The Huntington Beach Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is bringing back some old-time religion. Really old-time.

A full-scale replica of the tabernacle built by Moses and the Israelites, and described in the Old Testament, was set up by members of the Huntington Beach Mormon stake, or congregation, in the parking lot of the church in Fountain Valley.

It will be open for guided tours from 5 to 8 tonight and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Also scheduled is an interfaith celebration from 11a.m. to 1p.m. today with Catholic, Christian, Islamic and Jewish faith leaders.

The idea was born after Rick Johnson, president of the Huntington Beach Mormon stake, saw a similar replica in Idaho in August 2015. The tabernacle, or tent sanctuary, was made to the exact scale described in Scripture, down to the cubit.

Although the early tabernacle was made of wood and plated in gold, this wooden replica is covered in metallic gold paint.

The structure was built by congregants and about 450 youths and teens as a centerpiece for a summer youth conference in Murrieta, and reassembled this week at the church, at 17500 Bushard St.

“It’s been a real labor of love,” Johnson said. “It’s been a neat opportunity to share it with others.”

On its first night, Tuesday, more than 900 visitors toured the site.

The tabernacle also includes a courtyard area, replica altars of sacrifice and incense, a laver of water, a menorah and a table of unleavened showbread.

In the back of the tabernacle is the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary where God was said to dwell. The sanctuary houses replicas of the Ark of the Covenant, which consisted of a cover with angels known as the Mercy Seat, and the ark itself, which contained the tablets with the Ten Commandments that Moses brought down, a golden bowl containing manna, or food, and a rod that belonged to Moses’ brother, Aaron.

In ancient times only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year on Yom Kippur to offer blood from a sacrificed animal and burn incense.

As Johnson describes it, the journey through the tabernacle is not unlike a faith journey.

“We believe in sacred spaces,” he said. “The further you go in, you get further and further from the world and nearer to God.”

To Johnson, the idea of worship places transverses many religions, making the tabernacle valuable to people of different faiths. This helps explain why his church’s display has gotten so much interest, he said.

To congregants, the tabernacle and its contents are part of God’s way of foretelling the coming of his son.

“Most all of the things reflect Jesus Christ and his ministry,” said Elder Taylor Feitz, one of the tour guides.

He said “being able to see and visualize (the tabernacle) brings Jesus to life in a different way.”

For Einon Brock, who just started his two-year mission in Southern California, the ancient tabernacle draws a line to the temples of today.

In addition to the tabernacle, the Mormon church opened its doors and is showing a video about the making of the tabernacle. There are additional historic displays in the church’s cultural hall.

Johnson said plans are in place to turn the tabernacle into a traveling display, with trips to USC and Ann Arbor, Mich., being considered.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7964gmellen@scng.com