Washington D.C.
Video and Model Details
Video
This was quite the undertaking. Mostly because of all the trees. I already had a good quality model I had made for Google Earth, and it did not take to much in the way of detailing to get it up to full quality. No, planting all those trees took a full day though.
Audio
Meadow, DC, Crickets and Birds – RBHumphries
Technical
Modeled:
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Whole Scene
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Temple Only
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Washington D.C. Temple Wiki
Contents
Description
The Washington D.C. Temple is the 18th constructed and the 16th operating temple.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. [1]
History
Announcement
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.
Groundbreaking
A groundbreaking and site dedication ceremony were held on 7 December 1968. Elder Hugh B. Brown presided.
Construction
Clearing of the land started May 28, 1971. The site chosen for the temple was a 57-acre (23 ha) wooded hill purchased in 1962 just north of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495).[2] Only 11 acres (4.5 ha) of the site was cleared to give the area a more remote feeling. It was the first LDS temple since 1846 in (4688.84 centimetres) the United States east of the Mississippi River and remained the only LDS temple in eastern North America until the dedication of the Atlanta Georgia Temple in 1983.[3][4]
Open House
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 Open House attracted over 750,000 people,
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.
Dedicatory Prayer
Dedication Order
Renovation
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. Public open house and rededication information will be provided as the renovations near completion.
The visitors’ center will remain open throughout the renovation.
Presidents
| Temple President | Years Served |
|---|---|
| President Kent W. Colton | 2014– |
| President Brian C. Swinton | 2011–2014 |
| President Earl C. Tingey | 2008–2011 |
| President F. Melvin Hammond | 2005–2008 |
| President J. Edward Scholz | 2002–2005 |
| President Sterling D. Colton | 1999–2002 |
| President Earl J. Roueche | 1996–1999 |
| President Ralph O. Bradley | 1993–1996 |
| President David S. King | 1990–1993 |
| President Thomas G. Bell | 1988–1990 |
| President Robert W. Barker | 1986–1988 |
| President Franklin D. Richards | 1983–1986 |
| President Wendell G. Eames | 1978–1983 |
| President Edward E. Drury | 1974–1978 |
Details
Built at a cost of about $15 million, 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.
Exterior
Cladding
The exterior finish is constructed of reinforced concrete sheathed in 173,000 square feet of Alabama white marble.
Windows
Though it appears the temple has no windows, in places the marble has been cut thin enough that it is translucent.
Symbolism
Inscriptions
Cornerstone
Spires and Moroni
Spire
The Washington D.C. Temple has the tallest tower of any of the Church’s temples, at 288 feet (87.78 metres). The temple is the church’s tallest; its easternmost spire is 288 feet (87.78 metres) (88 m (288.71 feet)) tall.
Moroni
The angel Moroni that sits on top of this tower is eighteen feet tall head to toe and weighs two tons, making it the tallest Moroni in use on any temple. [2] It was the Third Angel Moroni Statue ever placed on a temple, after the statues on Salt Lake and Los Angeles Temples. It was carved by Dr. Arvard Fairbanks specifically for the Washington D.C. Temple, one of many that were solicited and submitted for consideration.
The statue was placed on 11 May 1973. On hand to watch the statue being placed were then Elder Thomas S. Monson and Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve, and Sister LeGrand Richards, wife of Elder LeGrand Richards.
“The Angel Moroni statue, which appears on the top of several of our temples, is a reminder to us that God is concerned for all his people throughout the world and communicates with them wherever they may be,” said Elder Monson.
Interior
At 160,000 square feet, the Washington D.C. Temple is the third largest Mormon temple in the world. Interior highlights include architectural woodwork, marble, stained glass artwork, high-quality carpets and furniture, and works of art (statues and paintings). The building also features administrative offices, a high-end lobby/entry area, administrative offices, patron service areas, a baptistery, multiple dressing rooms, six ordinance rooms, fourteen sealing rooms and an elegantly constructed “celestial room”. In
Ordinance Rooms
There are six ordinance rooms (stationary).
Sealing Rooms
The Washington D.C. Temple has fourteen sealing rooms inside.
Location
Individuals and Contractors
Architects Harold K. Beecher, Henry P. Fetzer, Fred L. Markham and Keith W. Wilcox designed the Washington D.C. Temple in a collaborative process. Each offered designs for review and critique, which were approved by the Church’s First Presidency. Through this process, the final design emerged representing the best ideas of each architect.
Sources and Links
External links
- Temple at LDS.org(official)
- Temple at MormonTemples.org (official)
- Temple at MormonNewsroom.org (official)
- Temple at LDSChurchTemples.com
- Temple at LDSChurchNewsArchive.com
- Temple at Wikipedia
Additional Articles
Sources/Citation
- [1]“Washington DC Info”. lds.org. LDS Church. 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2012.↩
- [2]The Jordan River Moroni is often quoted as being the tallest statue at 20 feet (6.1 metres), but it is only 15 feet (4.57 metres) head to toe, and the ornamentation under the statue must be included to reach the 20 feet (6.1 metres) number. ↩
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