Newport Beach California Temple

The Newport Beach California Temple is the 122nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The First Presidency of the Church announced on April 22, 2001, that a temple would be built in Newport Beach, California. It is the sixth of twelve Latter-day Saint temples in California.

As early as 1846, Latter-day Saints played a significant role in the building up of California. A ship of members of the Church from New York arrived in what was then known as Yerba Beuna (now San Francisco) on July 31, 1846. Many continued on to Utah to be with the other members of the Church of Jesus Christ but some stayed behind and helped in the early building of San Francisco. Early in 1847 members of the Mormon Battalion arrived in Southern California and were released from duty. Many chose to stay and settle in California. Six members of the Mormon Battalion were present when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in 1848, which launched the gold rush and an influx of people to California. In 1851 a group of 450 Mormon missionaries were sent by Brigham Young to California. These settlers built up a city in the San Bernardino area. Today there are more than 728,000 Latter-day Saints in California, making up more than two percent of the state's population.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication for the Newport Beach Temple were held on August 15, 2003. Duane B. Gerrard, first counselor in the North America West Area Presidency, presided at the ceremony and dedication. Before construction could begin the Church had to work very closely with concerned residents of the area. Compromises were made to the original plan that included such things as turning off lighting by 11:00 p.m., changing the exterior finish of the temple from off-white to an earth tone, and reducing the height of the spire from 124 feet to 100 feet. As plans moved forward the spire was reduced by another ten feet. The temple site is 8.8 acres. As construction neared completion an angel Moroni statue was placed on top of the spire of the temple on January 13, 2005.

The Newport Beach California Temple was open to the public for tours from July 23 through August 20, 2005. Those who attended the open house were able to see the exterior of the temple—finished with Salisbury pink granite from North Carolina—the grounds, and the interior including two ordinance rooms, three sealing rooms, the celestial room, baptistry, and other facilities needed in the temple to carry out ordinances according to Latter-day Saint beliefs. The temple has a total floor area of 17,800 square feet.

President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple on August 28, 2005. The Newport Beach California Temple serves 50,000 members in Orange County.