The president and prophet of the Mormon Church dedicated its newest temple Sunday after more than 93,000 people had toured the Snowflake facility in the past few weeks.
Only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing could attend the ceremonies for Arizona's second temple and the 108th in the world.
During the ceremony, President Gordon B. Hinckley talked about the endurance of pioneers who came to the Snowflake area 123 years ago, said JoAnn Hatch, historian for the Snowflake Temple.
"The Snowflake Temple is a monument to this people and the conviction in our hearts that life is eternal," Hinckley said at the ceremony.
Hinckley, leader of the 11 million-member church, made the trip from headquarters in Salt Lake City. He laid the cornerstone of the temple during the 9 a.m. dedication ceremony.
Arizona has 313,000 church members, and the temple will serve more than 35,000 faithful in northern Arizona.
The church teaches that the temple is the holiest place on Earth, where members perform sacred ordinances to bind marriages and families for eternity.
Four dedication ceremonies took place Sunday to accommodate the number of people who wanted to attend, with some inside the temple and some watching on nearby big-screen TVs.
Public tours ended Feb. 16. The peak day was Feb. 9, when 11,000 people toured the temple, said Pam Jones, a member of the temple's public affairs committee.