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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced where its new temple in Yuma will be built and released a rendering of the building.

The temple was originally announced by then-President Russell M. Nelson at the final session of the April 2024 general conference on Sunday.

"Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the house of the Lord and the most sacred places of worship on the earth," a news release from the church said. "The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church to receive peace, inspiration, and spiritual power as they enter into sacred agreements with God in His holy house."

The Yuma temple is one of three new LDS temples in Arizona that have been announced and are in various stages of planning and building.

Here's the latest information on the Yuma LDS temple.

Where will the Yuma LDS temple be built?

The Yuma LDS temple will be built at the corner of East 36th Street and South 8 East Avenue. The site is nearly seven acres.

What will the Yuma LDS temple look like?

The initial plans for the temple indicate it will be a single story building around 18,500 square feet. There will also be an ancillary building on the property.

The rendering released by the church shows an immaculate building similar in style to many of the church's new temples surrounded by desert gardens.

The temple will have a steeple, but not the traditional gold-covered angel Moroni that is common on many temples.

LDS temples being built in Arizona

In addition to the Yuma temple, two other new temples have been announced:

Arizona already has 6 Mormon temples

The Grand Canyon State is already home to six temples that are open and in operation.

Arizona is the state with the fifth most LDS temples, following Utah (32), California (12), Idaho (11) and Texas (10).

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the location of the future Yuma Arizona Temple, in the southwest corner of the state.

The seventh house of the Lord announced for Arizona, the Yuma temple will be a single-story structure of around 18,500 square feet. An ancillary building will also be built on the nearly 7-acre site, located at the corner of East 36th Street and South 8 East Avenue in Yuma, Arizona.

An exterior rendering and site map were also published with the announcement, in a Nov. 24 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Once built, Yuma’s house of the Lord will be the westernmost in Arizona, located six miles from California and 17 miles from Mexico.

About this temple and the Church in Arizona

On April 7, 2024, then-Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a house of the Lord for Yuma, Arizona, in general conference. This location was identified the same year as another Arizona temple, for Queen Creek, which was announced six months later.

Arizona is home to six dedicated temples and three in planning stages.

The six operating houses of the Lord in the state are the Mesa (dedicated in 1927), Snowflake (2002), The Gila Valley (2010), Gilbert (2014), Phoenix (2014) and Tucson (2017) temples.

In addition to the Yuma temple, two other Arizona temples are in planning stages: the Queen Creek temple, announced in October 2024, and the Flagstaff temple, announced in April 2025.

Members of the Church first preached the restored gospel in Arizona in the 1850s. During the 1860s and 1870s, Church parties explored the area for possible settlement sites. After these explorations, a large group of pioneers arrived in the spring of 1876 to establish four settlements.

Fort Utah — established in the Salt River Valley in 1877 — was later renamed Mesa, where the Church’s seventh operating temple was dedicated in 1927.

A century later, almost 450,000 Latter-day Saints live in Arizona, with more than 900 Church congregations in the state.

OneAZ Credit Union has received regulatory approval from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) to acquire substantially all of the assets and substantially all of the liabilities of 1st Bank Yuma. On November 21st, 1st Bank Yuma will officially become part of OneAZ Credit Union, marking an exciting milestone in OneAZ’s growth and commitment to serving Arizona communities.

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With the addition of 1st Bank Yuma’s assets, OneAZ Credit Union’s combined assets will grow to over $4.0 billion, strengthening our ability to serve members statewide. This acquisition enhances our products and services for members in Yuma, providing greater access to competitive loans, expanded digital banking tools, and the full benefits of being part of a statewide credit union while maintaining a strong local presence.

“We’re so excited to welcome 1st Bank Yuma into OneAZ,” said Mike Boden, Interim CEO of OneAZ Credit Union. “This is more than an acquisition, it’s about growing together, expanding access to financial services, and continuing to serve with care and compassion. With this step, we’re bringing our mission statement to life by helping more Arizonans thrive and building stronger communities across the state.”

The NCUA’s approval clears the way for OneAZ to move forward with the full integration of 1st Bank Yuma into its operations. This acquisition represents a major step in expanding OneAZ’s presence in Southern Arizona while reinforcing its commitment to providing accessible, community-driven financial services. Key details include:

This acquisition highlights OneAZ’s strategic objective of expanding access to affordable, community-focused financial services throughout Arizona. By integrating 1st Bank Yuma, OneAZ is advancing its mission statement: to improve the lives of members, our associates, and the communities we serve. The growth also positions OneAZ to reinvest even more into local nonprofits, strengthen community partnerships, and create long-term opportunities for individuals and families in Yuma and across the state.

YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — A grand jury has indicted a now-former human resources specialist at Yuma Elementary School District after allegedly using school funds for her own personal use.

Prosecutors said Mercedes Brena was indicted on nine charges related to misuse of public monies, theft, fraud, and forgery after the Arizona Office of the Auditor General submitted its findings to state prosecutors on Aug. 15.

The report said that Brena, who also uses the alias Mercedes Ruiz, caused the school district to lose $86,388 between November 2021 and October 2022.

According to the report, about $74,000 of that money was taken when Brena would improperly pay a substitute teacher. For some of the unauthorized pay, she would ask for a money order back for the extra amount, but would instead deposit it into her personal checking account.

Specifically, the auditor detailed that she admitted that it was the case in at least two money orders, and that the teacher likely didn’t know Brena kept this money.

In a separate instance, a substitute teacher asked about the money that was being paid for hours worked. So, Brena allegedly told that teacher that payroll was making mistakes and that the money spent in error should be returned by cash or money order, which prompted that sub to give Brena $15,240, which she allegedly kept for herself, as admitted to investigators, the report said.

The report also stated that Brena used a district purchasing card and credit cards for her own purchases and renewal of a Sam’s Club membership. Officials said that, in total, about $12,000 was spent on that card, which was used to buy gift and prepaid debit cards ranging from $100 to $500 each. She also again admitted to buying about $2,000 of those cards for herself.

State officials also said that the district itself failed to oversee Brena’s spending, stating that when she was first questioned in December 2021 about a $1,000 prepaid debit card purchase, they did not follow up and never restricted access to the credit card.

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