by David Andrews | Special to the Courier

Claremont is sometimes known as the City of Trees, but it could also be known as the city of sanctuaries. The city and surrounding community are home to numerous houses of worship across a variety of faith traditions.

Please consider visiting them! My wife Stephanie and I have been blessed by doing so. We were warmly greeted at Temple Beth Israel during Hannukah, at New Life Pomona during the Christmas season, at Our Lady of the Assumption during Lent, and at the Islamic Center of Claremont during Ramadan. In each of these congregations we found good-hearted people striving to lead holy lives.

In addition to worship services, many public events are hosted at these meetinghouses. For example, on Sunday, June 9 Claremont United Church of Christ will once again host baccalaureate services for Claremont High School graduates. This is a joyous celebration to which the entire community is invited.

Of course some places of worship and meditation are not intended for the general public but instead are reserved for faithful adherents. Examples include the monasteries of both Eastern and Western Christianity. Likewise Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains have a monastic tradition. In these settings, believers seek communion with the divine either in solitude or in consecrated communities.

In short, some sacred spaces are intended for easy and widespread access; others are deliberately organized to put distance between the adherent and the world at large.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has both kinds of buildings — those designed for open and easy access and those reserved for special purposes. The former are called “meetinghouses” and the latter “temples.”

Stephanie and I are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our congregation gathers at the meetinghouse found at the southeast corner of Base Line and Grand in Claremont. You’re welcome to join us there. Our worship services are open to the public and take place on Sundays at 9 and 11 a.m.

If you’ve never been to a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse before, you’ll find that these buildings are functional affairs. The chapel or worship space is generally accompanied by classrooms and a kitchen. In addition to Sunday worship services, activities during the rest of the week range from scripture study to service activities to sporting events.

By contrast, temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are reserved for the most sacred rites (or ordinances) of the faith. Those ordinances invite the participants to enter into covenant relationships with God and with one another. Examples include promising to live according to the principles taught by Jesus Christ and uniting families across generations through the binding power spoken of in Matthew 16:19.

Whereas Latter-day Saint meetinghouses can be found throughout the region, there are currently only three temples of the Church within easy driving distance of Claremont. The largest and oldest of these, located on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, was dedicated in 1956. A second local temple was dedicated in 2003 (in Redlands) and a third in 2006 (in Newport Beach). Soon a new Latter-day Saint temple will be opening in Yorba Linda. In June the building will be dedicated, meaning that it will be consecrated, or set apart, for the purposes described above. Before then, however, there will be a public open house when visitors can tour the building and learn more about the purpose of temples. If you are interested in touring the Yorba Linda temple before its dedication, we invite you to do so. Public tours are available from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. through May 23. Reservations are strongly recommended (due to limited parking) and can be made at churchofjesuschrist.org/featured/yorba-linda-california-open-house.

Closer to home, I again invite you to consider visiting any of the houses of worship found in our community. Doing so can be a spiritually enriching experience for earnest seekers of truth.

You are especially welcome to join me and my family any Sunday at the Claremont meetinghouse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We look forward to seeing you there.

David Andrews serves on the Committee on Religious Affairs at The Claremont Colleges and is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.