Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Southern California found renewed hope Sunday to “reclaim the lost pieces of their lives” through the rededication of a church meetinghouse that was heavily damaged last year by the California wildfires.
The feeling of loss for the building and impacted community was “overwhelming,” Pacific Palisades resident Kayce Mammen said in a news release published Tuesday on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“Now there is hope that we can reclaim the lost pieces of our lives,” Mammen said, “working together in a single place, continuing to recover as a community.”
The brick house of worship at 575 Los Liones Drive was not entirely destroyed by the wildfires that swept through the surrounding hillsides of Pacific Palisades, California, according to the church’s news release.
Nearly everything surrounding the meetinghouse — including the once-lush hillside and trailheads behind the building — was destroyed in January 2025, the church’s news release states.
The meetinghouse was “left standing in what many called a miracle,” the release adds, but it was still heavily damaged by smoke and ash.
To renew the meetinghouse, its interior was “gutted for a full-scale renovation,” according to the church’s news release.
Now complete, the Pacific Palisades meetinghouse was rededicated Sunday, April 12, for worship.
“Returning to our chapel after a year of work is a joyful milestone that fills us with renewed hope for the future,” President Brian Ames of the Los Angeles California Stake said in the church’s news release.
Latter-day Saints gathered in the renewed building for the Sunday rededication, and Los Angeles media toured the building — originally built more than 50 years ago — prior to its rededication service.
“Even in our excitement, we carry a deep awareness of the collective grief that remains for those still navigating the difficult path of rebuilding their own lives,” President Ames said.
He and Mammen noted that many members of the local congregation lost their homes in the 2025 wildfires and remain displaced.
“Now at least they have a gathering place to continue the process of rebuilding,” Mammen said.
President Ames added: “We believe as we come together, every step forward — no matter how small — invites more light and healing into the hearts of the entire Palisades community.”
Latter-day Saints and other churches in California served as great recovery resources to community members and organizations following the devastating fires. Read more about the church’s efforts to aid those impacted even months after the fires swept through Southern California here.
