Los Angeles California Temple facts for kids

Los Angeles California Temple
Number	10	edit data
Dedicated	Quick facts for kids March 11, 1956 (March 11, 1956) by David O. McKay
Site	13 acres (5.3 hectares)
Floor area	190,614 sq ft (17,709 m2)
Height	257 ft (78 m)
Preceded by	Bern Switzerland Temple
Followed by	Hamilton New Zealand Temple
Official website: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/details/los-angeles-california-temple • News & images
Additional information Announced March 6, 1937 Groundbreaking September 22, 1951 by David O. McKay Open House December 19, 1955 – February 18, 1956 Designed by Edward O. Anderson Location 10777 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, California United States Exterior finish Mo-Sai stone facing Temple design Modern, single-tower design Ordinance rooms 4 (four-stage progressive sessions) Sealing rooms 10 Clothing rental Yes Cafeteria Full Visitors' center Yes

The Los Angeles California Temple is a special building for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's located on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood area of Los Angeles, California. When it opened in 1956, it was the largest temple the church had built. Today, it's still the second-largest.

This temple serves many church members from different counties in California. The temple grounds are open to everyone. You can visit a special center there to learn about the church. There's also a Family History Center where you can research your family's past.

History of the Temple

The idea for the Los Angeles Temple was first announced in 1937. The church bought a large piece of land for it. However, building plans were put on hold because of money problems during the Great Depression and World War II.

Construction finally began in 1951. The plans were updated to make the temple very large. It could welcome 300 people at a time for its special ceremonies. This temple was also the first in a long time to have a statue of the angel Moroni on top. The statue first faced southeast, but later it was turned to face east.

At first, the temple used live actors for its special presentations. But soon, films were used instead. The way people moved through different rooms for ceremonies also changed. In 2003, the temple went back to a style where people moved from room to room, but still using films.

The temple closed for updates in 2005 and reopened in 2006. These updates included making the building stronger against earthquakes. In 2020, like many places, the temple closed temporarily because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Temple Location and Grounds

The Los Angeles California Temple is found at 10777 W. Santa Monica Boulevard. It sits on a small hill in the Westwood area of Los Angeles. The beautiful grounds around the temple are open for everyone to visit.

You'll see many different kinds of plants there. There are Canary Island Pine trees, various palm trees, and even Bird of Paradise trees. You can also find olive trees and rare Chinese Ginkgo trees.

There are two fountains on the sides of the temple. In front, there's a large pool that reflects the building. You'll also see statues of families, which make the grounds even more beautiful. Every December, the temple grounds are decorated with thousands of colorful lights for Christmas.

The temple is a well-known sight on the west side of Los Angeles. The grounds also have other church buildings. These include a meetinghouse, a baseball field, and offices for the church's California Los Angeles Mission. There are also apartments for missionaries and temple workers.

This temple was one of the first built outside of areas where many church members lived. It was also designed to be easy to reach by car. It has a very large parking area.

Temple Architecture

The temple's design is called Modernist. It uses a special material called Mo-Sai for its outside walls. This material is made from crushed quartz and white Portland cement. It has a light brown color that helps keep the building looking clean.

The temple is very big. It is about 369 feet (112 meters) long and 269 feet (82 meters) wide. Its total height is 257 feet (78 meters). On top of the temple, there is a 16-foot (5 meter) tall statue of the angel Moroni. The architect, Edward O. Anderson, was inspired by Mayan architecture for the design.

Inside, the temple has several important rooms. These include a baptistry, a celestial room, and four ordinance rooms. There are also ten sealing rooms and a large assembly room. The temple also has two 30-foot (9 meter) pools on each side of its connected buildings. The walls of the ordinance rooms and the celestial room have beautiful murals.

Images for kids

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  The Los Angeles Temple at night

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  The Los Angeles Temple in 2006

See also

In Spanish: Templo de Los Ángeles (California) para niños