Orlando Florida Temple

"I promise you that, with increased attendance in the temples of our God, you shall receive increased personal revelation to bless your life as you bless those who have died."

—Ezra Taft Benson

Temple Facts

The Orlando Florida Temple was the first temple built in Florida.
The Orlando Florida Temple is one of only two temples dedicated by President Howard W. Hunter during his brief time as president of the Church. (The other is the Bountiful Utah Temple.)

Dedicated 9–11 October 1994
by Howard W. Hunter

O God, Our Eternal Father, thou Great Elohim, we bow our heads before thee in reverence and love. We are met to dedicate this thy holy house.
We thank thee for this beautiful structure, and for the purposes for which it has been built. We thank thee for the eternal priesthood restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, which will be exercised herein. We thank thee, above all, for the atonement of thy Beloved Son through whose sacrifice salvation and eternal life are made possible. We thank thee for the ordinances of this house which will be administered in behalf of the dead as well as the living. We thank thee for the great vicarious work which will be carried on within these premises.
Father in Heaven, we note the beauty of this thy temple, and thank thee for the consecrations of thy faithful people throughout the world which have made possible this sacred house of peace and divine love.
Now, acting in the authority of the Holy Priesthood which has come from thee, and in the name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, we dedicate this the Orlando Florida Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate it as thy house and the house of thy Beloved Son, and pray that thou wilt accept it as the consecrated gift of thy people. We pray that it may be acceptable unto thee and unto Him, and that thy Holy Spirit may hallow it at all times. We dedicate the structure from the footings to the statue of Moroni which crowns its steeple. We dedicate all of its facilities, including the dressing rooms, the fixtures and appointments for the washing and anointing ordinances, the endowment rooms, the beautiful celestial room, and the sealing rooms with their sacred altars where under the authority of the Holy Priesthood there will be bound in the heavens that which is bound upon the earth. We dedicate the grounds on which this temple stands with the vegetation growing thereon—the trees, the flowers, the shrubs, the lawns.




We pray that thy watch-care will be over this thy sacred house. Preserve it by thy strong arm from storm and tempest, and above all from the defiling hand of man. To all who look upon it, including those who reside in this area, may it ever present a picture of peace and beauty, a structure partaking of thy divine nature.
Bless all who shall enter its portals that they may come with clean hands and pure hearts, setting aside the cares of the world as they engage in the sacred service to be performed herein. Grant unto them a greater understanding of things divine and things eternal. Bless them with joy in the service which they give. May the generations of the families of thy sons and daughters be joined in unbroken linkage that thy divine purposes may be brought to pass concerning the immortality and eternal life of thy children. We pray that all who covenant with thee in the sacred endowment service will stand ever true to their promises.
Bless the youth who will be baptized for the dead. May this sacred service instill in their minds a greater understanding of thy divine plan, and a stronger resolution to live worthy of every blessing which eventually may become available to them in this thy holy house.

May those who come to be sealed in marriage kneel at these sacred altars and resolve within their hearts to be ever true and faithful, that the sacred relationships here solemnized may continue with happiness throughout all eternity. May the spirit of the prophet Elijah rest upon thy people that the hearts of the children may turn to their fathers that the earth shall not be wasted, and that thy divine will may be brought to pass for the blessing of thy sons and daughters of all generations.
Our Beloved Father, we pray for all who have responsibility in thy kingdom, including the First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve, the Seventy, the Bishopric, and for all who serve in any capacity throughout the world. May all be faithful and true and work with a spirit of love and dedication. Prosper thy faithful Saints in their temporal affairs. Bless them in their homes and in their hearts with peace and gladness. May they walk in thy divine favor as they walk the paths which thou hast marked for them.
We ask it all, Beloved Father, as thy thankful sons and daughters, and on this day of dedication, we dedicate ourselves anew to thy service through service to our fellow men, both the living and the dead, in the name of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

• Living Ordinances

  Please make an appointment with the temple before coming for living endowments, marriages, or sealings.

• Family Name Cards

  Ordinances for family names must be done in proper sequence. If you wish to complete an endowment for a family name, allow sufficient time to complete the initiatory ordinances before the endowment session. If you are going to do the baptism the same day, you will need to allow even more time.
  Although family name cards are welcome at any time, many temples have reserved times for family names. Please call the temple for an appointment.
  To prepare family names for the temple, visit familysearch.org.

• Group Attendance

  Please contact the temple to schedule a group visit.

• Services Available

  • Cafeteria vending
  • Clothing service available

• Milestones

  6 Apr 1991

  Temple Announced

  20 Jun 1992

  Groundbreaking

  10 Sep 1994

  Open House Start Date

  29 Sep 1994

  Open House End Date

  9 Oct 1994

  Dedication Date

We would like to thank Webmaster Rick Satterfield from Pocatello, Idaho. Without his love and devotion, this site would not exist. Click the link below to visit his Site. 

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The Origin Of The Temple

"One thing have I desired of the Lord…that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple."

—Psalms 27:4

The Jerusalem temple was preceded by a portable, prototype temple, or tabernacle. The tabernacle was built some time between the 15th and 13th centuries B.C.¹ according to detailed plans divinely revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai (Exodus chapters 25-27, 30, 35-40). The temple worship system with its tabernacle/temple, Aaronic priesthood, and sacrifices is a major component of the Mosaic law commonly designated the "ceremonial law." Whereas the moral code of the Mosaic law (Ten Commandments) reflects the righteous character of God, and shows us our desperate spiritual need before a holy God² ("by the law is the knowledge of sin" — Romans 3:20; see also 4:15; 5:13; 7:7); the ceremonial law demonstrates the redeeming love of God and His gracious provision of atonement, forgiveness and reconciliation.

The Old Testament Hebrew word for atonement is kapar; it means, "to atone by offering a substitute."³ It refers to the priestly ritual of sprinkling sacrificial blood, thus "making atonement" for the worshipper. Indeed, atonement was central to everything connected with the temple worship system, as spelled out in the three components of the ceremonial law:

• The animal sacrifices were the appointed means of atonement under the old covenant.⁴ Not any sacrifice was acceptable, but only the animal specified by the law, in most cases a male lamb. The person bringing the sacrifice placed his hand on the animal’s head as it was slain (Leviticus 1:4; 3:8,13; 4:15,29,33; 16:20-22). This signified the transfer of human sin to the substitute, which bore God’s judgment in the sinner’s place. These sacrifices foreshadowed the death of Christ, the "Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29; Hebrews 10:10), and were provisional until His coming (Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:15; 10:8-14.
   
• The Aaronic priests were the appointed mediators of these atoning sacrifices. By God’s explicit appointment, only men from the tribe of Levi and the family line of Aaron were qualified to serve in the priesthood (Numbers 3:10; Exodus 29:9; Numbers 18:1-7). Male Levites from family lines other than that of Aaron performed subordinate temple duties under priestly supervision (Numbers 3:5-9). A recent scientific study published in the prestigious British journal Nature, found a genetic link among contemporary Jewish men claiming priestly lineage; this lends support to their claim of common ancestry tracing back 3400 years to the biblical Aaron.⁵ The LDS Church’s claim of a restored Aaronic priesthood clashes with both the clear lineage requirements of Scripture, and this modern scientific corroboration. This also constitutes a major objection to the Book of Mormon. For whereas the Nephites are said to have observed "all things according to the law of Moses" (2 Nephi 5:10; 25:24), since they are described as descendents of Joseph (1 Nephi 5:17; or Manasseh, one of the "half tribes" associated with Joseph, Alma 10:3), not the tribe of Levi, they would not have had a valid Aaronic priesthood.⁶
   
• The tabernacle/temple was the appointed place where the atoning sacrifices were to be offered. Israel was to have but one temple to reflect the fact that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 12:5,13,14; 16:5,6), and to avoid the corruption of their worship (1 Kings 12:26-33). The tabernacle’s portable nature was suited to the nomadic period of Israel’s forty years of wilderness wandering, and the early, unsettled years in the promised land. Later, when the nation was fully settled in the land, the Lord Himself chose Jerusalem as the location for the permanent temple (1 Kings 8:44,48; 11:13,32,36; 14:21; Psalm 78:68-70).⁷   

¹ Some conservative Bible scholars date the exodus to the 15th century B.C., for example, Merrill F. Unger, Archaeology of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954), pp. 140-152. However most scholars, including many conservatives, date the exodus to the late 13th century B.C., for example, William Sanford LaSor, David Allan Hubbard, Frederic W. Bush, Old Testament Survey, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982,1996), pp. 59-60, and John Bright, A History of Israel, 3rd ed. (Philadephia: Westminster, 1972,1981), pp. 123-24.

²In Matthew 5:21-28 , Jesus shows that the true demands of God’s law are not simply outward conformity, but an inner heart attitude. Thus, a heart attitude of hatred constitutes a violation of the sixth commandment (murder), and a heart attitude of lust is a violation of the seventh commandment (adultery). By this understanding, who can say that they perfectly keep God’s law? (2 Chronicles 6:36; Romans 3:19-20).

³R. Laird Harris, ed., Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Vol. 1 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), "kapar," pp. 452-53.

⁴ As the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews makes clear, the Old Testament animal sacrifices could not truly atone for sins (Hebrews 10:4), and were provisional only until the coming of Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross they foreshadowed (Hebrews 7:23-27; 9:6-10; 10:1-4).

⁵ The study, headed by Prof. Karl Skorecki of Rambam Medical Centre, Technion-Israel Institute in Haifa, Israel, "found clear differences in the frequency of Y-chromosome haplotypes between Jewish priests and their lay counterparts." This genetic commonality was found in those claiming priestly ancestry from both the Sephardic and the Ashkanazic communities. The Y chromosome is found only in men and is transmitted through the father. See "Y Chromosomes in Jewish Priests," in Nature, vol. 385, 2 January 1997, p. 32.

⁶ Although the name "Aaron" appears 48 time in the Book of Mormon, it is never used with reference to the Biblical Aaron or the Aaronic priesthood. Here are a list of other tabernacle/temple-related terms used in the Old Testament (with number of times used in parenthesis) that are not mentioned even once in the Book of Mormon: laver (13), incense (121), ark of the covenant (48), sons of Aaron (97), mercy seat (23), Day of Atonement (21), Feast of Tabernacles (17), Passover (59), house of the Lord (627).

⁷ The tabernacle had long been located in Shiloh, in the tribe of Ephraim. However, Jehovah Himself chose mount Zion in Jerusalem ("the city of David") in Judah as the place where He would "put His name." The election of Jerusalem is closely associated with God’s covenant with David, that his family line would always rule over God’s people. In the words of the Psalmist: "Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: But he chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved ... He chose David also his servant" (Psalm 78:67-70). This again makes the point that biblical revelation appointed only one temple. 

By Luke P. Wilson

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Apia Samoa Temple

"The temple is the house of the Lord. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant…is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house."

—Russell M. Nelson

Temple Facts

The Apia Samoa Temple was the first temple built in Samoa and the third built in Polynesia, following the Laie Hawaii Temple (1919) and the Hamilton New Zealand Temple (1958).
The Apia Samoa Temple was the second temple to be completely destroyed and rebuilt. (The other is the Nauvoo Temple.)
The Apia Samoa Temple was constructed as a sister building to the Nuku'alofa Tonga Temple, which was built and dedicated at the same time.
The Samoa Temple—as it was originally called—was to be constructed in Pago Pago, American Samoa as a regional temple to serve the saints of Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia (Tahiti), and Fiji.
On April 2, 1980, President Spencer W. Kimball's landmark announcement of 7 new temples suddenly tripled the number of temples planned for Polynesia. The Samoa Temple would be relocated from Pago Pago, American Samoa to Apia, Samoa, where most members lived. And additional temples would be built in Nuku'alofa, Tonga and Papeete, Tahiti.
State dignitaries participated in the open house of the Apia Samoa Temple including Malietoa Tanumafili, the head of state in Western Samoa, who performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony preceeding the open house and—though not a member of the Church—cited LDS scriptures and his own views on the importance of the temple in Samoa. Senator Pomare Galeai of the Congress of American Samoa also spoke at the open house, representing Governor Peter Tali Colman.
Under the direction of President Spencer W. Kimball, President Gordon B. Hinckley, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Apia Samoa Temple on August 5, 1983.
On the evening of July 9, 2003—nearly 20 years after its dedication—the Apia Samoa Temple was destroyed by fire while closed for an extensive remodeling project. One week later, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that the temple would be rebuilt.
On January 25, 2005, the same angel Moroni statue that had survived the fire that engulfed the original building was placed atop the newly rebuilt Apia Samoa Temple.
The Apia Samoa Temple was rededicated on September 4, 2005. The granite building reflects the design of the original while providing over 4,000 additional square feet, higher quality building materials, and a more efficient floor plan.

Temple History—Rededication

Tragedy struck the Apia Samoa Temple on a Wednesday evening, July 9, 2003, when fire engulfed the temple in a 45-minute blaze that granted the arriving 3 fire trucks and 100 volunteers too little time to save the building—though flames that threatened adjoining Church buildings were successfully extinguished. The next morning, overwhelmed citizens found courage in the sight of the angel Moroni standing dignified atop the remaining steel-and-concrete skeleton. The temple had been closed for an expansion and renovation project—the likely origin of the fire—and was scheduled for rededication later that year. No one was injured in the fire, and no records were destroyed, having been removed prior to renovation activity.¹
A week after receiving the devastating news of the fire, President Gordon B. Hinckley sent a letter to the Area Presidency, dated July 16, 2003, announcing the temple would be rebuilt. A grateful congregation gathered on the hallowed site just months later to join in the groundbreaking services, held Sunday, October 19, 2003. Elder Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy presided at the ceremony. He expressed the deep feelings of emptiness felt by the Samoan saints who also rejoiced in the temple's reconstruction. To create a larger site for the temple and to afford a better view for passers-by, a dated meetinghouse that shared the site was razed, and a replacement chapel was built across the street.²

On January 25, 2005, the same angel Moroni statue that survived the fire reclaimed its place atop the spire of the new temple. The statue was retrieved from the remains of the original building on July 24, 2003, and kept in storage until its reinstallment.³
The original 14,560 square-foot building followed the same design used for other temples built in the South Pacific in the 1980s: "R-wall" masonry exterior finish over concrete block and a split cedar shake shingle roof.⁴

Announcement:  15 October 1977; plans revised April 2, 1980
Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  19 February 1981 by Spencer W. Kimball
Public Open House:  19–30 July 1983
Dedication:  5–6 August 1983 by Gordon B. Hinckley
Public Open House:  6–27 August 2005
Rededication:  4 September 2005 by Gordon B. Hinckley

Temple Locale

Adjacent to the sprawling campus of the Church College of Western Samoa (a combined elementary, middle, and high school), the Apia Samoa Temple stands on the western outskirts of Apia in Pesega. Numerous other Church buildings occupy Pesega including mission headquarters, Church administrative buildings, and a meetinghouse. The breathtaking grounds—open to the public—feature a wide variety of healthy foliage and a striking water feature at the entrance to the building.

• Milestones

  15 Oct 1977

  Temple Announced

  19 Feb 1981

  Groundbreaking

  19 Jul 1983

  Open House Start Date

  30 Jul 1983

  Open House End Date

  5 Aug 1983

  Dedication Date

---

1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, "Samoan Temple Will Be Rebuilt," 16 Jul. 2003.
2. Jerry L. King, "Samoan temple to be rebuilt on site," Church News 25 Oct. 2003: 3.
3. Sarah Jane Weaver, "Remains of Samoa temple demolished" Church News 2 Aug. 2003: 4.
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, "Samoan Temple Destroyed by Fire," 10 Jul. 2003.

We would like to thank Webmaster Rick Satterfield from Pocatello, Idaho. Without his love and devotion, this site would not exist. Click the link below to visit his Site. 

www.ldschurchtemples.com

Hamilton New Zealand Temple

"There, in the house of the Lord, you can learn what you need to know to be truly free. There, tucked away from turmoil and strife, is the chance to be totally unselfish—a rarity in today's world."

—Robert L. Simpson

The gospel was first preached among the Maoris of New Zealand in their own tongue in 1881. So successful was the proselyting that non-Maori New Zealanders sometimes erroneously thought the Church was an organization for Maoris only. By 1887, 2,243 of the Church’s membership of 2,573 in New Zealand were Maoris.

Today, there are some 35,000 members of the Church on the three islands of New Zealand.
Plans for a temple to serve Church members in the islands of the South Pacific and Australia were first announced in 1955, and a hilltop site at Tuhikaramea, five miles from Hamilton, was selected. The lovely white structure is similar in design and size to the Swiss and London temples. Building contractors from America were called on labor missions to erect this temple, and they trained young labor missionaries called from New Zealand and the South Seas.

Location:  509 Tuhikaramea Road, Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Phone Number:  (64) 7-846-2750.
Site:  86 acres (including college grounds).
Exterior Finish:  Reinforced concrete block manufactured at site; white painted structural steel.
Temple Design:  Modern-contemporary, single-spire design but similar to lines of early Church temples.
Number of Rooms:  One ordinance room and five sealing.
Total Floor Area:  44,212 square feet.
Announcement:  17 February 1955
Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  21 December 1955 by Ariel Ballif, Wendell B. Mendenhall, and George R. Biesinger
Public Open House:  28 March–19 April 1958
Dedication:  20–22 April 1958 by David O. McKay

Temple Locale

Situated atop a stately hill in the rural outskirts of Hamilton, the Hamilton New Zealand Temple overlooks the 86 acres it shares with the former Church College of New Zealand—a Church-operated school for students ages twelve to eighteen that permanently closed in December 2009 after 51 years of operation. At the base of the hill is a popular public visitors' center, surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens. Guides are available to answer questions and direct visitors to the numerous displays on site including a magnificent replica of the Christus statue. At Christmastime, the grounds are filled with a dazzling spectacle of lights and displays.

Temple Facts

The Hamilton New Zealand Temple was the first temple built in the Southern Hemisphere and second built in Polynesia, following the Laie Hawaii Temple (1919).
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple was originally named the New Zealand Temple.
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple is a sister building to the Bern Switzerland Temple.
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple and adjoining Church College of New Zealand (permanently closed in December 2009) were both built entirely by volunteer missionary labor.
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple features beautiful murals on the walls of its Celestial Room (one of only three temples with Celestial Room murals—the others are the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple and the Los Angeles California Temple).
Prior to its dedication, some 112,500 visitors toured the Hamilton New Zealand Temple during its public open house.
The Church College of New Zealand was dedicated six days after the dedication of the adjoining Hamilton New Zealand Temple.
The first stake in New Zealand was created the month after the dedication of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple in the city of Auckland, about 80 miles north of Hamilton.
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple closed in 1993 for two months to replace wall coverings and furnishings. In 1994, the temple closed again for 9 months for a more extensive renovation that included installation of air conditioning and removal of asbestos.

The Hamilton New Zealand Temple serves members from 25 stakes and 4 districts based in New Zealand and New Caledonia:

New Zealand

Auckland New Zealand Harbour Stake
Auckland New Zealand Henderson Stake
Auckland New Zealand Manukau Stake
Auckland New Zealand Manurewa Stake
Auckland New Zealand Mt Roskill Stake
Auckland New Zealand Panmure Stake
Auckland New Zealand Papakura Stake
Auckland New Zealand Papatoetoe Stake
Auckland New Zealand Tamaki Stake
Auckland New Zealand Waterview Stake
Christchurch New Zealand Stake
Dunedin New Zealand District
Gisborne New Zealand Stake
Hamilton New Zealand Stake
Hamilton New Zealand Glenview Stake
Hastings New Zealand Stake
Hastings New Zealand Flaxmere Stake
Kaikohe New Zealand Stake
Nelson New Zealand District
Palmerston North New Zealand Stake
Porirua New Zealand Stake
Rotorua New Zealand Stake
Taranaki New Zealand District
Tauranga New Zealand Stake
Temple View New Zealand Stake
Upper Hutt New Zealand Stake
Wellington New Zealand Stake
Whangarei New Zealand Stake

New Caledonia

Nouméa New Caledonia District

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Oakland Temple

"Temples are places of personal revelation. When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. The answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways."

—Ezra Taft Benson

 Announcement:  26 May 1962
Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  26 May 1962 by David O. McKay
Public Open House:  5–31 October 1964
Dedication:  17–19 November 1964 by David O. McKay

Temple Locale

Commanding a sweeping view of the San Francisco Bay Area, the 170-foot Oakland California Temple is a highly recognized East Bay landmark. The magnificent grounds are distinguished by a creek-style water feature running from fountain to fountain toward the temple entrance—lined with colorful gardens and towering palm trees. On site is a public visitors' center, which includes numerous displays and an inspiring reproduction of Thorvaldsen's Christus statue. Also on the grounds is the East Bay Interstake Center—open to any who wish to attend Sunday services.

Temple Facts

The Oakland California Temple was the second temple built in California, following the Los Angeles California Temple (1956).
The Oakland California Temple is the only Latter-day Saint temple with five spires.
The Oakland California Temple was originally named the Oakland Temple.
The north side of the Oakland California Temple originally featured an inner courtyard with an enchanting waterfall that fed a large reflecting pool.

The Oakland California Temple was originally built with two large ordinance rooms each seating 200 persons.
The exterior of the Oakland California Temple features two 35-foot sculpted panels depicting Jesus teaching in the Holy Land (north side) and Jesus appearing to the Nephites (south side).
In 1942, the site for the Oakland California Temple was purchased after 14 years of negotiations due to various obstacles that blocked its purchase.
Over 347,000 visited the Oakland California Temple during its month-long open house. Even on the final Saturday, people stood in line for almost two hours in the rain waiting to get inside.
On October 30, 1990, the Oakland California Temple reopened after being closed for nearly two years for refurbishing and renovation.

“A great white temple of the Lord will grace those hills, a glorious ensign to the nations.” This was the prophecy of President George Albert Smith in 1924 when, as a member of the Council of the Twelve, he looked over the San Francisco East Bay hills.

The site he envisioned was purchased in 1942, and construction of the magnificent five-towered Oakland Temple, which commands a sweeping view of the entire Bay area and the Pacific Ocean, began in May 1962. 

The building is faced from base to tower with sierra white granite. The center tower is 169 feet high, and four lesser towers, each 95 feet high, are perforated and covered with blue glass mosaic and gold leaf. At night they are illuminated from within, transmitting rays of lacy light. There are two sculptured panels on the exterior north and south facades of the temple, one depicting the Savior in Palestine and the other his appearance to the Nephites in America.

It was dedicated November 17, 1964, by President David O. McKay, the fifth and last temple he dedicated.

 

We would like to thank Webmaster Rick Satterfield from Pocatello, Idaho. Without his love and devotion, this site would not exist. Click the link below to visit his Site. 

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Washington Temple

  "We continue to build temples. We desire that as many members as possible have an opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel inordinate distances."
—Thomas S. Monson








Washington Temple

This “gem among temples,” as it was called by President David O. McKay when he authorized its construction, is the 17th temple to be built by the Church. It is a seven-story, six-spired structure, a modern reminder of the Gothic-designed Salt Lake Temple that is well known around the world as a symbol of the Church. It is the first temple to be faced with marble. The gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni on the highest spire is 18 feet tall, weighs two tons, and rises 288 feet above the ground.

Located on a 57-acre tract on one of the highest elevations in Montgomery County, Maryland, on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., the temple can be viewed from many angles from the circumferential highways around Washington. It is one-third larger than the Salt Lake Temple.


Ground was broken December 7, 1967, and the work of clearing the site began May 28, 1971. Dedication will be in late 1974.


This temple will serve U.S. Saints living east of the Mississippi River, and Saints in eastern Canada.


Announcement:  15 November 1968
Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:  7 December 1968 by Hugh B. Brown
Public Open House:  17 September–2 November 1974
Dedication:  19–22 November 1974 by Spencer W. Kimball

Locale

Standing on sprawling grounds about 10 miles north of the United States Capitol, the gold-spired Washington D.C. Temple is a well-known landmark along the Capital Beltway in Kensington, Maryland. The beauty of this soaring edifice is enhanced by a stunning reflection pool and spouting water feature. Sharing the 52-acre wooded site are the Washington D.C. Stake Center and the beautiful Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center, which hosts numerous interactive exhibits, a breathtaking reproduction of the Christus statue, and regular lectures and concerts throughout the year. Admission is free. 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 Facts

The Washington D.C. Temple was the first temple built in the East Coast of the United States.
The Washington D.C. Temple was the first temple to feature six spires since the construction of the Salt Lake Temple, which inspired the design.
Soaring to a height of 288 feet, the Washington D.C. Temple is the tallest temple in the Church.
The Washington D.C. Temple is the only temple outside of Utah to be built with six ordinance rooms. (The temples in Utah with six ordinance rooms are the Ogden Utah Temple, Provo Utah Temple, and Jordan River Utah Temple.)

The Washington D.C. Temple was originally named the Washington Temple.
The Washington D.C. Temple is one of five temples featuring an angel Moroni statue holding the gold plates. (The other four temples are the Los Angeles California Temple, Jordan River Utah Temple, Seattle Washington Temple, and México City México Temple.)
The main lobby of the Washington D.C. Temple features a striking 30-foot-long mural depicting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. An image of the temple was incorporated into the mural.
Following the completion ceremonies for the Washington D.C. Temple, in which a time capsule was placed in the northeast corner of the building, President Spencer W. Kimball conducted the largest press conference in the Church's history.
The highly successful public open house of the Washington D.C. Temple was attended by 758,328 guests including special guest Betty Ford—wife of then-U.S. President Gerald Ford. These tours resulted in over 75,000 missionary referrals.
During the ten dedicatory sessions of the Washington D.C. Temple, all but two of the Church's General Authorities delivered speeches.

We would like to thank Webmaster Rick Satterfield from Pocatello, Idaho. Without his love and devotion, this site would not exist. Click the link below to visit his Site. 

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