History of the Oakland Temple

Nestled in the beautiful Oakland Hills, the Oakland Temple is considered by many to be the Beacon of the Bay. Others refer to it as the Crown Jewel of the East Bay. Its beauty can be seen from miles away. The temple stands as a beacon of hope, a standard of truth, and a source of strength for residents in the area.

The Oakland Temple was dedicated on November 17, 1964 by President David O. McKay. The temple was the second in California (following the Los Angeles California Temple), and the 13th in the world. The temple currently serves Latter-day Saints in the Bay Area of Northern California. There are currently over 200 temples operating, announced or under construction throughout the world.

Vision

In a letter written in 1847 by Brigham Young, the prophet who had just recently led an exodus of Church members from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah to establish the headquarters of the Church there, foresaw that: “In the process of time, the shores of the Pacific may yet be overlooked from the Temple of the Lord”. This was a bold statement as they had just begun construction of the Salt Lake City Temple in Utah, which took 40 years to complete.

In 1924, Elder George Albert Smith, then an Apostle of the Church, was visiting with a local church leader on the roof terrace of a hotel overlooking San Francisco Bay.

According to Chad S. Hawkins’ book, “The First 100 Temples,” Elder Smith “ceased talking and for several minutes gazed intently toward the hills above Oakland” before again speaking to his friend W. Aird MacDonald, Hawkins wrote.

“Brother MacDonald, I can almost see in vision a white temple of the Lord high upon those hills, an ensign to all the world travelers as they sail through the Golden Gate into this wonderful harbor,” said the future president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “A great white temple of the Lord will grace those hills, a glorious ensign to the nations, to welcome our Father’s children as they visit this great city.”