User:Adventure Yeti/sandbox

Summary
Temple Hills is an 18.3-acre complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It stands on top of the Oakland, CA hills and looks over the Bay Area. The name of the area refers to all of the different buildings on the property. Contained in Temple Hill is the Oakland Temple, the Interstake Center, and the Visitor Center.

History
In the 1930's, Eugene Hilton, along with other leaders from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, was commissioned to search for a plot of land to construct a temple on. They were fixated on where Temple Hill is now located and ended up purchasing the land with authorization from President David O Mckay.

In 1959, the first structure constructed was the Inter-Stake Center, providing a large gathering space for Latter-day saints. It wasn’t until 1960 that David O Mckay announced the construction of the Oakland Temple.

O. Leslie Stone was designated to chair a committee to manage the construction of the Temple. Harold W. Burton was charged with being the architect, and local members of the Church provided supplies and funds for the construction.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on May 26, 1962, and the temple was completed on September 27, 1964, making it the 13th Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It was the first temple to celebrate the modern world, thus making it the first and only temple with no windows, only relying on artificial lighting and heating. It is also built to resemble Asian architecture.

Tourism
Temple Hill is a tourist spot for people who visit the Bay Area. During the holiday season, it is fitted with festive lights, that attract the attention of many.

Lighting
Every year for the Christmas season, Temple Hill decorates with festive lighting. There are over 500,000 lights that cover the grounds, that can be seen from the Bay Area. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once recruited help from the local fire department to hang a star on top of their tallest tree. The Temple Hill Orchestra and Choir preform during these celebrations.

Orchestra
Temple Hill hosts a local Orchestra that performs at multiple events. There is a large portion of this Orchestra that are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yet they still support the Orchestra and Choir at Temple Hill.

Worship
Worship Services are held weekly at Temple Hill. The Church holds its services at various times on Sunday, in multiple languages. Anyone is welcomed to these services. Throughout the week, there are also Church events that may take place.

Oakland Temple
The Oakland Temple is the 13th Temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is located on top of Temple Hill and looks over the Bay Area. The Temple is highly regarded by locals and used as a beacon to pilots.

Visitors' Center
The Visitor Center is designed to teach about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is run and operated by volunteers. There are interactive displays, a statue of the Christus, and other family-friendly activities.

Interstake Center
The Interstake Center is a grand event center/ chapel that is used to accommodate many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It also holds a large gym, which a famous basketball team practiced in for a short season. This space is also available to be booked by the public. Many weddings and other celebratory events take place here.

Family History Center
Tempe Hill hosts a genealogy center for both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and visitors. This service is run by volunteers.