WASHINGTON — Years after the creation of the first stake in the nation's capital, members and leaders — past and present — of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered to celebrate the Washington D.C. Stake's 75th anniversary and the dedication of a new chapel.
At a devotional held Friday night, LDS Church leaders President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Seventy, stake members and friends met to honor pioneering Latter-day Saints who helped establish the church in the nation’s capital.
Other featured speakers were past stake presidents: L. Ralph Mecham, J.W. Marriott Jr., Ralph W. Hardy Jr. and Nolan D. Archibald, plus the current stake president, Ronald T. Harrison.
As the first stake in the mid-Atlantic region, the original Washington D.C. Stake is now represented in 24 other stakes. LDS President Ezra Taft Benson was called as the first stake president on June 30, 1940. At the time, the stake ranged from Fairview, Pennsylvania, to Richmond, Virginia, and from Maryland’s Chesapeake to Virginia’s Blue Ridge. More than 93,000 church members now live within these stakes.
Noting that LDS Church members in the area today “stand tall on the shoulders of giants who have gone before,” President Nelson reminisced about his experiences in Washington, D.C., as a young captain stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and as a member of the Washington Ward bishopric. He also recalled the powerful influence of being mentored and fellowshipped by older members, like J.W. Marriott Sr. and Ralph Hardy Sr.
In thanking the Saints for their faithfulness and goodness, Elder Hallstrom observed that “one of the most significant reasons we honor this past is so we can look to the future.” He said that growth is measured not only in the number of stakes created, but also in doing those things that “bring about conversion and draw us closer to God.”
The devotional was part of the Washington D.C. Stake's conference held over the weekend and featured a short video, “Wherefore By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them,” which highlighted the gathering and growth of the LDS Church in Washington, beginning in the early 1900s.
In an area known for the involvement of members in government, education, the military, the media and a large interfaith arena, the weekend's events included the dedication of a new meetinghouse — the Capitol Hill Ward chapel, which is a part of the Suitland Maryland Stake.
During a special meeting Sunday night, President Nelson dedicated the new building located at 522 7th Street SE, Washington, D.C., just blocks away from the nation's Capitol. An open house for members of the LDS Church and local community is scheduled for Dec. 12.