Workers are gradually unveiling the historic Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by removing the scaffolding that has covered the temple from top to bottom for several years.
“For visitors to Temple Square, this is one of the clearest signs that the long-term construction work is nearing completion,” states a recent news release published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Early in its renovation, which began at the cusp of 2020, the Salt Lake Temple and its spires were fully covered in scaffolding, which was necessary to complete the temple’s “extensive seismic upgrades, structural strengthening and interior renovation work,” according to the church’s release.
The scaffolding covering the spires was seen being removed — pipe by pipe and joint by joint — starting in early December of last year. The scaffolding will continue to be gradually removed through mid-March of this year, as stone walls are also cleaned.
The removal of scaffolding “signals a shift from the heavy construction on the exterior of the temple to a more detailed finish of the interior,” the church’s release states.
The temple’s entire renovation is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, after which the public will be invited to tour the historic temple from April to October 2027.
Temple Square also welcomes a new statue
A new statue representing the Old Testament Prophet Elijah restoring the sealing keys to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery was also recently placed at Temple Square, according to the church’s release.
The statue, titled “Restoration of the Sealing Keys,” is located northwest of the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Temple Square and was created by Utah artist Ben Hammond.
“Once they moved all the construction equipment out of the way from installing (the statue) and we took the plastic off of it, I got a little emotional there,” Hammond said in the church’s release. “It was a good feeling.”
Hammond also sculpted the “Come, Follow Me” and “The Five Wise Virgins” statues placed at Temple Square last year.
For Latter-day Saints, the new statue is significant because it represents the event that restored the sealing power, which was prophesied in the Old Testament and enables temple ordinances to bind families together for eternity.
Other statues are scheduled to be installed at Temple Square from now into 2027. They are part of a “larger series of artistic installations at Temple Square that represent Jesus Christ,” his restored gospel and the history of the Church of Jesus Christ, according to the church’s release.
A summary of the Salt Lake Temple’s renovation progress in the past year
Renovation work on the Salt Lake Temple began at the cusp of 2020 to retrofit the temple to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 7.3.
In the past year, the church has reported:
- The historic temple’s open house will take place in 2027, following the temple’s completed renovation.
- Workers finished drilling 46 holes down through the Salt Lake Temple’s stone walls.
- Crews placed the temple’s 185 million pounds on new, seismically upgraded footings and base isolators, which will protect the temple from shaking during an earthquake.
- The "Holiness to the Lord" panel was restored.
- Painting and finish work in the temple’s celestial and sealing rooms has been completed.
- Chandeliers resembling those from the late 1800s have been installed in the temple’s sealing rooms and bride’s suite.
- The exterior stonework of the temple’s two entrance buildings is progressing.
- Parquet flooring was installed in the temple’s assembly room.
- The assembly room’s four spiral staircases have been refurbished.
- Crews dismantled the huge crane that worked six days a week for four years on the temple.
Recently, the church also reported that the First Presidency and Presiding Bishopric of the church toured the Salt Lake Temple on Friday, Dec. 12. They inspected the structure as it moves closer to the end of a seven-year renovation.
See a summary of other news relevant to Latter-day Saints in the past year here.
