Oakland California Temple
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| Oakland California Temple | ||
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| Number | 13 | edit data |
| Announcement | 1962-05-26 | |
| Groundbreaking | 1962-05-26 by David O. McKay |
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| Open House | 5 October – 31 October 1964 | |
| Dedication | 1964-11-19 by David O. McKay |
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| Location | 4770 Lincoln Avenue Oakland, California United States |
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| Phone number | 510-531-3200 | |
| Site | 18.3 acres (7.4 hectares) | |
| Total floor area | 95,000 sq ft (8,800 m²) | |
| Exterior finish | Sierra white granite over reinforced concrete | |
| Temple design | Modern, five-spire design with Oriental motif | |
| Ordinance rooms | 4 | |
| Sealing rooms | 7 | |
| Preceded by | London England Temple | |
| Followed by | Ogden Utah Temple | |
| Official website • News & Images | ||
The Oakland California Temple (formerly the Oakland Temple) is the 15th constructed and 13th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS temple in Oakland, California was announced on May 26, 1962, and dedicated on November 19, 1964 by David O. McKay.
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[edit] Physical description
Located in the city of Oakland, California at 4770 Lincoln Ave, it is the only temple built with a modern five-spire design and exhibits an Oriental motif. The exterior of the temple is reinforced concrete faced with sierra white granite from Raymond, California. On the north and south faces of the temple are two decorative friezes, and is the last temple to have such. The back (south side) is a depiction of Christ descending from Heaven to the people of the American continent soon after his resurrection in the holy land. The front (north side) illustrates Christ preaching His Gospel to the people. Within the front garden courtyard there is a statue of children in front of a bronze plaque bearing a scripture from 3 Nephi 17, telling how Christ blessed the children during his visit to the people of ancient America.
The temple sits on a prominent site in the Oakland hills and has become a local landmark. Through the front courtyard are stairways which lead to the temple terrace situated above the ground floor of the temple. From the temple grounds and terrace are spectacular views of the Bay Area including downtown Oakland, the Bay Bridge, Yerba Buena Island, downtown San Francisco, and on a clear day, the Golden Gate Bridge. The Grounds are accented by flowers, palm trees, and a formal-style man-made river running from one fountain to the other.
The temple was built on an 18.3 acre plot, has 4 ordinance rooms, 7 sealing rooms, and has a total floor area of 95,000 square feet.[1] The Oakland Temple Visitor Center phone number is 510-531-1475.
The Visitor Center has free tours around the grounds and atop the temple daily.
[edit] History
The building of the Oakland Temple, as well as other temples in California was planned as early as 1847. The Mormons who had travelled by ship around Cape Horn to California were told by Brigham Young that "...in the process of time, the shores of the Pacific may yet be overlooked from the Temple of the Lord."[2]
[edit] "And it Came to Pass" Pageant
- See also: Mormon Miracle Pageant, Mesa Arizona Temple, and Hill Cumorah
In the nearby Interstake Center a Latter-day Saint Pageant (an annual theatrical production) is put on by local members. The pageant, commonly know as the "Temple Pageant" involves many actors, dancers, and singers. In addition to the people on stage, there is a technical crew and a balcony choir. This is one of only a few "temple pageants" around the country; others include the Easter Pageant in Mesa, Arizona and the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, Utah. It remains the only such pageant performed indoors and the only pageant that is completely live with the aid of an orchestra. Initially, the pageant would run on three consecutive nights but has over the years been trimmed down to a little over an hour and a half with some scenes getting the chop and others being reinserted.[3][4][5]
In the fall of 2007 a letter was sent from Elder Christofferson, one of the Presidents of the Seventy, to the stake and mission presidents, that suspended production of the Temple Pageant indefinitely. The letter talked about the burdens that this will relieve from the stake members who participate. Past participants were also thanked for their dedication and service.[citation needed]
[edit] Additional images
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 The North frieze |
 The South frieze |
 Dedicated in 1963 |
 The main tower |
 One of the corner towers |
 Statues and plaque in the inner courtyard |
 A close-up of the statues in the inner courtyard |
 A statue of Jesus in the Visitors' Center |
[edit] See also
- Temple (Latter Day Saints)
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
- Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
[edit] References
- ^ Satterfield, Rick. Oakland California Temple
- ^ McKay, David O., Oakland California Temple Dedicatory Prayer, November 1964.
- ^ Rott, Dale (Summer 2005). Intersections Between Theatre and the Church in the United States: 1930-1990. The Journal of Religion and Theatre.
- ^ Ghaznavi, Shanna (July 1999). Stars under the Sky. New Era published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Last accessed 2007-12-01.
- ^ LDS Living Magazine article
[edit] External links
- The Oakland California Temple page on the website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- The Oakland California Temple on ldschurchtemples.com
- OaklandTemple.org
- Mormon Temple Ordinances on religionfacts.com
- Oakland California Temple is at coordinates Coordinates:
