How Lovely

The Newport Temple

I live in Whittier, California, which means I'm about an hour's drive away from the Newport Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I had the opportunity to go there this past Saturday.

The main entrance doors

It was a perfect summer day.  The flowers on the grounds were in bloom, and it was so peaceful. Several weddings were apparently taking place there that morning, and there were crowds of people taking wedding photos with happy brides and grooms.

The bas relief on the lintel above the door depicts the resurrected Christ appearing to his disciples

It's hard to describe how exquisitely beautiful the interior of this building is!  Temple interiors are often photographed prior to their dedication to the Lord.  Once a temple is dedicated, it is a sacred place where only church members in good standing are allowed inside, and photography is prohibited.  Anyway, I tried finding shots of the interior online for you, but nothing came up.  So, I'll just have to try to describe it for you.

The Angel Moroni on top of the main tower

This temple is close to the Pacific Ocean, so the interiors are decorated in the colors of the sand and sea.  The carpets are a deep golden sand color, and one interior mural depicts the shoreline with the sea in a deep marine blue, together with various wildlife - gulls and animals as are found on these shores.  It is breathtakingly beautiful.

The Angel Moroni detail

There is a lot of rich dark woodwork, too.  It frames the arched doorways.

It was a beautiful Southern California day

There is a feeling of deep peace inside all temples.  They are places to step away from the world, and focus on the things of God.

The grounds are lovely - I like cypress trees

While I was sitting in contemplation in the beautiful Celestial room, with its incredible, shimmering chandelier and gold-trimmed pilasters, strains of the Mormon Tabernacle choir singing the Brahms' requiem, "How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place" kept running through my brain.  I sang this with a choir many years ago.  It's been on a loop in my mind ever since:

How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts!

For my soul, it longeth, yea fainteth,

For the courts of the Lord.

My soul and body crieth out, yea for the living God.

How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts!

Blest are they that dwell within thy house,

They praise thy name evermore.

How lovely is thy dwelling place!