READERS RESPOND: How would a Mormon temple affect Newport Beach?

There is a rich excitement in the air here in our small part of God’s

kingdom. We, as members of the church, are anxiously anticipating the

building of a house of the Lord in this beautiful city. I know I look

forward to the day when it stands and members and nonmembers alike can

see its beauty and feel its sweet spirit of peace, love and hope.

The new temple can only have a wonderful effect on the area. Both the

temporal and spiritual impact is one of a tremendous blessing. To have a

place designated as a true house of the Lord where the simple truths of

God’s plans and gospel are taught and the gift of eternal marriage and

eternal families are given can only be a blessing.

The beauty inside and out will only add to the already beautiful

community we call home here in Newport Beach and in the surrounding

areas. I sustain in the affirmative those words of my friend Ben Graff

who, in your article stated “It is a great blessing for the people here.

Any community where there is a temple means that community is blessed and

enriched.”

SEAN VOLPETTI

Newport Beach

The addition of a temple to Newport Beach is a great opportunity for

both the residents of Newport Beach and for the Latter-day Saints who

will be visiting the temple.

The residents of Newport Beach -- thousands of whom also happen to be

Latter-day Saints -- will have the benefit of a beautiful, peaceful

addition to the community. If you have had the opportunity to visit the

grounds of the Los Angeles or San Diego temples, they have beautiful

gardens and provide a quiet, reflective atmosphere. Whether or not you

are able to enter the temple, you can still appreciate and enjoy the

surroundings there.

For Latter-day Saints, a temple is a sacred and holy place. For those

who take the opportunity to visit the temple, it provides an opportunity

for prayer, meditation and learning. Each temple has inscribed on the

exterior “House of The Lord, Holiness to The Lord” to show the

significance of the temple. Just as the temple was a holy place in Jesus

Christ’ time, the temples today are holy and provide wonderful blessings

of peace and understanding to those who attend.

I look forward to going often.

JONATHAN HARMER

South Coast Metro

I am not a Mormon, but I am proud to have many friends of the Mormon

faith and I share their excitement at the news of Newport Beach being

selected for the site of a new temple because I understand how very

important and holy the temple is in a Mormon’s life.

I am equally excited when I hear about a new synagogue, a Buddhist

temple or a new church sanctuary being erected, as I believe that these

holy places of faith represent the religious freedoms that the pilgrims

sought in coming here in the first place.

I’m certain the Mormon leaders will erect a temple that is

aesthetically pleasing to the community, and the Mormons in our community

and Mormons visiting the temple will strive to be the exemplary neighbors

and citizens they have always been. All around the world, religious

intolerance on a daily basis is a source of violence and unrest. Mohandas

K. Gandhi once said “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

I hope the citizens of Newport Beach and the surrounding communities

will welcome the temple and be the face of religious tolerance that seems

quite unfamiliar in our world at times.

JULIE WAHLSTEDT

Newport Beach

The Newport Beach temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints will be a great blessing not only to our many Latter-day Saints

but also to our entire city and to Orange County.

I have visited such inspiring temples in many cities in the United

States, including San Diego, Washington D.C., Seattle, Denver and

Anchorage. These magnificent structures have enhanced and upgraded all of

the areas where they have been built and greatly enriched the lives of

the people who worship there.

It is a profound honor for Newport Beach to have been selected as one

of the great cities of the world to have such a sacred edifice. The

Newport Beach temple will join our other beautiful houses of worship here

as reminders to people of all faiths of the spiritual strength of our

community.

DAN LIVINGSTON

Newport Beach

Since I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints, I am a tad biased, but I am thrilled that I will no longer have

to get on a freeway to get to a temple and enjoy the peaceful, calm,

quiet spirit that is always present there. It will make a positive

difference in all of our lives, members or not. It truly is a heavenly

place on earth.

PAM LAUER

Balboa Island

I am a member of the Laguna Niguel Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints. I live in Laguna Hills, and I too am very excited

that a temple will be built so close to home. The temple is a special

place, and building it will only add more to the beauty of Newport Beach.

KEVIN BONNY

Laguna Hills

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am

absolutely thrilled with the announcement to build a temple in our

backyard. I believe it will be a blessing to the entire county. Anything

that brings families together and makes you want to be a better person

can only be positive.

STEPHANIE ROBERTS

Costa Mesa

I think the proposed Mormon temple will be good for the community.

When there is so much negative reported in the news daily, it is

refreshing to see something positive for a change.

BERT TARAYAO

Newport Beach

I believe the Mormon temple would be nothing but a good thing.

Religious institutions are a good influence on the land and neighborhoods

that surround them. I also don’t believe there will be ill side effects.

Traffic won’t be anywhere near what goes through the Arrowhead Pond or

Edison Field, or even what we see going to the beach in the summer.

Mormon temples are also far from eyesores. The temples in Salt Lake City,

San Diego, and Oakland are some of the most beautiful buildings I have

ever seen. I think there are approximately 100 Mormon temples in the

whole world, and to have one in Orange County/Newport Beach would

definitely be an honor.

DOUGLAS REID

Costa Mesa

I am writing to let you know what a blessing the temple will be, not

only to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

but to the members of the community in and around Newport Beach. Temples

bring a spirit of peace and love anywhere they are. If you go to Santa

Monica Boulevard in L.A. and look up at the majestic building that towers

over the city, you will find a sanctuary away from the honking horns and

the chaos. The temple here in Newport will be no different. It will be a

gorgeous monument to the peace and love you can find when living a life

that is centered in Jesus Christ and living His laws. I hope that many

come to the open house to feel the sweet spirit that dwells within the

walls of this holy house of God. Thank you so much for the great article.

TYNA CALL

Costa Mesa