25 years ago
Soft organ music played as the First Presidency, led by President Spencer W. Kimball, entered the solemn assembly room on the seventh and top level of the Washington D.C. Temple prior to its dedication on Nov. 19, according to a Church News article in Nov. 23, 1974, issue.
Members of the Quorum of the Twelve and other General Authorities, as well as local leaders, joined the First Presidency for the 10 dedicatory sessions.
"The people in this area have waited long and longingly for this temple," said President Kimball. "It has been 144 years since the Church was restored. Now we have a temple here, exquisitely beautiful, pleasingly decorated, adequately arranged, to carry forward the work of the Lord."
Fog shrouded the temple as members arrived on that first morning of dedication. The temple, gray in the dim morning light, could hardly be seen, even from the fountain near the annex entrance, the article continued.
With spires rising 16 stories high, the temple towered over the nearby wooded areas in a majestic setting near Kensington, Md. It became the 16th operating temple in the Church, and initially served 300,000 members.
