The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona
In today's world, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona has become a topic of increasing interest to people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether due to its historical relevance, its impact on current society or its importance for the future, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona is a topic that does not leave anyone indifferent. Over the years, it has sparked debates, provoked changes and generated endless research and studies in different disciplines. In this article, we will explore the many facets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona, analyzing its influence on various aspects of our daily lives and society as a whole.
Aspect of church and state history
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona
*Membership was published as a rounded number. Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Arizona
The first presence of Latter-day Saints in Arizona was the Mormon Battalion. They marched through what is now southern Arizona in 1846 on the way to California as part of the Mexican–American War. They encountered wild cattle bulls and killed several of them in defense. They passed through Tucson (then a town of 400–500 inhabitants) causing an attachment of Mexican Forces to flee. They camped at the mouth of the Gila River before entering California.
Northern Arizona settlements
The next time Latter-day Saints entered the area was in 1858 and 1859, when Jacob Hamblin and his companions camped at Pipe Spring in the northwestern part of present-day Arizona. They did this while journeying to and from their missions among the Moqui (Hopi) Indians east of the Colorado River.
During the 1860s and 1870s, LDS parties explored portions of the area searching for possible settlement sites. Also during this period, isolated ranches and small Mormon settlements were established at Short Creek (now Colorado City), Pipe Spring, Beaver Dam and neighboring Littlefield, and Lee's Ferry, all in the area between the Utah border and the Grand Canyon known as the Arizona Strip.
The first effort at large-scale LDS colonization came in March 1873 when a group of Latter-day Saints was sent from Utah to the Little Colorado River drainage under the direction of Horton D. Height. The colonizers turned back, discouraged by the poor prospects, but a few returned the following year and began farming among the Native Americans at Moencopi. Local hostilities forced the colonists to leave again after a month. A year later, James S. Brown led another small colonizing group that successfully settled at Moencopi, then began exploring the surrounding area. Following these explorations, a large group of settlers, led by Lot Smith, arrived in the spring of 1876 and established four settlements on the Little Colorado, which they called Ballenger's Camp (later renamed Brigham City), Sunset, Obed and Allen City (later renamed St. Joseph, and then Joseph City), along with a support settlement near Mormon Lake with a sawmill, dairy and tannery.
Central and southern Arizona settlements
Daniel W. Jones was commissioned by Brigham Young to start a Mormon colony within the Salt River Valley of the Arizona Territory. The settlement party arrived at what would become Lehi, Arizona in March 1877. Jones' invitation to local Native Americans to live with them became a point of controversy, and half of the initial colony left, moving on to found St. David, Arizona. In February 1878 the First Mesa Company arrived in Lehi. Rather than accepting an invitation to settle at Jones' settlement, they moved to the top of the mesa, and founded Mesa, Arizona. They dug irrigation canals, incorporating the original Hohokam canals in some places, and within a couple of months water was flowing through them.
Pima was founded in 1879 by Mormon settlers relocating from Forrest Dale, after that location was declared to be on tribal land. Originally named Smithville, it was unlike other Mormon settlements of the era, not being planned by the leaders of the church. Joseph K. Rogers was the first branch president at Pima, being appointed to this office before the settlers arrived. The branch was organized into a ward in 1880. In 1930 the total population of Pima was 980, 666 of whom were LDS, and a total of 1,260 people resided within the Pima ward boundaries.
County Statistics
List of LDS Church adherents in each county as of 2010 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives: Note: Each county adherent count reflects meetinghouse location of congregation and not by location of residence. The census count reflects location of residence, which may skew percent of population where adherents reside in a different county as their congregational meetinghouse.
As of August 2023, the following stakes were located in Arizona:
Stake
Organized
Mission
Temple
Buckeye Arizona Stake
13 Dec 1987
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Casa Grande Arizona Stake
13 Oct 1991
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Centennial Arizona Stake
13 Nov 2016
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Chandler Arizona East Stake
17 Sep 2006
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Chandler Arizona South Stake
28 Feb 2016
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Chandler Arizona Stake
3 Dec 1978
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Chandler Arizona West Stake
20 Oct 1996
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Chinle Arizona Stake
30 Sep 1990
New Mexico Farmington
Snowflake Arizona
Cottonwood Arizona Stake
22 Jan 1978
Arizona Flagstaff
Phoenix Arizona
Duncan Arizona Stake
24 Sep 1978
Arizona Tucson
Gila Valley
Eagar Arizona Stake
25 Jan 1987
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Flagstaff Arizona East Stake
7 May 2017
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Flagstaff Arizona West Stake
23 Sep 1956
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Gateway Stake
17 Apr 2016
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Greenfield Stake
24 Aug 1975
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Highland East Stake
24 Nov 1996
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Highland West Stake
20 May 2012
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Higley Stake
31 Oct 2004
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona San Tan Stake
3 Dec 2000
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Seville Stake
17 Feb 2008
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Stake
18 May 1997
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Stapley Stake
11 Oct 1981
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Superstition Springs Stake
12 Nov 2017
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Val Vista Stake
22 Nov 1987
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona Williams Field Stake
28 Apr 2013
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona YSA Stake
10 Jun 2012
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Glendale Arizona North Stake
15 Feb 1981
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Glendale Arizona Stake
6 May 1973
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Globe Arizona Stake
16 Jun 1974
Arizona Mesa
Gilbert Arizona
Goodyear Arizona Stake
9 Dec 2007
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Holbrook Arizona Stake
22 Nov 1970
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Kanab Utah Kaibab Stake
3 May 1987
Utah St George
St. George Utah
Kingman Arizona Stake
21 Aug 1983
Nevada Las Vegas
Las Vegas Nevada
Kirtland New Mexico Stake
19 Sep 1982
New Mexico Farmington
Albuquerque New Mexico
Lake Havasu City Arizona Stake
14 Mar 1976
Nevada Las Vegas
Las Vegas Nevada
Marana Arizona Stake
25 Oct 2015
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
Maricopa Arizona Stake
9 Dec 2007
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Mesa Arizona Alma Stake
10 Oct 1971
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Mesa Arizona Alta Mesa Stake
14 Mar 1999
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Boulder Creek Stake
5 Dec 1999
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Mesa Arizona Central Stake
10 May 1981
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Citrus Heights Stake
20 Sep 1992
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Clearview Stake
12 Jun 2016
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Desert Ridge Stake
18 Jan 2004
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Mesa Arizona East Stake
20 Nov 1955
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Eastmark Stake
11 Jan 2015
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Mesa Arizona Flatiron Stake
1 May 2016
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Hermosa Vista Stake
21 Oct 2007
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Kimball East Stake
14 Jan 1990
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Kimball Stake
25 Nov 1979
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Lehi Stake
6 May 1979
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Maricopa North Stake
27 Feb 2000
Arizona Phoenix
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Maricopa Stake
10 Dec 1882
Arizona Phoenix
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Mountain View Stake
25 Jan 1987
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona North Stake
7 Nov 1971
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Red Mountain Stake
6 Mar 2016
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Salt River Stake
15 Feb 1976
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Skyline Stake
3 Jun 2001
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona South Stake
18 Nov 1962
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona Stake
8 Dec 1946
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona YSA East Stake
10 Jun 2012
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Mesa Arizona YSA West Stake
10 Jun 2012
Arizona Phoenix
Mesa Arizona
Mesquite Nevada East Stake
13 Feb 1994
Utah St George
St. George Utah
Page Arizona Stake
10 Mar 1974
New Mexico Farmington
Snowflake Arizona
Paradise Valley Arizona Stake
9 Sep 1979
Arizona Phoenix
Mesa Arizona
Payson Arizona Stake
9 Apr 2000
Arizona Flagstaff
Mesa Arizona
Peoria Arizona North Stake
27 Feb 2000
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Peoria Arizona Stake
22 Feb 1987
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Peralta Trail Arizona Stake
16 Nov 1986
Arizona Mesa
Mesa Arizona
Phoenix Arizona Deer Valley Stake
8 Feb 1981
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix Arizona Desert Hills Stake
16 Oct 2016
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix Arizona East Stake
28 Mar 1954
Arizona Phoenix
Mesa Arizona
Phoenix Arizona North Stake
19 Jan 1958
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix Arizona South Mountain Stake
21 Aug 2016
Arizona Tempe
Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix Arizona Stake
27 Feb 1938
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake
9 Oct 2016
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix Arizona West Maricopa Stake
5 Mar 1978
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix Arizona YSA Stake
10 Jun 2012
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Pima Arizona Stake
17 Nov 1991
Arizona Tucson
Gila Valley
Prescott Arizona Stake
7 Jun 1970
Arizona Flagstaff
Phoenix Arizona
Prescott Valley Arizona Stake
13 Mar 2011
Arizona Flagstaff
Phoenix Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona Central Stake
10 Apr 2016
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona East Stake
31 Oct 2004
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona Empire Stake
29 Jan 2023
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona Heritage Stake
13 Sep 2020
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona North Stake
17 Feb 2008
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona Ocotillo Stake
14 Jan 2018
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona South Stake
30 Oct 2005
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona Stake
27 Oct 2002
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Queen Creek Arizona West Stake
21 Sep 2014
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Safford Arizona Stake
20 Feb 1938
Arizona Tucson
Gila Valley
Sahuarita Arizona Stake
21 Jun 2009
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
San Tan Valley Arizona North Stake
21 Aug 2016
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
San Tan Valley Arizona Stake
16 Mar 2014
Arizona Gilbert
Gilbert Arizona
Scottsdale Arizona Camelback Stake
22 Mar 1981
Arizona Phoenix
Mesa Arizona
Scottsdale Arizona North Stake
9 Dec 1962
Arizona Phoenix
Mesa Arizona
Show Low Arizona Stake
24 Nov 1974
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Sierra Vista Arizona Stake
6 Jun 1982
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
Silver Creek Arizona Stake
30 Nov 1980
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Snowflake Arizona Stake
18 Dec 1887
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
St David Arizona Stake
2 Mar 1941
Arizona Tucson
Gila Valley
St Johns Arizona Stake
23 Jul 1887
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Surprise Arizona North Stake
16 Aug 2009
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Surprise Arizona Stake
16 Jan 2005
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Surprise Arizona West Stake
11 Dec 2016
Arizona Phoenix
Phoenix Arizona
Tempe Arizona South Stake
18 Jan 1976
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Tempe Arizona Stake
2 Feb 1964
Arizona Tempe
Mesa Arizona
Tempe Arizona West Stake
8 Jan 1989
Arizona Tempe
Gilbert Arizona
Tempe Arizona YSA Stake
12 Dec 1971
Arizona Tempe
Mesa Arizona
Thatcher Arizona Stake
25 Feb 1883
Arizona Tucson
Gila Valley
Tuba City Arizona Stake
25 Jun 1995
New Mexico Farmington
Snowflake Arizona
Tucson Arizona East Stake
6 Nov 1977
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
Tucson Arizona North Stake
2 Feb 1969
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
Tucson Arizona Rincon Stake
3 Mar 1985
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
Tucson Arizona South Stake
6 Dec 2015
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
Tucson Arizona Stake
2 Dec 1956
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
Tucson Arizona West Stake
24 Nov 1996
Arizona Tucson
Tucson Arizona
White Mountain Arizona Stake
26 Mar 1995
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Winslow Arizona Stake
17 Sep 1978
Arizona Flagstaff
Snowflake Arizona
Yuma Arizona Stake
27 Apr 1958
Arizona Tempe
San Diego California
^ abcStake located outside Arizona with congregation(s) meeting in Arizona
Missions
On March 7, 1943, the Navajo-ZuniMission was organized, and specialized with teaching Native Americans in their language. This was renamed the Southwest Indian Mission on January 1, 1949, and again the New Mexico-Arizona Mission on October 10, 1972. It was discontinued and transferred into the Arizona Phoenix Mission on July 1, 1984.
On August 1, 1969, the Arizona Mission was organized from the California South Mission, and was renamed the Arizona Tempe Mission on June 20, 1974.
As of February 2023, Arizona was now home to six missions.
On October 23, 1927, the Mesa Arizona Temple was dedicated. Until that time, members had traveled to the St. George Temple. Because of all the bridal parties that traversed the trail during the early years, the wagon road between St. George and the Arizona settlements became known as the Honeymoon Trail. The Mesa Arizona Temple was the first temple in the Church to be rededicated (on April 15, 1975) after extensive remodeling and enlarging to accommodate increased attendance.
On March 3, 2002, a second Arizona temple was dedicated in Snowflake. Since then, a third, The Gila Valley Arizona Temple has been dedicated in Central, Arizona and three additional temples have been dedicated in Gilbert, Phoenix, and Tucson.
Snowflake, Arizona, U.S. April 2, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley September 23, 2000 by Rex D. Pinegar March 3, 2002 by Gordon B. Hinckley 18,621 sq ft (1,729.9 m2) on a 7.5-acre (3.0 ha) site Classic modern, single-spire design - designed by Trest Polina
Central, Arizona, United States April 26, 2008 by Thomas S. Monson February 14, 2009 by Neil L. Andersen May 23, 2010 by Thomas S. Monson 18,561 sq ft (1,724.4 m2) on a 17-acre (6.9 ha) site {{{design}}} - designed by Gregory B. Lambright
Gilbert, Arizona, U.S. April 26, 2008 by Thomas S. Monson November 13, 2010 by Claudio R. M. Costa March 2, 2014 by Henry B. Eyring & Thomas S. Monson 85,326 sq ft (7,927.0 m2) on a 15.38-acre (6.22 ha) site Neoclassical center spire Announced by Thomas S. Monson on April 26, 2008, to be built on the southeast corner of Pecos and Greenfield Roads. A public open house was held from January 18 to February 15, 2014. The temple was formally dedicated on March 2, 2014.
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. May 24, 2008 by Thomas S. Monson June 4, 2011 by Ronald A. Rasband November 16, 2014 by Thomas S. Monson 64,870 sq ft (6,027 m2) on a 5.19-acre (2.10 ha) site A public open house was held from October 10 to November 1, 2014.
Latter-day Saints have had a significant role in establishing, settling, and/or populating communities within the "Mormon Corridor", including the following in Arizona:
^Turner, D. L.; Ellis, Catherine H. (2009), Latter-Day Saints in Mesa, Images of America, Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, pp. 9, 126, ISBN9780738558578
Abruzzi, William S. (1993), Dam that river!: ecology and Mormon settlement in the Little Colorado River Basin, Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, ISBN0819191264, OCLC27814216
Garrett, H. Dean; Clark V. Johnson (1989). Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: Arizona. Provo, Utah: Department of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University. ISBN0-8425-2370-7. OCLC22014464.
Herman, Daniel J. (2010), Hell on the Range: A Story of Honor, Conscience, and the American West, New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, ISBN9780300137361, OCLC601348221
Peterson, Charles Sharon (1967). Settlement on the Little Colorado, 1873–1900: a study of the processes and institutions of Mormon expansion (Ph. D. thesis). Dept. of History, University of Utah. OCLC3681211.
Smith, Sophronia (1937). A historical survey of the northeastern section of Arizona, its settlement and development into Latter-Day Saint Stakes, 1876–1937 (M.S. thesis). Brigham Young University. OCLC18939235.
Ward, Margery W.; Dye, Della L.; Conrad, Kathryn (1974), Register of the records of Mormon settlements in Arizona, Salt Lake City: Special Collections Dept., University of Utah, OCLC2569009
Williams, Oran Adna (1957). Settlement and growth of the Gila Valley in Graham county as a Mormon colony, 1879–1900 (M.A. thesis). Dept. of History, University of Arizona. OCLC28230204.
Young, Valerie P. (2005). The "Honeymoon Trail": link to community and a sense of place in the Little Colorado River settlements of Arizona, 1877–1927 (M.S. thesis). Utah State University. OCLC60858535.
Webb, Rhonda; Goodman, Arleen (2003), Mormon pioneers of the San Pedro Valley: Saint David, Arizona, St. David, AZ: St. David Heritage and Cultural Arts Society, OCLC54848798