Mission guide
Arizona Phoenix West Mission
The Arizona Phoenix West Mission serves in the Valley of the Sun, where desert history and Church growth meet.
- English
- Spanish
Arizona Phoenix West Mission shirts
Every style made for this mission, printed when you order.
Arizona Phoenix West Mission T-Shirt
$29.00
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Arizona Phoenix West Mission Heart Map Shirt
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Arizona Phoenix West Mission Flag Map Shirt
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Choose size & color →I Glory in My Jesus, in the language of this mission
2 Nephi 33:6 as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
Weak Things Become Strong, in the language of this mission
"I make weak things become strong" (Ether 12:27) as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
About the mission
Missionaries speak English and Spanish. Families can expect both languages to be useful in daily life and Church service.
At a glance
- Country
- United States, Arizona
- Main city
- Phoenix, 1,608,139 people (2020)
- Time zone
- Mountain Standard Time (UTC−7)
- Climate
- Hot desert climate with very hot summers, mild winters, and about 7.22 inches of rain each year
- Church in Arizona
- 442,094 members, 120 stakes, 892 congregations
- Languages
- English and Spanish
A short history of the area
Phoenix was incorporated on February 25, 1881. It became the capital of the Arizona Territory in 1889 and the capital of Arizona when the state entered the Union in 1912. Earlier Hohokam irrigation canals helped shape the growth of the area.
The Church here
- 1854Jacob Hamblin was called to lead missionary efforts among Indigenous peoples in the area and began frequent trips to Arizona.
- 1876Latter-day Saint settlers began building forts and communities along the Little Colorado River Valley.
- 1877Daniel Webster Jones and Henry Clay Rogers established Fort Utah in the Salt River Valley.
- 1927The Mesa Arizona Temple, the first temple in Arizona, was dedicated on October 23.
- 1963The Phoenix West Mission was organized on September 1.
- 1973Spencer W. Kimball, a native of Thatcher, Arizona, became the Church’s 12th President.
- 1978The Phoenix West Maricopa Mission was organized on May 18.
- 1984The Arizona Phoenix Mission was created after the Arizona Holbrook Mission was discontinued.
Temples nearby
Phoenix Arizona Temple
Dedicated November 16, 2014 · Near Phoenix
Mesa Arizona Temple
Dedicated October 23, 1927 · About 25 miles from Phoenix
Gilbert Arizona Temple
Dedicated March 2, 2014 · About 25 miles from Phoenix
Queen Creek Arizona Temple
Announced · About 35 miles from Phoenix
The Book of Mormon here
Missionaries in this mission share the Book of Mormon in these languages. Tap a cover to read it free.
Cover art is an illustration. Links open the free edition on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Before you go
Phrases to learn
- HolaHello
- Buenos díasGood morning
- ¿Cómo está?How are you?
- GraciasThank you
Foods to try
- Mexican food (a major part of Phoenix’s local food culture)
- Barbecue (a well-known Phoenix dining tradition)
- Southwestern cuisine (regional food shaped by desert and borderland traditions)
- Tex-Mex cuisine (a popular regional style of Mexican-American food)
Fun facts
- The Hohokam people created about 135 miles of irrigation canals in the Phoenix area.
- Phoenix has the only thriving feral population of rosy-faced lovebirds in the United States.
- The first McDonald’s location to use the famous golden arches opened in Phoenix in 1953.
Just got the call?
Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.