San Diego California Temple — Attraction in San Diego

A Hindú motel manager motivated me to visit for the first time. He knew that I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and after I complimented a calendar on the office wall featuring Hindú temples, he enthusiastically told me that he'd visited my beautiful temple! I'd decided not to visit it because I thought I'd feel sad, as I didn't have a temple recommend so couldn't go inside yet. I was wrong. After arising before dawn, I took public transportation (3 buses, 90 minutes) and arrived as many of the temple workers did. I had a warm chat with one and took a few photos. I'm planning another trip when the temporary visitors center is open @ 9. :-)

UPDATE: I have since received my temple recommend and, after receiving my endowments, (during which the dear sister who was my escort was also my mother's proxy), was sealed to my late husband and parents. I was my mother's proxy for her baptism and confirmation as well as her sealing to my father and her parents, and was proxy for one of my late husband's paternal grandfather's wives for their sealing (he remarried after being widowed, but had only been sealed to one of the two). I'm DETERMINED to get familial permission to have his mother's ordinances done so his parents can be sealed and he can be sealed to them (I've had his father's other ordinances done). I have a lot to do for our ancestors!

I could hardly believe it was possible for the temple to be even more beautiful inside than outside, but it is - and, despite being right beside a major freeway, it's as quiet as those who come to such a holy place deserve for it to be. I've learned that two of its architects was a Catholic couple, and it shows. The Bride's Room is so breathtaking that I've sneaked into it a few times to enjoy its beauty and snag a few TicTacs from the bowl on the central table (and the one time I was "caught", we just [quietly] laughed!). I'm blessed to be able to go about one morning a week with sisters in my ward who carpool there to participate in initiatories. I know we retain our free agency after death, just as we had it before and after mortality, and have been blessed with impressions from some of those for whom I've been privileged to be proxy that they had embraced the gospel after death as they were unable to in life, and were grateful for the small, but necessary, role I played in their eternal progression, which was, of course, edifying for me, as well.

While I regret having not lived in such a way so as to be worthy of temple worship for far too many years, I'm grateful that I persevered and made doing so a goal. Having read accounts of the temple experiences of a few women who went on to break their covenants, forsake the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and withdraw from the Church, I was a little nervous about going, as well as worried that what I'd read would negatively impact my own experiences. But I discussed my fears and concerns with my bishop and had a few chats with the Temple Preparation Class instructor, so nothing I read ended up making any difference to me. I merely feel sad that these women were less prepared, went under questionable circumstances, and therefore couldn't help but interpret the experience far...

I got a feelin' that you could be feelin' A whole lot better than you feel today You say you got a problem Well, that's no problem It's super easy not to feel that way When you start to get confused Because of thoughts in your head Don't feel those feelings, hold them in instead Turn it off like a light switch Just go, click It's a cool little Mormon trick We do it all the time When you're feeling certain feelings That just don't seem right Treat those pesky feelings like a reading light And turn 'em off, light a light switch Just go back Really, what's so hard about that Turn it off, turn it off When I was young my dad Would treat my mom real bad Every time the Utah Jazz would lose He'd start a drinkin' and I'd start a thinkin' How'm I gonna keep my mom from getting abused I'd see her all scared and my soul was dyin' My dad would say to me Now don't you dare start cryin' Turn it off like a light switch Just go flick It's our nifty little Mormon trick Turn it off, turn it off My sister was a dancer but she got cancer The doctor said she still had two months more I thought she had time, so I got in line For the new iPhone at the Apple Store She lay there dying with my father and mother Her very last words were, "Where is my brother?" Turn it off (Yeah) Bid those sad feelings adieu The fear that I might get cancer, too When I was in fifth grade I had a friend, Steve Glade He and I were close as two friends could be One thing led to another and soon I would discover I was having really strange feelings for Steve I thought about us on a deserted island We'd swim naked in the sea and then he'd try and whoa Turn it off like a light switch There, it's gone (Good for you) My hetero side just won I'm all better now Boys should be with girls That's Heavenly Father's plan So if you ever feel You'd rather be with a man, turn it off Well Elder McKinley, I think it's okay That you're having gay thoughts Just so long as you never act upon them No 'cause then you're just keeping it down Like a dimmer switch on low Thinking nobody needs to know But that's not true Being gay is bad but lyin' is worse So just realize you have a curable curse And turn it off, turn it off, turn it off Now how do you feel? The same Then you've only got yourself to blame You didn't pretend hard enough Imagine that your brain is made of tiny boxes And find the box that's gay and crush it, okay No, no, I'm not having gay thoughts Alright, it worked Turn it off, turn it off, turn it off Like a light switch, just go click (Click, click) What a cool little Mormon trick (Trick trick) We do it all the time When you're feeling certain feelings that don't seem right Treat those pesky feelings like a reading light Turn it off like a light switch on a cord Now he's isn't gay anymore Turn it, turn...

Being raised in Catholic environment, and being influenced to appreciate art and architecture by my architect father, I have always been fascinated by design and architecture of houses of worship. I became fully aware of this when I visited Vatican first time in 1980s.

That being said, when I had opportunity to explore the inside of Tabernacle in Temple Square in Salt Lake City with Mormon friends in mid-1990s, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to explore from the back of the church as the choir rehearsed. It was an amazing and enlightening experience.

I saw California Temple across the freeway on my way to my hotel in San Diego. It was striking contrast to the skyline surrounding it, so we decided to visit a few days later -- not considering that houses of worship have been closed in California due to COVID. Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed we could not explore the inside of this Temple when we arrived, but made the best of it.

It was a challenge to capture this fantastic structure in photographs, but we drove around and found several spots to capture different angles and bits of the building. If given the chance, I would be more than happy to see the inside of the building, walk around the gardens as I believe that it would be just as striking and...