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Mormons invite visitors into temple Open house is set to begin March 24 CENTRAL POINT -- The public will have a rare opportunity this month when members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold an open house at their new temple on Taylor Road. Construction of the nearly $2.9 million granite structure is almost complete, says Central Point Stake President Ed Hanson. A week-long open house, expected to draw 30,000 visitors, is set to begin March 24. "It's rare for nonmembers to have the occasion to go into the temple," Hanson says. Aside from this month's open house, Hanson says, the public will not be allowed inside the sacred space unless it undergoes major remodeling. Known within the church as the Medford temple, the Central Point structure will be the only Mormon temple between Lake Oswego and Oakland, Calif. It will serve about 28,000 members throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California, Hanson says. About 6,000 members belong to the Medford and Central Point stakes. Crews have been working on the 10,700-square-foot temple since May. Now, Hanson says, the work is down to finishing touches, such as landscaping and furnishing the interior. "They are just beautifully decorated," Hanson says of Mormon temples. "I haven't seen the artwork yet that is going into this temple. It is selected by an interior design expert from Salt Lake." The decor will include gold leaf and sculptured carpets, where the design is created by texture. "It really adds to the beauty of the temple," Hanson says. In the Mormon church, a temple is reserved for marriages, baptisms, living ordinances (covenants with God) and other sacred ceremonies. "It's very exciting," Hanson says. "It's just a thing of beauty; it was designed to help bring us closer to our Heavenly Father." Last year, the Mormon church set out to nearly double the number of temples in operation. As of November, there were 65 temples throughout the world. The temple in Central Point will be the 77th operating temple; a total of 112 have been announced. The local temple, at 2305 Taylor Road, will serve nine stakes: Klamath Falls, Medford, Central Point, Grants Pass, Roseburg and Coos Bay in Oregon, and Anderson, Redding and Eureka in California. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA