Latter-day temple to rise

Alicia Robinson

Near the crest of a hill not far from the Big Canyon golf course and

Fashion Island, a spire is rising into the sky.

It’s the tallest building in the area, and when it’s finished it

will be the first Mormon temple in Orange County and the only place

in the area where some rites of the religion can be performed.

The temple has been under construction since August 2003. It sits

next to Newport Beach’s stake center at 2300 Bonita Canyon Drive,

where church and community functions are held daily.

The exterior of the 17,000-square- foot facility is close to being

complete, and those involved with the building couldn’t be more

pleased with its progress.

“It is the most important building we have in the church,� said

Vern Forbush, project superintendent for Jacobsen Construction.

Forbush is also a church member, and the Newport Beach temple is

the fourth one he’s built.

“It’s the greatest project,� he said. “I like to work on a temple

more than any other kind of building.�

The 44,000 Mormons in Orange County now travel to Los Angeles,

Redlands or San Diego for ceremonies that can be performed only in a

temple.

The opening of the new temple, expected later this year, lies at

the end of what has been a long process. Church leaders scouted the

site and bought the land about 12 years ago and announced in 2001

that they were ready to begin building.

But neighbors of the site complained about the steeple height, so

the church eventually revised its plans to shorten the steeple,

change the building’s color and reduce the outdoor lighting.

And after months of battles before the Planning Commission and

City Council, neighbors and church officials reached a compromise.

“The community and the church made peace with each other, and

they’ve been more than coexisting,� Newport Beach Mayor Steve

Bromberg said. “They’ve been getting along just fine.�

Now the temple is nearly covered with a faintly pink granite

that’s mined in North Carolina and cut in Italy and China. Inside, it

will house a baptismal font and several rooms for wedding ceremonies

and church member training.

“The color of the granite is unique, and this will be a very

unique temple in that it will have large and spacious grounds,� said

Weatherford Clayton, president of the Newport Beach stake center of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Local church officials are vague about when the facility will

open, because that date is determined by the church headquarters in

Salt Lake City. But once it is open, the public will have access to

the 8.8-acre temple grounds, which will feature paved paths, two

fountains, two dozen stone benches and more than 380 trees.

The church also donated six adjacent acres to be an environmental

preserve.

After the temple is dedicated, some areas inside will be open to

church members only.

“Everything that occurs inside the temple is very sacred to us,�

Clayton said. “It’s the most sacred place on Earth.�

The temple is not expected to generate much traffic, because it

will probably house only about 150 worshipers at a time. In fact,

Clayton said, they’ll call ahead to make an appointment for their

visit to ensure there will be space for them. The temple will be open

Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The opening of the temple will benefit not only Newport Beach

residents of the Mormon faith, but the city as a whole, Bromberg

said.

“I’ve always said in the past, religion plays well in Newport

Beach,� he said. “It doesn’t matter what religion it is.�

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at alicia.robinson

@latimes.com.