places of worship by church members and are distinct from regular meetinghouses. They serve as locations for sacred ordinances, including eternal marriages and proxy baptisms.
With the Flagstaff location, Arizona now has nine temples that are either operating, under construction, or announced. Current operating temples are located in Mesa, Gilbert, Phoenix, Snowflake, the Gila Valley, and Tucson. Two others — in Queen Creek and Yuma — are under development.
The Church says there are about 450,000 Latter-day Saints in Arizona, a presence that dates back to the winter of 1846. Arizona has the fourth-largest LDS population in the United States.
Since becoming president of the Church in 2018, Nelson has announced more than 200 new temples worldwide — a significant expansion that reflects the faith’s global growth and emphasis on temple worship.
