The public open houses that were conducted when the temple was complted (and prior to its dedication) generated quite a bit of interest among the thousands and thousands of people who attended. One reporter, interviewing a Church member, gave the following as part of his story during the open house:

We feel very strongly about the sacred nature of what goes on inside Mormon temples. It’s obviously not a secret thing because you’ve been through. We gave you pictures and photographs. We’re taking a hundred fifty-plus thousand people through here over a period of six weeks, so the building itself, there’s nothing secret. But to us, going in, making covenants, being in that very special place, binding ourselves together as families, that’s very sacred and we don’t want that to become commonplace. (Life and Times, KCET, August 17, 2005)

Mormons obviously view temples (including the Newport Beach temple) as special places. All Mormon temples are designed with the same purpose-to help faithful Mormons worship the Lord in a way that brings them closer to Him. Those unfamiliar with Mormons may wonder exactly what temples are used for. (Hint: they are not used for Sunday meetings!) Why do Mormons view temples as sacred places and eagerly await their opening? What goes on inside those temples? If you’ve ever wondered such things, we hope you will enjoy this Web site, which should answer most of your questions. Click one of the links available, and you can discover more about Mormon temples in general, and the Newport Beach temple in particular.

Mormon temples are key in this Church goal. There are two important ways that temples help: by providing a holy place, separate and distinct from the world, and through sacred ordinances.

Temples are Holy Places

Temples are designed to be “set apart from the world,” thereby creating an atmosphere in which God’s Holy Spirit can have greater influence on faithful Mormons. Church members who keep minimum standards of conduct and have a strong faith in Jesus Christ are permitted to enter the temple. This requirement for entry is similar that found in ancient temples, where only those who went through a series of rituals designed to purify the individual were permitted into the temple’s inner courts. As in ancient times, those who have prepared to enter the temple through their compliance with the minimum standards are able to participate in temple activities and receive the blessings available there. This concept was stated quite clearly by James E. Faust, a member of the Church’s First Presidency:

“The days our our lives will be greatly blessed as we frequent the temples to learn the transcending spiritual relations we have with Diety. We need to try harder to be found standing in holy places. [James E. Faust, "Standing in Holy Places," Ensign (May 2005), 67.]

To those prepared, the temple is a “holy place” where the Lord’s Spirit can freely dwell. In this way Mormon temples serve as a kind of sanctuary from the world, providing a place that is holy and has been set aside as a house of the Lord. They are places for meditation, prayer, reflection, and revelation.

Temples are a Place for Ordinances

The second way in which Mormon temples help to perfect the Saints is through the holy ordinances only offered in temples. Temple ordinances are nothing but ritualistic ceremonies performed as a way to signify covenants made between the member and God.

Ordinances, or sacred rituals, were common in Old Testament temples. One such ordinance was the sacrificing of animals to God. The animal sacrifice itself did nothing for the people; it served as a symbolic reminder of the sacrifice that would one day come through the Lord Jesus Christ. While the need for animal sacrifice was removed after the resurrection of Christ (the Eternal Sacrifice), the New Testament indicates that ordinances and the covenants they represented did not cease. The Gospel of Matthew provides the following account:

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).

The apostles ate bread and drank wine as a symbol of the sacrifice Christ was about to make on their behalf. This same ritual, or ordinance, is practiced by many Christians to this day. The ordinance goes by many names, such as the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, or (in the Mormon church) the Sacrament, but it is essentially the same ordinance instituted by Christ in New Testament times.

Not only do ordinances remind us of an event (such as the sacrifice made by the Savior), but they are a sign of covenants made with the Lord. In religious terms, a covenant is a two-way promise between God and an individual. When a person is baptized, that person makes a covenant with the Lord to strive to follow the example of Christ and to repent of their sins. When the person keeps their part of the covenant, the Lord promises He will forgive that person of their sins when he or she confesses those sins and approaches the Lord with a sincere heart and a real desire to change.

Two primary ordinances are performed inside Mormon temples: the temple endowment and the sealing ordinance. A temple endowment is designed for individuals, and the sealing ordinance is designed to create eternal families. These ordinances are very sacred and holy, so faithful Mormons don’t discuss their details outside of the temple, even with each other.

Ordinances for Others

Not only are temples designed so that ordinances can be performed for the living, but ordinances in Mormon temples can also be done for the dead. Mormons believe that earthly religious ordinances must be performed for all people, even for those who are no longer capable of performing those ordinances for themselves. Billions of people have lived on earth without ever hearing Christ’s name or coming to understand the sacrifice that He made for them. Would a loving or just God consign His children to hell simply because they never had to chance to believe in someone of whom they had never heard?

Ordinances available in Mormon temples for living Church members are also performed for those who have already died. Mormons routinely seek out the names of their ancestors and other deceased persons in order to perform the necessary ordinances for them. Temple marriage, sealings, and endowments are performed with someone symbolically standing in for the person who is deceased. (When someone symbolically stands in the place of another person, that is called doing work for that person by proxy.) Baptisms are also performed by proxy for the deceased.

The only reason that proxy work is done for the dead is because Mormons believe that we continue to live in the spirit world after our earthly body dies. When work is done for the deceased, Mormons believe that those individuals will have the opportunity to accept or reject the work done on their behalf. We have no way to know who will or won’t accept those ordinances, so temple work is performed for everyone who has passed on. To have someone who has passed on baptized by proxy does not commit that deceased person to accept a “Mormon baptism.” Instead, it merely gives that person the opportunity to accept or reject the ordinance as they choose.

According to Mormon belief, our sins make returning to God impossible, since no unclean thing can enter His presence. For this reason it was necessary for a Savior to intercede in our behalf, as a mediator between man and God. Jesus Christ is that Savior; He is our Lord and Redeemer, our advocate with the Father. Mormons fully believe the Bible when it says “for God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Christ conquered death and sin, showing us the way-and preparing that way-for us to return to live with God. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ, and only by His grace, that we have any hope of salvation.

Throughout history, God has called inspired men to declare the gospel of Christ. These men, called prophets, receive a personal witness of Jesus Christ and are given authority (called the priesthood) to teach His gospel. Holy scriptures, such as the Bible, contain the record of the prophets’ teachings about the Savior. As the prophets teach the gospel and testify of Christ, the Holy Ghost touches the hearts of people and brings feelings of peace. This is why we feel the spirit (the Holy Ghost) when we study prophetic words recorded in the Bible. This spiritual confirmation is how God tells us that a prophet’s message is true.

God has always followed this same pattern: provide revelation to inspired men who then teach the world and provide confirmation of their words through the Holy Ghost. Sadly, scripture is full of examples where people have not accepted the message of the prophets. When people reject the prophets, this is called apostasy, derived from a Greek word that means falling away or rebellion. The scriptures also provide examples of people who don’t fall away; the prophets preach repentance and the people listen and turn to the Lord. Eventually, however, people still turn away from the Lord and reject the prophets, resulting in a period of apostasy.

Among the attributes of God are a loving nature combined with mercy and patience. Every time people turn away from the Lord and his prophets, He waits and prepares His people. In His own due time, the Lord again calls His messengers, the prophets, to restore His gospel and declare His words.

During Jesus’ life He taught people the gospel and called apostles to continue to teach them after he was crucified. Those apostles were ultimately rejected, and within a century much of the church Christ had established was crippled by both persecution from without and apostasy from within. The New Testament records some of the apostles’ struggles and frustrations as they were surrounded by unrighteousness. After the apostles were killed, the priesthood authority that the Lord had given to them was no longer on the earth. While there were still some righteous members who tried to follow Christ’s teachings, the people as a whole had become wicked and the fullness of the gospel with the priesthood authority was forced from the earth. Amos, an Old Testament prophet, propesied that this would happen:

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

Isaiah records another such prophesy:

“Which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer?” (Isaiah 50:1-2, 21st Century KJV)

After the people fell into apostasy, the Lord waited centuries for them to return to Him. He prepared the world and waited for a time when He could once again restore the fullness of His gospel. The time arrived in 1820 when a young boy privately prayed to God to ask which church was true. He described his experience in these words:

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me… When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other-This is my Beloved Son. Hear him!” (Joseph Smith-History 1:16-17)

This marvelous visitation provided that boy, Joseph Smith, with a personal witness that God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ, live. From this and subsequent visits and revelations Joseph was taught the fullness of the gospel and how Christ’s church should function. Following the ancient pattern, a prophet of God had once again been called. Angels once again visited the earth, including John the Baptist and Peter, James and John (Jesus’ ancient apostles) who gave Joseph Smith the same priesthood authority they possessed.

The Lord also revealed a volume of ancient scripture to Joseph Smith, who translated this record through the power of God. This translation, which came to be known as the Book of Mormon, was written by ancient prophets on the American continent. The book contains beautiful truths about Jesus Christ, standing alongside the Bible as a second witness of His divinity and the reality of His life. It testifies that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

The Book of Mormon also serves as a witness that Joseph Smith had been called by God, for if the Book of Mormon is a true record, then Joseph Smith must also be a true prophet. By knowing that Joseph Smith was a prophet, we can also know that the church he organized is Christ’s church today.

The Mormon Church (formally known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) is led today by a prophet of God and twelve apostles who receive revelation from God on how the affairs of His church should be conducted. God, being the same yesterday, today, and forever, continues to use the same pattern He followed in Bible days; He teaches us today in much the same way as He taught people in ancient times.

The Lord promises that we need not rely on the words and testimonies of others concerning these matters. We can receive a better witness, from God Himself. One such promise is located near the end of the Book of Mormon:

“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder them in your hearts.

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:3-5)

The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. The Lord promises that His Spirit will confirm this truth to each of us. If you will pray about the things which you have read and ask the Lord concerning their truth, He will speak peace to your soul through the the Holy Ghost, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5). When you receive this assurance, you will want to learn more about the Church.

To a faithful Mormon, temples are very sacred, special places. Mormons attend temples as a way to worship God and Jesus Christ. Temples are a blessing in the lives of faithful Mormons, and they want the same blessings to be available to all people. While it is possible for everyone to qualify to enter the temple (when they meet the criteria to enter a temple), it may not be possible for all people to physically make it to a temple, particularly if they live in remote areas far removed from a temple. It is not uncommon for Church members to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to visit a temple.

To make the burden of visiting temples easier on Mormons, the Church tries to build temples all over the world so that the blessings of the temple can be available to the largest number of the faithful. It is expected that the building of temples will continue, as part of the Church’s preparation for the return of the Savior at the Second Coming:

We expect to see the day when Mormon temples will dot the earth, each one a house of the Lord; each one built in the mountains of the lord; each one a sacred sanctuary to which Israel and the Gentiles shall gather to receive the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Perhaps they will number in the hundreds, or even in the thousands, before the Lord returns. [Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1982), 277.]

The Newport Beach Mormon temple is not the only Mormon temple; there are over 125 other Mormon temples, all over the world. Here are just a few sites where you can get information about other Mormon temples:

• Las Vegas Temple (Nevada, USA). Situated on the side of a mountain overlooking Las Vegas, this temple is a spirtual oasis in the desert, beckoning all to look unto God.
• Oakland Temple (California, USA). Nestled in the Berkeley Hills, overlooking the San Francisco Bay, the Oakland temple has become a well-known area landmark.
• San Diego Temple (California, USA). This dazzling white temple provides a breathtaking sight for travelers down I-5 just north of San Diego.

To find out more about Mormon temples in general, consider visiting the general temples site sponsored by the Church.

When you attend a Mormon temple’s open house, you’ll see a building adorned with beautiful furniture, thick carpets, ornate fixtures, and plush surroundings. You’ll also see beautiful artwork, some commissioned exclusively for that particular temple. These surroundings are not provided primarily for comfort, but because Mormons believe that a temple, as the house of the Lord, should contain only the best that the people can offer. Everything is designed to be respectful, inspiring, and reverent; to draw a person’s thoughts toward God.

After the temple’s open houses are completed, the building is dedicated to the Lord. The Newport Beach temple was dedicated in ceremonies at the end of August 2005. During these ceremonies faithful Mormons gathered together to offer prayers to God and sing praises to the Lord. Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Church (and whom Mormons revere as a prophet), offered the prayers in which the temple was formally dedicated to the Lord.

When a Mormon temple is dedicated, it is dedicated to the Lord and designated or “set apart” as a holy place. Mormons believe temples are sacred; they believe that the buildings are literally the house of the Lord. Once it is dedicated, the temple is open only to faithful Mormons who meet minimum religious criteria that are in keeping with the sacred nature of temples.

When Mormons enter a temple, they promise they will not openly discuss certain aspects of the temple outside of the building, even with other Church members. This is not an attempt to hide anything that done in temples, but is an effort to keep what is done in temples both sacred and special. While a detailed discussion of what goes on in temples is inappropriate, it is fine to provide general information on Mormon temple ordinances, as is done on this Web site.

In the words of one reporter, those entering the temple “see delicate, sparkling chandeliers, high hand-decorated ceilings, original art and everywhere an elegance of workmanship that bespeaks the deep devotion the faithful feel toward these buildings” (Orange County Register, July 20, 2005). Mormons can be proud of the Newport Beach temple; it is a gorgeous addition to the five other temples already in California. Olympic gymnast Peter Vidmar, also a Mormon, was excited about the opening of the temple, saying in the same article that “we’re grateful to the community for allowing us to have this building here, and we treat this with tremendous reverence.”

Mormons are reverential toward their temples. They view them as houses of the Lord, dedicated to His glory and used for His service. Situated on just under nine acres in the gently rolling landscape, the temple is surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds. Visitors will find two fountains, 385 trees, and over 50,000 other plants that add beauty and a calming influence to the area. The total effect is one of peace and tranquility that helps to remove the hustle and bustle of the surrounding valley.

Mormon temples are religious buildings, constructed for a religious purpose, but they should not be confused with regular churches, which Mormons call meetinghouses or chapels. Temples are special places where faithful members of the Church can participate in special ritual ordinances. The sacred nature of these ordinances means that they can only be performed in places like the Newport Beach temple; places dedicated and consecrated as holy places. According to Mormon belief, the ordinances performed in such temples bring participants closer to God and Jesus Christ through instruction related to the how man may progress to become more like God. These sacred ordinances include the temple endowment, temple sealings, and baptism for the dead.

Because Mormon temples are not regular houses of worship, they are not open on Sundays. Instead, they are open every other day of the week, where they can become busy places as the faithful come and go. The spiritual and physical affairs of a Mormon temple are administered by a temple presidency, along with a small staff and a large number of volunteers.