Mission guide
Arizona Tempe Mission
The Arizona Tempe Mission serves in the desert Southwest with English and Spanish-speaking missionaries.
- English
- Spanish
Arizona Tempe Mission shirts
Every style made for this mission, printed when you order.
Arizona Tempe Mission T-Shirt
$29.00
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Arizona Tempe Mission Heart Map Shirt
$29.00
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Arizona Tempe 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 use English and Spanish. Arizona has hot, dry weather, so families may want to prepare missionaries for strong sun and high summer temperatures.
At a glance
- Country
- United States, Arizona
- Main city
- Tempe, 180,587 residents (2020)
- Mission organized
- August 1, 1969
- Time zone
- Arizona time (UTC−7)
- Climate
- Hot-desert climate with very warm days, low annual rainfall, and wide day-to-night temperature changes
- Church in Arizona
- 442,094 members, 120 stakes, 892 congregations
A short history of the area
Darrell Duppa suggested the name Tempe in 1879 after comparing the area near Hayden Butte with Greece’s Vale of Tempe. In 1885, Tempe was selected as the site of the Territorial Normal School, which later became Arizona State University. The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad reached Tempe in 1887, and Roosevelt Dam was completed in 1911.
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.
- 1877–1879Wagon companies from Utah and Idaho helped Fort Utah grow into an established farming community.
- 1927The Mesa Arizona Temple, the first temple in Arizona, was dedicated on October 23.
- 1969The Arizona Mission was organized on August 1. It later became the Arizona Tempe Mission.
- 1973Spencer W. Kimball, a native of Thatcher, Arizona, became the Church’s 12th President.
- 1974The Arizona Mission was renamed the Arizona Tempe Mission on June 20.
Temples nearby
Mesa Arizona Temple
Dedicated October 23, 1927 · Near Tempe
Gilbert Arizona Temple
Dedicated March 2, 2014 · Near Tempe
Phoenix Arizona Temple
Dedicated November 16, 2014 · Near Tempe
Queen Creek Arizona Temple
Announced · About 20 miles from Tempe
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
- Buenos díasGood morning
- ¿Cómo está?How are you?
- GraciasThank you
- Por favorPlease
Foods to try
- Cold Stone ice cream (Cold Stone Creamery began in Tempe, and location #0001 remains open there)
Fun facts
- Tempe is home to the main and first campus of Arizona State University.
- Culdesac Tempe opened in 2023 as the nation’s first zero-driving community.
- In 2018, Tempe was the location of the first reported killing of a pedestrian by a self-driving car.
Just got the call?
Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.