New and improved Moroni statue back on Idaho Falls Temple
The statue of Moroni is back on the Idaho Falls Temple. It now has a new and fresh finish that will top off the temple’s restoration project.
“Today, we’re resetting the angel Moroni on top of the temple. He was set in 1984. And it’s a wonderful thing for our community and the LDS population, because it symbolizes the newness and restoration that is so much a part of the LDS culture and belief,” said Douglas R. Nelson, the Greater Idaho Falls public affairs council director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The guilder told KIFI/KIDK the restoration of the statue took him about a full week from start to finish. The statue or Moroni now has a nice shine to it — and that shine is coming from 24-carat gold.
The 12 foot, 1,500-pound statue is a fiberglass cast. The gold gild finish will last much longer than a gold paint finish. It is said to last for about 20 years.
“The process of restoring a temple like this has been a very long process. It’s been closed for a couple of years. The restoration of the angel Moroni and placing him on the top of the temple is the climatic event of the restoration process. It results in having this wonderful statue that is a symbol for so many in the LDS community on the temple, and symbolizes the completion of the process,” Nelson said.
In addition, the crew made sure the improved statue had lightning protection. They said when they pulled off the old statue two weeks ago, they noticed it had marks of it being hit by lightning about four or five times.
The Idaho Falls Temple’s open house starts Saturday, April 22, and goes to Saturday, May 20. The temple will be rededicated on Sunday, June 4, with a cultural celebration taking place on Saturday, June 3.
