As the Washington D.C. Temple opens its doors for public tours, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released its first virtual tour of the historic temple.
The virtual temple tour, now available online, is led by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and his wife, Lesa, along with Elder Dale G. Renlund, also of the Quorum of Twelve 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,” Elder Renlund said.
“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.”
The release of the virtual Washington D.C. Temple tour comes as more than 100,000 visitors have already walked through the Washington D.C. Temple since tours began on April 18. National media outlets, invited guests from government and embassies in Washington, D.C., friends, neighbors and local church members have been among the groups invited to visit the renovated temple outside the nation’s capital.
This is the first time the Washington D.C. Temple has been open to the public in nearly 50 years. The temple was originally dedicated by President Spencer W. Kimball in 1974.
The virtual temple tour, nearly 12 minutes in length, allows those unable to attend in person the opportunity to watch a tour guided by two Latter-day Saint apostles. A similar tour was made available to the public during the Rome Italy Temple open house in 2019.
There are 282 temples in operation, under construction or announced around the world.
The Washington D.C. Temple in-person open house will continue through June 11, 2022. Open house ticket information is available at dctemple.org.