Inside the Tucson Arizona Latter-day Saint Temple

Latter-day Saints in southern Arizona are ready to welcome visitors to the Tucson Arizona Temple, which has been built among the saguaro cactus in southern Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. Complimentary tickets are now available for a public open house for the newly completed temple that will begin on Saturday, June 3, and continue through Saturday, June 24, 2017, except for the Sundays of June 4, 11 and 18.

“The temple is beautiful,” said local member Joshua Ramirez. “It's just like a big beacon.”

“I believe that when people come to visit the temple, they will feel something special as they visit the house of the Lord, as they come here and view the insides of this beautiful structure,” expressed member Daniel Post, who is excited the temple in Tucson has been completed.

Calvin Caldwell, project manager for the temple, explained that going to the temple is like finding an oasis in the desert. “They have that opportunity to take a deep breath and relax and all their worries kind of go away,” said Caldwell.

The design and colors inside the new 38,000-square-foot temple are influenced by the Art Deco style and reflect the green desert landscape of the American Southwest, including native plants, red cactus flowers and orange hues that represent the desert sun. Designers used the native ocotillo plant and the flower of the paddle cactus or prickly pear as inspiration for the décor, such as the art glass. Paintings feature stories of the ministry of Jesus Christ from the scriptures and desert scenery.