Washington's LDS Temple Provides Rare Public Glimpse Inside

High on a hill above the infamous Capital Beltway, the gleaming, gold-tipped spires of the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have long evoked comparisons to the Emerald City's palace in the "Wizard of Oz." Drivers on the perpetually jammed highway are familiar with it as a more mundane landmark for traffic reporters. Now, beginning April 28, the public is being invited inside for the first time since it was dedicated nearly 50 years ago to tour the temple's extensive renovations. Emily Utt, the temple's historian, hopes the public open house will dispel at least a bit of the mystery.