The First Presidency announced that two temples will close for extensive renovation in early 2018.
Both the Oakland California Temple, which will close in February 2018, and the Washington D.C. Temple, which will close in March 2018, will have their mechanical systems upgraded and furnishings updated, according to Mormon Newsroom.
The Oakland California Temple is scheduled to be opened and rededicated in 2019, and the Washington D.C. Temple is scheduled to be opened and rededicated in 2020. Both temples will have public open houses that will be announced at a later date.
The Oakland California Temple, image from Mormon Newsroom
The Oakland California Temple was the 13th temple of the Church when it was dedicated by President David O. McKay on November 17, 1964. The temple was the second in California (following the Los Angeles California Temple) and currently serves Latter-day Saints in the Bay Area of northern California. The temple's last renovation, which finished in 1990, took two years of extensive refurbishing and updating.
The Washington D.C. Temple, image from Mormon Newsroom
The Washington D.C. Temple was the first temple built in the Eastern United States and the 16th of the Church when it was dedicated by President Spencer W. Kimball on November 19, 1974. At 288 feet, it is the tallest temple and it is the only temple outside of Utah to have six ordinance rooms. The temple serves Latter-day Saints in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.
Lead image from lds.org
