Day 9- The Nation's Capital

We arrive in Washington DC for a day of touring. We visit monuments and museums along with the White House and other places of interest.

Raleigh to DC
Total distance 289.9 miles Average speed 66 mph
Travel time 4 hours 22 mins
fuel consumption 13.8 gal  $41.40

And then to our final stop on this wonderful tour. 

The Washington DC Temple.

The 16th operating temple of the church located at

9900 Stoneybrook Dr., Kensington, MD 20895

dedicated Nov 19-22, 1974 by Spencer W Kimball

Temple Facts

The Washington D.C. Temple was the first temple to feature six spires since the construction of the Salt Lake Temple, which inspired the design.

Soaring to a height of 288 feet, the Washington D.C. Temple is the tallest temple in the Church.

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

Avard T. Fairbanks was one of nine sculptors who presented models for the Washington D.C. Temple angel Moroni. The 18-foot tall statue was cast in bronze, then covered with gold leaf. Moroni holds the gold plates in his left hand and a trumpet in his right. Fifteen-foot replicas of the statue were used on the Jordan River Utah Temple, Seattle Washington Temple, and México City México Temple.

The exterior of the Washington D.C. Temple is faced in white Alabama marble, symbolizing purity and enlightenment, 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.

Beautiful stained glass runs the length of the end towers of the Washington D.C. Temple with rich, vibrant reds and oranges giving way to more translucent blues and violets and finally white. The windows represent the unbroken progress toward the divine available in the gospel and the purity that enters one's life as he rises above earthly cares and reaches heavenward.

Eight bronze medallions—symbolizing creation, mortality, and the degrees of glory—are featured on both the gates and the doors of the Washington D.C. Temple. Latter-day Saint sculptor Franz Johansen depicted the Big Dipper and North Star, the earth, the planets, the moon, the stars, the sun, concentric circles representing eternity, and seven concentric pentagons representing the seven dispensations.

The main lobby of the Washington D.C. Temple features a striking 30-foot-long mural depicting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. An image of the temple itself is incorporated into the mural.

The seven floors of the Washington D.C. Temple represent the six days of creation and the day of rest.

Following the completion ceremonies for the Washington D.C. Temple, in which a time capsule was placed in the northeast corner of the building, President Spencer W. Kimball conducted the largest press conference in the Church's history.

The highly successful public open house of the Washington D.C. Temple 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.

During the ten dedicatory sessions of the Washington D.C. Temple, all but two of the Church's General Authorities delivered speeches.

For a time, the Washington D.C. Temple offered overnight endowment sessions from Friday through Saturday to accommodate the many members who came on the weekend.

What a way to finish our adventure.  Sadly tomorrow we head home, but with lots of memories from a busy but inspirational journey.