Oakland California Temple

The Oakland California Temple is a special building for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Oakland, California. It is known for its unique design with five tall spires that are inspired by Asian architecture. The temple sits on a hill and offers wonderful views of the San Francisco Bay Area. Around the temple, there is a visitors' center, a place for church jobs, a center for sharing church materials, an auditorium, a special meeting area, a rooftop terrace, and beautiful gardens where people sometimes take photos for celebrations like quinceañeras.

The church bought the land for the temple in 1943, and building started in 1962. After letting people tour it in 1964, the temple was officially opened and only church members with a special permit could enter. The temple is built above the Hayward Fault Zone, so it needed strong fixes to stay safe during earthquakes. It closed for a short time after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 and again for updates in 2018–2019.

The design of the temple was created by Harold W. Burton and includes styles from Art Deco and mid-century designs. Inside, there are dark cherry wood decorations and artwork showing Jesus Christ and the California landscape. Every year during Christmas, the temple has music and dance shows along with bright holiday lights, celebrating the story of Jesus Christ's birth. Although the temple used to have special shows called “temple pageants”, they are no longer held. Many people admire the temple, calling it a beautiful and special place.

History

See also: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California

The Oakland California Temple is a special building for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Plans for temples in California, including Oakland, began as early as 1847. In 1942, a leader of the church visited the spot where the temple would later be built. The church bought the land in 1943, and construction started in 1962. The temple opened its doors in 1964, and only church members with special permission could enter.

In 2018, the temple closed for updates. Workers improved the lighting, fixed the furniture, and added windows to let in natural light. After the updates were finished in 2019, people could visit the temple again during a special open house before it reopened.

Like all temples of the church, it closed for a short time during the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened in 2022.

Temple Hill site

Besides the Oakland California Temple, the Temple Hill site has many other important buildings. The inter-stake center, built in the 1950s, is the oldest church building there. It has two chapels, an auditorium, a gymnasium, classrooms, and offices. Today, it is used by 14 different congregations speaking English, Spanish, Chinese, and Khmer.

Nearby, there is a large auditorium that can seat 1,600 people, with a stage 60 feet tall. When needed, it can expand into a big cultural hall. The Golden State Warriors, a basketball team, once used this hall for practice. The auditorium is home to several music and dance groups and hosts many performances.

The visitors' center next to the temple has artwork and a copy of a famous statue. It is open to everyone and has volunteers to help visitors. It was remodeled in 2004 to focus on the life of Jesus Christ and the church's history.

The temple grounds cover 18.1 acres and include gardens with water features that many photographers enjoy. There is also a FamilySearch Center where people can get help researching their family history.

Every year since 1978, the temple and visitors' center have hosted a beautiful Christmas lights display. It started with 50,000 lights and grew to 500,000 by 1998. There are also special displays and artwork showing the story of Jesus' birth, along with music and dance performances like The Nutcracker ballet and Handel's Messiah.

The Hayward Fault runs under the auditorium. This fault moves slowly, about 0.6 inches each year, and has caused some cracks in the pavement. After an earthquake in 1989, the auditorium and temple were closed for repairs and reopened a year later. They closed again in 2018 for more safety improvements and reopened in May 2019.

Design

Harold W. Burton designed the temple's structure in 1962, mixing three different styles: Mid-century Modern, Asian, and Art Deco. Upgrades in 2019 were handled by architect David Hunter and interior designer Karen Willardson. From the front courtyard, stairways lead to a rooftop garden terrace. From there, you can see many famous spots like downtown Oakland, the Bay Bridge, Yerba Buena Island, downtown San Francisco, the Sutro Tower, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The grounds are filled with flowers, palm trees, and water features such as fountains and a waterfall. Local photographers often use the gardens for special celebrations like quinceañeras.

This temple is special because it is the church’s only one with a modern five-spire design. The tallest spire rises 170 feet high. The outside is made of strong concrete covered with white granite from Raymond, California. The temple shines brightly at night and is known as a landmark in the Bay Area. Inside, the design focuses on Jesus Christ, with calm colors, traditional furniture, and many beautiful paintings and artworks. The walls have white oak panels and marble floors. Some rooms have special features like gold leaf decorations, marble pillars, and mirrors that make the space feel endless. The design includes Asian-inspired elements to reflect the area's diversity and is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the region.

Presidents

Since it was dedicated in 1964, the Oakland California Temple has been cared for by special leaders called temple presidents and matrons. They look after all the work of the temple and usually serve for about three years. The first president was Delbert Franklin Wright, who served from 1964 to 1968. As of 2022, John C Hodgman is the current president. Other well-known presidents include Lorenzo Hoopes, who served from 1985 to 1990, and Durrel A. Woolsey, who served from 1996 to 1999.

And it Came to Pass Pageant

See also: List of pageants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Local church members performed a special musical show called the "Temple Pageant" for many years. This show told the story of the church's history through music and acting. It was one of the few shows like it in the country and was special because it was performed indoors and had live music. At first, the show had three parts shown over three nights, but later it was made shorter to last just one and a half hours. In November 2007, the show was stopped because it was too expensive to keep going, and most members of the church around the world would never get to see it.