Mesa Arizona Temple, Religious building in Mesa, United States.
The Mesa Arizona Temple is a two-story concrete and terracotta-tile building in Mesa, Arizona, designed by Don Carlos Young Jr. and Ramm Hansen in a neoclassical style without spires. Its flat roof carries sculpted friezes, and twelve pairs of Corinthian pilasters line the long sides, ten pairs the short sides. Eight low-relief frieze panels show people gathering from the Old and New Worlds and the Pacific Islands.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built this structure between 1922 and 1927 as the first of its kind in Arizona. Its construction occurred during a period of growth and expansion for the religious community throughout the American Southwest.
Since 1938 the temple grounds have hosted an annual Christmas light display that includes a nativity scene and draws more than 75,000 visitors each year. The site also hosts an Easter pageant, described as the world's largest annual outdoor Easter drama. Missionaries staff the visitors' centre and grounds, and the public is welcome to walk through the gardens.
The grounds are open to visitors during daytime hours who can explore the exterior and garden areas. It is helpful to arrive early, especially during Easter performances, when large crowds are expected.
In 1945 it began conducting ceremonies in Spanish, becoming the first worldwide to do so. This opened religious practice to Spanish-speaking members and set an important precedent for future expansions.
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