The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unveiled a new statue on Temple Square Wednesday. It’s entitled “The Five Wise Virgins” and is located outside the Relief Society Building.
It depicts the New Testament parable which contrasts five wise women with five who were foolish. The wise women brought enough oil to fuel their lamps until the bridegroom arrived for a wedding, while the foolish women ran out of oil and missed the wedding as they searched for more.
The statue features women of a number of different ages and ethnicities.
“I think that the diversity represented in the sculpture is reflective of the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson. “That was important: that every woman who comes to the sculpture and here to Temple Square and in front of the Relief Society Building will feel like they’re a part of something big, and they’ll see themselves in the sculpture.”
“These women are supporting each other — what Relief Society sisters have always done and continue to do," President Johnson said.
This is the fourth of 14 new statues being built on Temple Square. The unveilings are set to take place throughout 2025 and 2026.
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, said the variety of statues being installed on Temple Square means everyone will be able to find something that speaks to them.
“As you look at all the different statues that are going to be on Temple Square, the ones that are already here and the ones that are coming, it will point us to Christ,” he said.
Ben Hammond, the artist who designed the statue, worked with the Relief Society General Presidency to select a Biblical story to depict. In the past, he had drawn up sketches involving both the wise and unwise virgins. When they decided that this was the story they wanted to cover, he thought it would be best to focus on the wise women.
“I wanted it to feel strong,” he said.
Hammond, who graduated from Ricks College in 2000, has been sculpting for more than 25 years. His pieces can be found in a number of locations, including Temple Square, Thanksgiving Point, Washington, D.C., and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The unveiling came three days before general conference, during which tens of thousands of people visit Salt Lake City and tour Temple Square.
