A note from our Stake Relief Society president, Beth Garlock:
It is hard to believe that is has been 15 years since the dedication of our Newport Beach California Temple. I remember well the excitement and joy we felt as we anticipated its awaited opening. We, like our pioneer ancestors rejoiced in the completion and dedication of “The House of the Lord”. It stands today as another “proud monument of faith, perseverance and industry of the saints of God”. This hallowed edifice has truly blessed our lives.
We invite all to join with us in commemoration of this historic event. Over the next 6 weeks, we will have the opportunity to focus on some of the wonderful experiences that accompanied the conception and completion of our beautiful temple. Each Friday there will be a post on our Stake Instagram account (www.instagram.com/lagunaniguelstake/) as well as our stake website (www.lnstake.org/) featuring resources to read and study about the temple.
Week 1 (July 24th): Study the dedicatory prayer given by President Hinckley on August 28th, 2005.
Week 2 (July 31st): Watch a discussion on how the temple came to be with Don Laws, Steve Samuelian, Joseph Bentley; and John Dalton, posted on the stake YouTube channel. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3zVvKfoNI0&t=1s)
Week 3 (August 7th): Watch this short video explaining the history of temples throughout time. Explore the new material on the temples page on the church website. (www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples) Need a way to teach your kids more about the temple? Play our fun Kahoot, an interactive trivia game made for the whole family. Kids can play against their parents with iPads, chromebooks, or phones. (Newport Beach Temple Trivia Kahoot)
Week 4 (August 14th): Hear members of our stake share their testimonies of the temple on our stake podcast. (https://anchor.fm/lagunaniguelstake/episodes/What-the-Temple-Means-to-Me-ei59ep/a-a2use2t
Week 5 (August 21st): Learn about the symbolism and specific motifs of the Newport Beach temple with Ron and Joyce Hanson. (www.youtube.com/c/LagunaNiguelStakeVideoLibrary/)
Week 6 (August 28th): Listen to messages from President Evanson and the Newport Beach temple president, President Higham; via our stake YouTube channel. (www.youtube.com/c/LagunaNiguelStakeVideoLibrary/)
We hope you will enjoy celebrating this 15 year anniversary and that you will continue to feel the blessings of the temple in your life. Though we are not currently able to worship in our temple, we can as President Nelson has invited us, “increase our participation in family history, including family history research and indexing”. He then added this promise “As you increase your time in temple and family history work, you will increase and improve your ability to hear Him”.
May we continue to “Hear Him” as we focus forward.
