Houston Temple

Now I will talk about some of the temples that I like. The San Diego one is probably my favorite. I actually read a rumor somewhere that it was designed by Catholic architects. One person said it looks like space mountain but that person is full of it. (plus it was on a discussion board for Jack mormons) Actually if I had a lot of money that is probably what I would make my house look like. I am not sure why there are not more billionaries that build castles anymore but that is the kind of buildings I like. I really like the Houston temple shown above. It looks somewhat like the Boston temple. There is a rather interesting story about how president Hinckley bought the land for it.


History
The Houston Texas Temple district blesses the lives of its members who come from twenty-eight stakes. The closest temple before its dedication (in Dallas) is located five hours from Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Elder Christofferson spoke of humility, repentance, obedience and submission. He exhorted listeners to ask themselves: "What aspect of my life should I bring into harmony in the next two years? What do I need to give up? What do I need to yield? What should I add? Is my nature one of a sincerely broken heart and contrite spirit?" Over the door of the new temple will be the words Holiness to the Lord. Elder Christofferson asked, "What will make each of us more holy as we enter the temple doors?"
Also in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony was a gentleman by the name of Don Hand, the former land owner of the temple site who worked with Church officials to find the right architect for the beautifully designed temple. In the mid-1980s, when the Houston economy took a downturn, Mr. Hand was hit so hard that he feared bankruptcy. He prayed to the Lord and begged His assistance promising to pay Him back in the future. Mr. Hand was spared financial ruin.
As a developer, Mr. Hand originally purchased 2,000 acres in the area of the temple site and had painted a scene for his wife of his conception of the area's future grandeur. The land had been on the market prior to President Gordon B. Hinckley's site-selection trip to Houston, but when he visited the city it was not available. He viewed the location anyway and informed Realtor Steve Cook that it was the desired site. However, in response to Brother Cook's queries, Mr. Hand indicated, "No amount of money would interest me in selling that property."
The agent persisted and eventually discussed the intended usage of the land, to build a temple for the Church. Mr. Hand's heart softened. He remembered his promise to the Lord so many years earlier and realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to fulfill it. He agreed to sell (Church News, 20 June 1998).

Update: I guess it is true about the architects of the San Diego temple being Catholic. The architects for the San Diego California Temple were William S. Lewis, Jr., design architect; Dennis Hyndman, project architect; and Shelly Hyndman, interior design architect. The Hyndmans, who are Roman Catholic, had not toured the interior of a Latter-day Saint temple until the Las Vegas Nevada Temple open house commenced in 1989.

Another interesting little story:
On Monday, December 23, 1991, the 186th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, a gilded statue of the angel Moroni was installed atop the eastern spire of the San Diego California Temple. Shortly after the setting, a traveling flock of seagulls—a bird of symbolic significance to the Church—circled the new statue about three times before continuing on its course.

The newport Beach temple had something interesting happen to it when it's Angel Moroni was put on top.

On January 13, 2005, a statue of the angel Moroni crowned the temple. During placement, a remarkable solar halo was visible, which surrounded the sun. Once Moroni was in place, the phenomenon dissipated.