An area leader for The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints says the Mormon Church in New Mexico is growing rapidly.
Stan Hatch, president of the Albuquerque Stake, attributes the surge in membership to a revival of spiritual pursuits."I see a revival in religion," he said. "People are looking for an anchor."
In the spring, New Mexico will get its first Mormon temple.
A 30,000-square-foot edifice will be built on 10 acres in northeast Albuquerque to better serve New Mexico's 55,000 Mormons.
Now, the 13,000 Mormons who live in Albuquerque must travel to temples in Denver, Dallas, Las Vegas, Nev., or Mesa, Ariz., to participate in sacred rituals.
In 1980, the Mormon Church operated 19 temples throughout the world, although mostly in Utah. Since then, it has built 30 more temples and plans to build 15 more within two years, including the one in Albuquerque.