Open House Dates Announced for Temples in California and Cambodia

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced open house and dedication dates for two houses of the Lord on opposite sides of the globe: one in Southern California and one in Southeast Asia. According to Church Newsroom, the San Diego California Temple and the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple will welcome the public in the coming months before dedication services in 2026.

San Diego California Temple

A media day for the San Diego California Temple is scheduled for Monday, June 15, 2026, with invited guest tours on June 16 and 17. The public open house will run from Thursday, June 18, through Saturday, July 11, 2026, excluding Sundays, and the dedication will take place on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 10 a.m., with a rebroadcast at 2 p.m.

Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated this house of the Lord in April 1993 while serving as a counselor in the First Presidency, making it the third temple in California. Today, 12 temples operate, rise under construction or stand announced across the state, reflecting the steady growth of the Church in the region.

California members worship in the Feather River, Fresno, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Oakland, Redlands and Sacramento Temples. Crews continue construction on the Modesto and Yorba Linda Temples, and leaders have announced plans for temples in Bakersfield and Sunnyvale.

Nearly 730,000 Latter-day Saints live in California and gather in more than 1,000 congregations statewide. For many in Southern California, the temple anchors their faith and shapes family traditions centered on covenant worship.

Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple

A media day for the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 2026, with invited guest tours on August 13 and 14. The public open house will run from Saturday, August 15, through Saturday, August 22, excluding Sunday.

Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 10 a.m., with a rebroadcast at 2 p.m. The Church will broadcast the dedicatory session to all units in the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple district.

More than 17,000 Latter-day Saints live in Cambodia and meet in 31 congregations, and this temple in the nation’s capital is the country’s first house of the Lord. Russell M. Nelson announced the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple in 2018.

At the time of the announcement, President Nelson urged members to prioritize temple worship. “Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater,” he said, according to Church Newsroom.”

“I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time,” he continued. “Invest time in your future and in that of your family. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.”

Why Temples Matter to Latter-day Saints

Temples differ from regular Sunday meetinghouses, and Latter-day Saints view them as the most sacred spaces on earth. In temples, members seek God’s love and peace, learn more about His plan for His children and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and make sacred covenants with Him.

Married couples also enter into eternal marriage covenants in the temple, and families unite across generations through sacred ordinances performed there. These ordinances reflect the Church’s core belief that family relationships continue beyond death through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

During an open house, anyone—regardless of faith—may walk through the temple, view its instruction rooms and celestial room, and learn about its purpose. Volunteers guide guests through the building and explain how Latter-day Saints worship inside once leaders dedicate the temple.

After dedication, only faithful Church members who hold a current temple recommend may enter. Inside, members participate in ordinances that center on Jesus Christ, covenant discipleship and eternal families, reinforcing the Church’s teachings about salvation and exaltation.

These newly announced open houses and dedications highlight the global reach of the Church of Jesus Christ, from the Pacific Coast of the United States to Southeast Asia. Though cultures, languages and histories differ, members in California and Cambodia share a common faith in Jesus Christ and a shared desire to worship Him in holy temples.

Holly Wallace

Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.