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Sam Penrod reporting LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley is in California tonight, preparing to dedicate another temple.
This time it's in Newport Beach. This will be the sixth LDS temple in California.
Arrowhead Pond, which is home to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in professional hockey, was a stage for thousands of young Latter-day Saints, as they celebrate tomorrow's dedication of a new temple just ten miles away.
More than four thousand LDS youth, dressed in costumes from pioneer times to the present, perform in front of twenty thousand spectators, in celebration of the history of the LDS Church in Southern California.
Kathy Mikesell/Performer: "It tells you how the pioneers came here and how many temples were built, when."
These young people have been rehearsing for weeks for this moment, and a chance to see the president of their church in person.
Sarah Benjamin/ Performer: "Because the prophet said he wanted the youth to do something, so we gt to do a dance for the temple."
President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke to all of the teens, urging them to live up to their potential in life.
Gordon B. Hinckley/ President, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: "How thankful I am for you, for your courage, for your faith, for your determination to stand against the world in this age of so much that beckons you to do the wrong thing."
Tomorrow, President Hinckley will dedicate the Newport Beach temple. Situated not far from the campus of UC Irvine, the temple features pink colored granite and unique architecture, required by local zoning laws so it will blend in with the community.
Today, Shelly Hill brought her son Cory to see the temple up close.
Shelly Hill: "It's exciting. It's wonderful. It's a great opportunity for everybody."
Cory Hill: "You are driving down the freeway and the first thing you see as you are coming down the hill is that bright gold statue. You say, 'I know what this is. That's a temple.'"
This will be the second temple President Hinckley has dedicated in the last month. Three weeks ago he was in Nigeria to dedicate a temple there.
We will have a report from the temple dedication here in Southern California Sunday night on Eyewitness News at Ten.
