It’s not every day that an unfinished Latter-day Saint temple gets an angel Moroni statue. And watching its installation is even rarer because this meaningful part of construction often goes quietly unannounced—a public announcement would likely draw in hundreds or thousands of onlookers to a potentially dangerous construction site. But for the lucky few families and individuals who were able to see the angel Moroni statue installation on the new Layton Utah Temple this week, it was a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime moment. Here’s what they had to say about it.
Note: Comments have been edited for clarity.
Ericka Madsen shared on Instagram, “When a friend called saying ‘Hurry, the angel Moroni is going up,’ I ran and checked the kids out, and what a beautiful sight! The sun came peeking through right as it began to go up. ☀️”
Laura Jensen also wrote about the unannounced event on her Instagram. “The day we've all been waiting for ... I knew I could not wait till my after-school walk to the temple and drove the quick mile with teacher friends during our lunch break. Lucky us, a few workers were still in the crane cage and we were able to feel the beautiful spirit of the installation of the angel Moroni statue. ❤️”
The Layton Utah Temple Facebook page also shared photos from the installation and wrote, “The angel Moroni statue was put into place atop the west spire of the Layton Temple this morning! And what a beautiful site it is to behold. Both spires are now in place, and the angel Moroni stands tall on the west end. It truly looks like a temple now.”
Additionally, artist Chad Hawkins shared the following video on his Facebook page of the angel Moroni statue being lifted up by crane with the caption, “It was a true honor to witness this historic milestone. I love the temple and look forward to serving in this beautiful temple someday!”
See more photos and videos of the angel Moroni being lifted onto the Layton Utah Temple below.
The Angel Moroni is safely atop the Layton Utah Temple… “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people…” - Rev. 14:6 👊❤️ pic.twitter.com/ScutjAyqHc
— Clint Morris 🇺🇦 (@ClintonPMorris) March 9, 2022
The Angel Moroni was added to the top of the Layton Utah temple on Wednesday. #Laytontemple pic.twitter.com/9maGg7U1fS
— Mark Jones (@MarkJonesKSL) March 10, 2022
