Washington D.C. Temple

Washington D.C. Temple is the tallest temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints the central eastern tower reaches a height of 288 feet (88 m),.(The Salt Lake City Temple is the 4th tallest temple with the center spire on the east end is the highest — reaching 210 feet in the air.)

The Washington D.C. Temple was the first temple built in the Eastern United States.

The Washington D.C. Temple is one of only five temples featuring an angel Moroni statue holding the gold plates. (The other five are Los Angeles, Jordan River, Seattle Washington, and Mexico City Mexico.)

Washington D.C. Temple has the tallest Angel Moroni Statue of all the temples.

The Washington D.C. Temple has six spires, modeled after the Salt Lake Temple. The spires represent the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood.

The exterior is made with white Alabama marble, it is which is shaved to 5/8 of an inch in some areas to allow a soft glow of sunlight to pass into the interior during the day.

The white Alabama marble is a symbolism of purity and enlightenment.

On the tower ends there are W shaped panels of faceted glass. They are seven feet wide and “running in a solid blaze of color and light running from the ground to the top of the temple.” Brother Henry Fetzer described the windows saying “the colors near the ground are rich a vibrant-reds and oranges-but as they rise they give to clearer tones: blue, violet and finally white. The change symbolizes the purity and clarity that enters a persons life as he leaves earthly concerns and aspires towards heavenly matters. The unbroken line of the window rising continuously to the top of the temple is a reminder of the unbroken progress that is possible in the gospel.”

There are seven floors in the Washington D.C. Temple. Represents six days of creation and the seventh is the day of rest.

To enter the Washington D.C. Temple members must cross a bridge from the annex and the entrance. This symbolizes leaving the world behind.

There are eight bronzed medallions on the doors and the gate symbolizing the creation, mortality, and the degrees of glory.

On the medallions the Latter-day Saint sculpture, Franz Johansen portrayed the big dipper, the north star, the earth, the planets, the moon, the stars, the sun, concentric circles representing eternity and seven concentric pentagons representing seven dispensations.

In 1974 at the open house it 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.