Source: The Houston Chronicle

On July 29, 2000, The Houston Chronicle reported that, "When a Mormon enters the temple, his faith's most sacred space, he is taught that he leaves the world behind and comes as close to God as is possible in this life. So the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon church's formal name, builds its temples according to the strictest standards. As the church prepares for the opening next month of the world's 96th Mormon temple - the Houston Texas Temple in Spring - the final touches are being made to an edifice likely to become a local landmark. For a brief few weeks in early August, the temple will be open to the public before it is dedicated. After that, only church members in good standing may enter. 'There's a very high structural requirement for this building,' Leon K. Rowley, temple project manager, said during a tour a couple of weeks before the temple was finished. 'Temples are built to be long-lasting. Why? The real answer is we'd like it to be standing for 1,000 years.' To Mormons, temples are sacred structures within which eternal questions are answered. The church holds its Sunday services in meetinghouses. Temples, which generally are not open on Sundays, are reserved for sacred ceremonies, deemed 'special ordinances' by the church. Only Mormons who have received a letter called a recommend from their local bishop may enter a Mormon temple after it is dedicated."