Washington D.C. Temple

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Washington D.C. Temple

The Washington DC Temple was announced on 15 November 1968. The announcement was gladly received by the thousands of members that lived east of the Mississippi River who had no nearby temple. A very large plot of land on a wooded hill had been bought in 1962 for the temple, and only eleven acres were cleared for the building itself. The rest of the land was left untouched to give the temple a remote feeling. It is is the 16th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A groundbreaking and site dedication ceremony was held on 7 December 1968. Elder Hugh B. Brown presided.

The temple serves Church members in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and New Jersey. It was the first Mormon temple to be built on the East Coast of the United States. When the temple was completed in 1974, it served all Latter-day Saints living east of the Mississippi and all Latter-day Saints in South America.

At 160,000 square feet, the Washington D.C. Temple is the third largest Mormon temple in the world. It was designed to be similar in style and form to the Salt Lake Temple so that it would be easily recognized as a Mormon temple. The exterior finish is constructed of reinforced concrete sheathed in 173,000 square feet of Alabama white marble. There are six ordinance rooms (stationary) and fourteen sealing rooms inside the temple.

The Washington D.C. Temple has the tallest tower of any of the Church's temples, at 280 feet. The angel Moroni that sits on top of this tower is eighteen feet tall and weighs two tons. Another interesting feature is that the temple does not look like it has any windows, but when you go inside you realize that the marble has been cut thin enough in some places that it is translucent.

Temple Location

The Washington D.C. Temple is located on a serene 52-acre hilltop in Kensington, Maryland, standing on sprawling grounds about 10 miles north of the United States Capitol, and creates an impressive sight for travelers along the Capital Beltway. The beauty of this soaring edifice is enhanced by a reflection pond near the Washington D.C. Visitors' Center and a spouting water feature at the temple entrance. Also sharing the 52-acre wooded site is the Washington D.C. Stake Center. The Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center hosts numerous interactive exhibits, a breathtaking reproduction of the Christus statue, and regular lectures and concerts throughout the year. Admission is free. And at Christmastime, the grounds are set aglow during the Festival of Lights, which offers nightly concerts, a live nativity scene, and international nativity sets.

Temple Shuttle

A free temple shuttle, funded by donations, is offered to patrons and visitors traveling between the Metro and the Washington D.C. Temple.

Washington D.C. Temple Open House

When the construction of the temple was completed, the First Presidency buried a metal box with historical items near a corner of the temple.

The temple opened to the public from 17 September to 2 November 1974, and more than 750,000 visitors toured the edifice. Several high-profile visitors, including Betty Ford, President Gerald Ford’s wife, were among those who attended the open house. The open house continued for seven weeks. During the first week of open houses, government officials and diplomats from around the world were taken on special tours through the temple. The high number of people that attended the open house was due mostly to the large amount of coverage that the temple and Church received as the temple neared completion. Articles were printed in Time, Newsweek, and World Report. There was also a large press conference held that introduced the temple and Spencer W. Kimball, the Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at that time.

The demand for tickets to the open house was high, and the tickets were gone before the first day of tours, so the times were extended to allow as many people as possible to attend the open house. The times had originally been set from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. but were changed to 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Interest in the Church was so high, that more missionaries were called to the area to answer questions.

The Washington D. C. Temple Dedication

The Washington D.C. Temple was dedicated in 10 sessions held from 19-22 November 1974. Church President, Spencer W. Kimball offered the dedicatory prayer, in which he gave thanks for those who paved the way for the founding of the United States: “We are grateful that thou didst cause this land to be rediscovered and settled by people who founded a great nation with an inspired constitution guaranteeing freedom in which there could come the glorious restoration of the gospel and the Church of thy Beloved Son.” More than 40,000 members were able to attend the dedicatory services.

Washington D.C. Temple Announcements

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that the Washington D.C. Temple will close in March 2018 for extensive renovation. The temple is expected to be closed for a period of at least two years. Per Mormon Newsroom, as part of the renovation, the mechanical systems will be upgraded and the finish and furnishings will be refreshed.

Following the completion of the Washington D.C. Temple renovation in 2020, the temples will be rededicated. A public open house and rededication information will be provided as the renovations near completion.

The visitors' center will remain open throughout the renovation.

Nearly four and a half years after the Washington D.C. Temple closed for renovation, President Russell M. Nelson will rededicate it on August 14, 2022, in three sessions that will include the entire First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

New Renderings of the Washington D.C. Temple

The images for the following gallery of pictures were obtained from LDS Living.and are ©2020 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Rendering of the celestial room in the Washington D.C. Temple.

  • Rendering of an instruction room in the Washington D.C. Temple.

  • Rendering of the baptistry in the Washington D.C. Temple.

  • Rendering of the bridge pathway in the Washington D.C. Temple.

  • Rendering of the entry into the Washington D.C. Temple.

  • Rendering of the rotunda in the Washington D.C. Temple.

  • Rendering of a sealing room in the Washington D.C. Temple.

  • Rendering of the priesthood room in the Washington D.C. Temple.

Five-Week Open House, Youth Devotional, and Rededication Dates Announced

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released information regarding an open house, youth devotional, and rededication for the soon-to-be-completed renovation of the Washington D.C. Temple. This news was shared Thursday, 27 February 2020, at a media event at the Washington, D.C. Temple Visitors’ Center.

The rededication of the temple will be held on Sunday, 13 December 2020, in three sessions. Prior to the rededication, a public open house will be held from 24 September through 31 October 31 (except for 27 September, 3-4, 11, 18 and 25 October). Additional details will be available at a future date.

As part of the rededication festivities, a youth devotional is scheduled for the evening prior to rededication on Saturday, 12 December 2020. The rededication and youth devotional will be broadcast to Latter-day Saint meetinghouses within the Washington D.C. Temple district.

A media day will be held on 15 September 2020, with private tours taking place 16 through 23 September 2020.

Brent Roberts, managing director of the Church’s Special Projects Department, said, "This temple is one of the premier temples of the Church. The renovation that we're going through right now and that we’ll soon complete will allow the temple to function for many years to come."

Aaron Sherinian, a longtime resident, and volunteer public affairs media specialist for the Church commented, "For decades, millions of people have driven by or passed the Washington D.C. Temple. It has become an iconic part of the D.C. beltway. This fall, it can become an iconic part of people's lives in a new way. We invite people everywhere to join us inside the temple, to learn more about why it is so much more than a building and to feel the promise of peace it holds. We invite everyone to come and see."

Anne Golightly, local public affairs director for the Church added, "The Washington D.C. Temple open house is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come and see for yourself what takes place inside these sacred spaces. We want everyone to feel welcome. All are invited to feel the peace of this place, to feel the presence of God and to learn more about why and how we as a community seek to follow Jesus Christ."

Workers plan to finish construction in the summer. Furniture and artwork will be installed before the open house in September.

Latest Updates about the Washington D.C. Temple

On Monday, 15 June 2020, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that, because of concern for the effects of COVID-19, the open house, youth devotional, and re-dedication of the Washington D.C. Temple are postponed until large public gatherings are deemed safe.

Open House and Rededication Dates Announced

The open house, youth devotional and rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was originally scheduled for 2020 but delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will now take place in 2022.

This news was made Tuesday, 20 July 2021, in a letter from the First Presidency and shared during a media event at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors’ Center.

A media day for the renovated temple will take place on 18 April 2022, followed by private tours for invited guests from 19 April 2022 to 27 April 2022. A two-month public open house will then begin on 28 April 2022 and go through 4 June 2022 (except for Sundays). This will mark the first time that the public will be able to tour the temple since its 1974 dedication. Open house ticket information is available at dctemple.org. More details about the open house, including reservations, and rededication will be released later. A website — dctemple.org — has been created for open house information.

A youth devotional will be held on 18 June 2022, followed by the temple rededication on 19 June 2022 in three sessions — 9:00 am EST, 12:00 pm EST, and 3:00 pm EST. The youth devotional and rededication will be broadcast for all congregations within the Washington D. C. Temple district.

Aaron Sherinian, director of media for the temple open house committee, said, "This is a great occasion for us to open the doors of the temple for our friends, members of the Washington, D.C., community, people and partners of all faiths and backgrounds to come and join us and to experience the beauty and peace that is the temple of the Lord."

Open House Extended and Rededication Rescheduled

With the overwhelming early response to the upcoming Washington D.C. Temple open house, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is extending the open-house period and rescheduling the temple’s rededication date.

On Friday, 28 January 2022, the Church’s Temple Department released a statement stating that because nearly 50% of the available parking for the initial open house was scheduled in the first two weeks after the announcement of reservations was made, the First Presidency has approved an extension of the open house and has rescheduled the rededication to be on 14 August 2022. The available dates for the extended open house will be published online as soon as they are determined.

The statement said, "Our goal is to invite all to join us to experience the peace, beauty and connection that can be felt in the temple, and to ensure that all who desire to come have a welcoming, safe and orderly experience in this sacred place."

Open house ticket information is available at dctemple.org, which also provides information on the Washington D.C. Temple itself, the purpose of temples, photo galleries, and more.

Besides tickets for the on-site parking, online reservations can be made for a free-of-charge shuttle from the Forest Glen Metro Station to the temple grounds on weekday evenings and Saturdays. Public tours last about 45 minutes and will include a self-guided walk throughout the remodeled interior of the temple. The tour includes scaling more than 150 stairs. Comfortable shoes are recommended, and wheelchair and ADA accessibility is available.

Appropriate COVID-19 protocols will be followed per public health recommendations and in cooperation with local authorities.

See also

External links

Videos of the Washington D.C. Temple

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