There's a 200-foot-high hill in Mar Vista with majestic streets named Grand View, Ocean View, and Mountain View. Back in the 1920s, the head of the local Mormon community, George McCune, thought it would be the perfect place for a new Mormon temple in Los Angeles. So he donated the land. But Glen Howell, co-founder of the Mar Vista Historical Society, says McCune's gift got short shrift.

"The leaders in Salt Lake City, who were familiar with Mar Vista, decided it was too far off the beaten track, and they wanted it on a main road, so they picked Route 66."

The Westwood temple was built on land owned by the silent film actor Harold Lloyd. When it was dedicated in 1956, it was the largest Mormon temple. But Glen Howell says, "I think Mar Vistans are glad that it's not on top of our hill. The top of our hill now is a little league field and community gardens. And we like to keep it that way."

That Mormon temple in Westwood is now the second largest. Expansion of the Salt Lake City temple made it the largest operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

(Airdate for this story: 1/6/08)