Newport Beach Temple Facts

The Newport Beach Temple is the 122 dedicated temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is the sixth temple built in California, the fourth in Southern California, and the second in the Los Angeles area, the first is the Los Angeles Temple.

The Newport Beach temple was announced the same day as the Redlands California temple and the Sacramento California Temple.

There were many protests to stop the building of the Newport Beach Temple, and the Church ended up changing the color of the temple and the hight to compromise with the protestors. The steeple was originally planned to be 124 feet tall, and the church agreed to drop it to 100 feet. Then agreed to drop it again to 90 feet.

The color of the temple was changed from a white to a salmon color called “Salisbury Pink.” It was quarried from Northern California.

The Temple architecture was based on the Lubbock Texas Temple, and modified to fit the Southern California region.

The spire was widened and made more pronounced when it was lowered for the protestors. Because the spire was lowered and widened the architect, Brother Platt, said the look of it now “could be set in the Holy Land.” With the palm trees, olive trees and junipers adding to the ambiance.

Brother Platt, the architect said “The temple is built to last. It has solid concrete walls and it far exceeds the standards in the California building code for earthquake safety. . . This building is good to last a thousand years.”

The construction missionaries of the Newport Beach temple said that even though there was much activity in building the temple, there was also a calmness and peace. The construction workers said they could feel it, and a security guard that also felt the spirit of the Temple. “After working on the temple for about two months, walking nightly around the site, he became aware of a special feeling when on the temple grounds. On day the missionaries knocked on the door of his apartment. He opened the door and was soon baptized.” How cool is that?!

Another amazing thing about the Newport Beach Temple is that the members of the Orange County Stake requested and were granted the privilege to completely finance this temple! The temple was built entirely of member-donated funds without ANY money from tithing funds!!

The Newport Beach Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on August 28, 2005.