Bible school sets a solid foundation
May 31, 1913: Union Oil founder Lyman Stewart placed a time capsule in the cornerstone of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles at 6th and Hope streets.
Stewart, a leading fundamentalist figure, started his Church of the Open Door and Bible school for “the lost of the city.”
Later renamed Biola, the Bible school moved to La Mirada in 1959, but the Church of the Open Door remained downtown, known for its neon “Jesus Saves” sign.
In 1985, the capsule was opened after the church’s final downtown service. It contained, among other items, a Scofield Reference Bible, brochures and the six Los Angeles newspapers of that day.
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