WASHINGTON, D.C., July 20, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The open house, youth devotional and rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, originally scheduled for last year but delayed because of COVID-19, is now set for 2022.
The news was announced Tuesday in a letter from the First Presidency and shared during a media event at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors’ Center.
The letter, addressed to selected male leaders in the Church, says the public open house will run April 28 through June 4 of 2022, excluding May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 (all Sundays).
Prior to that, a media day is set for April 18, and invited guests will be welcomed on April 19 through 27 of next year. A youth devotional is set for June 18.
The temple will be rededicated on Sunday, June 19, at sessions to run at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
See the full letter at the bottom of this file.
“This is a great occasion for us to open the doors of the temple for our friends, members of the Washington, D.C., community, people and partners of all faiths and backgrounds to come and join us and to experience the beauty and peace that is the temple of the Lord,” said Aaron Sherinian, director of media for the temple open house committee, in a prepared statement.
“I’m hoping that people will come to the temple and realize that even though we’ve been apart for the last year, the temple is something that reminds us that we’re all connected, we’re all together because we’re all children of God,” Sherinian added.
The temple, which first opened in 1974, closed in March 2018 for a significant renovation. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and lighting systems throughout the 160,000-square-foot structure have been refreshed, in addition to other work done to refurbish and renovate the temple.
At the news conference Maryland Secretary of State, John C. Wobensmith, presented a special citation on behalf of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, recognizing the opportunity for “people from around the world to view this beautiful and sacred landmark” during the upcoming open house.
Dan Holt, project manager for the Washington D.C. Temple renovation project, said the inside of the temple maintains its same midcentury motif with an added “21st-century flair” to make it “more maintainable, more modern and really relevant for today.”
“Our hope is that both the design of the building and the materials and equipment that we put in are going to last another 50 to 100 years—and do so efficiently and effectively,” Holt added.
“We’ve been waiting for the temple to be rebuilt and rededicated. We’re excited to be part of this community and to be part of this great opportunity to share with our neighbors,” said Lucy Lopez, a Church community outreach specialist.
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