The Gila Valley lies in eastern Arizona along the upper Gila River. It is a huge open east-west valley with high mountains to the south and a lower range to the north. The valley has a very long history of habitation, being full of Indian ruins and the remnants of ancient canals. The earliest European inhabitants came from Mexico. There were Mexican settlements as early as 1871. Other settlers came from parts of Arizona and elsewhere because of the rich mines in the area to the north of the valley.
The first explorers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints arrived in the valley in 1878 and settlement began the following year. Many of the prominent families in Arizona are descendants of these early pioneers. Throughout the long history of the LDS Church in the Gila Valley, the members have had to travel great distances and great personal expense to attend a Temple for marriages and to perform the sacred work for the dead. In April of 2008 the Church announced its intention to build a Temple in the Gila Valley. The Temple is now complete and an Open House has been ongoing since April 23, 2010. The Temple will be dedicated on May 23, 2010. Click here for pictures taken during the construction.
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