Today marks the public launch of a special virtual tour of the historic Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The tour, now available online, takes visitors on a guided journey of the interior of the temple led by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Lesa, along with Elder Dale G. Renlund, also of the Quorum of theTwelve Apostles, and his wife, Ruth.
“A temple is the most sacred place of worship in our Church, and we are delighted that you would join us for a tour,” said Elder Renlund. The tour comes as the committee overseeing the ongoing public open house of the temple announces an important milestone: 100,000 visitors have visited the temple since it opened its doors to the public on April 18, 2022. Since that time, groups including national media outlets, invited guests from government and embassies in Washington, friends and neighbors and local members of the Church have been able to tour the interior of this landmark located just outside the nation’s capital.
“Jesus Christ is the central focus of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and our temples,” says Sister Stevenson in the video. “We regard the temple as ‘the house of the Lord.’ As you enter the temple, you will notice the beautiful paintings and other artwork that turn our hearts and thoughts towards Christ and His gospel.”
This is the first opportunity in 48 years that this temple has been open to the public. The temple was originally dedicated by Church President Spencer W. Kimball in 1974.
For those unable to attend in person due to scheduling or traveling constraints, this video allows the two senior Church leaders to virtually take visitors through the temple.
This nearly 12-minute virtual tour is the first time the Church has made a tool of this kind available to the public since the Rome Italy Temple opened its doors in 2019.
The Church has 282 temples in operation, under construction or announced around the world. Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the most sacred places of worship. Prior to the dedication of a temple, the public is invited to attend an open house to see the beauty of the temple and learn about the commitments Church members make with Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
The Washington D.C. Temple in-person open house will continue through June 11, 2022. Open house ticket information is available at dctemple.org.
See the video below.