Newport Beach to get Mormon temple

-- Stefanie Frith

Newport Beach is to be the home of the first Mormon temple in Orange

County, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City

announced Friday. An exact site has not yet been announced, and the

temple will take one to two years to build.

Most of the 60,000 Mormons in Orange County will find out today during

services held in chapels around the area, but for those who already know,

it has been a historic couple of days. Temples, often called “Houses of

the Lord,” are the most sacred buildings for those of the Mormon faith.

“We had great hopes that a temple would be built in Newport Beach,”

said J. Donald Turner, a Newport Beach resident and member of the Newport

Beach stake. “It’s a place where we can go to learn how to be better

Christians and be joined with our families.”

For those living in Orange County, the two closest temples are in San

Diego and Los Angeles. There are five worship locations in Newport Beach,

Costa Mesa, Irvine and Santa Ana that make up the Newport Beach stake,

with about 2,800 members. The two main chapels are located on Dover Drive

and Bonita Canyon Road.

“The temple is going to be a real benefit to the community,” said

Weatherford Clayton, Newport Beach stake president. “There is such a

feeling of peace when you walk inside the temple. You feel so close to

God.”

Clayton added that he plans to host an open house the week before the

temple is dedicated and invite the community.

Turner echoed Clayton’s enthusiasm.

“We are just so excited. We had always hoped for a temple in Orange

County. And now it’s going to be in our own backyard,” he said.