Eager visitors enjoy grounds, new center
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MESA, Ariz. — After extensive renovations, and in an effort to create something unique to Arizona, the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors Center officially opened on Nov. 28 to coincide with the start of the temple Christmas lights season.
On opening night, visitors — who were eager to see what was inside — filled the newly remodeled building. The crowds continued and even increased during opening weekend. Visitors Center Director Elder Bruce R. Christensen estimated that nearly 3,000 people came in nightly before or after viewing the Christmas lights.
Here they found new exhibits and although some are duplicated in other of the Church's visitors centers, many were created in such a way as to make them unique to Arizona.
The original visitors center was built in the 1950s, and completely renovated and expanded in 1981. In April of this year the building was closed and the only thing that remained unchanged after seven months of remodeling was the 15-foot tall marble "Christus" statue, which is considered the "focal point" of the center.
While the statue, which was cleaned and polished, stands in the same location, the surrounding area has been changed. According to Mark Lusvardi, manager of Church exhibits, initial plans for the backdrop were to make it similar to the one on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. After further discussion, it was decided that the midnight blue background did not fit Arizona. Instead it was painted with a lighter blue, a bright sun, and southwestern colors, which better represents the Arizona sky.
Among other areas is the "centerpiece exhibit" called "God's Plan for His Children," which is new not only to the Mesa Visitors Center, but is the only one the Church has created anywhere.
"The purpose of this exhibit is to teach a message about the Restoration and its applicability to families," said Brother Lusvardi.
The presentation begins in a baby's room where a video on a large plasma television screen shows a couple discussing their concerns as parents as they welcome a new baby to their family. Guests are then invited along a path as they watch the child grow up and experience common situations in family life, including the death of beloved grandparents and questions about life and death that come from that type of situation.
The tour ends with a video presentation revealing God's plan for His children, covering what is essentially the first missionary discussion that teaches about the role of Jesus Christ and His gospel, the apostasy, the Restoration, and eternal families.
The tour reiterates what the Proclamation on the Family states: "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."
Other areas in the visitors center include a family exhibit where houses designed after actual local homes serve as a backdrop for videos of children and the Homefront television spots series. This area is considered a resource area for families and includes FamilySearch on computer terminals.
Several theaters are showing the new film, "The First Vision," which was released in November and is being shown in only three visitors centers. There is also a Book of Mormon table, featuring the scriptures in languages from around the world, touch-screen computers to answer questions about the scriptures, and an interactive relief map of Jerusalem, which focuses on locations where the Savior spent the last few days of His mortal life.
President Nigel Wappett of the Arizona Mesa Mission said that the missionaries are thrilled with the new visitors center. "We really think it is going to be a tremendously effective tool for teaching," he said.
It is also inviting for those who speak Spanish. Half of the sister missionaries who serve in the visitors center speak Spanish and most of the tours and exhibits are offered in both English and Spanish. There are also several other languages available, if needed. "They wanted this to be very Arizona," said President Wappett, "and something that people here can identify with."
Outside the visitors center, an estimated 600,000 Christmas lights adorn trees, shrubbery, fences, walkways and the reflecting pond. Other displays include deer, camels and wise men, and a near life-size creche scene.
The Christmas lights will be on daily 5:30 to 10 p.m. through Jan. 2. Musical concerts are presented nightly at 7 p.m. through Dec. 31.
