Celebrating Easter on Temple Hill

The flower gardens on Temple Hill welcome visitors in a springtime display of vibrant colors. 
Photo courtesy of James Lash

By Janene Baadsgaard

Whether you come for the vibrant spring flowers, peaceful waterfalls, magnificent views, Easter concert, or an interfaith speaker series, Temple Hill is a wonderful place to celebrate Easter this year in Oakland California.

If you’re looking for a meaningful Easter concert, Christ the Lord is Risen! will be performed on April 9^th 2023 at 7:00 PM and promises a wonderful evening of music featuring the Temple Hill Choir and Orchestra. The concert features memorable songs from several well-loved Easter Oratorios including Lamb of God, The Redeemer, The Garden, and Where Jesus Walked. The Zion Youth Choir and the Bay Area Tongan Choirs will also be performing that evening. This Easter evening concert will be at the Temple Hill Auditorium at 4766 Lincoln Ave. and is free and open to the public. You may acquire free tickets at templehill.org.

The Visitors’ Center on Temple Hill is also hosting an interfaith speaking series running from April 2–8 at 7:00 PM. Christ-centered musical selections will also be part of the program.

“We have invited pastors and ministers of many different faiths to share their traditions and thoughts on Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and Easter,” said George Brunt, Director of the Oakland Temple Visitors’ Center. 

The Visitors’ Center on Temple Hill is free and open to the public. Visitors need only to walk through the front doors, where they will be warmly greeted and volunteers will answer questions and provide tours as requested.

“The whole property at Temple Hill is centered on Jesus Christ,” Brunt continued. “The Visitors’ Center features a large statue of Christ while the Temple exterior highlights the Sermon on the Mount in the old world as recorded in the bible on the front side and the Sermon on the Mount in the Americas as told in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ on the backside. Visitors often tell us they feel drawn to Temple Hill for the peace and tranquility they feel here.”

Many are also drawn to the Oakland Temple grounds for the panoramic view of the Bay Area from a rooftop garden.

“Every time I come here, I find so much peace and comfort,” Jerry Geronimo said as he walked with friends around the rooftop gardens at the temple. “Just walking on the grounds is uplifting to me. I feel God’s love here. Every time I come here I feel like I’m coming home.” 

In a troubled world, Temple Hill offers a striking contrast—an opportunity to take a deep breath and relax, feel peace, and find hope. Sometimes referred to as the shining light on the hill, the Oakland Temple is brilliantly lighted at night.  When darkness rolls into the Bay Area, the Oakland Temple is like a lighthouse—a beacon of hope in a sea of darkness.