Two new statues depicting “transcendent moments” in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ are now visible on the south side of the Salt Lake Temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday in a press release.
The two statues — titled “Jesus Christ Carrying the Cross” and “Jesus Christ in Gethsemane” — were installed in September 2025 in an area of Temple Square that is still under construction.
They were recently made visible to the public and can now be viewed from a distance with a backdrop of the historic Salt Lake Temple, now fully uncovered.
“To do Christ in Gethsemane is almost overwhelmingly intimidating,” said sculptor Roger Hunt, who, along with his wife, Stephani, created the statue depicting Christ in Gethsemane.
“You have to have a lot of nerve to sculpt Jesus,” he said.
Both Stephani and Roger Hunt dedicated great efforts to create a sculpture of Christ praying and suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, they said in a recent video published on Temple Square’s Instagram page.
They explained the opportunity was something they “never dared dream” could happen and that they intentionally worked to create a piece that would testify of Christ as Savior and Redeemer, but also show “the person of Christ.”
“Working on this has made him more personal to me, (and) has been very significant,” Roger Hunt said.
“I’m hoping that this sculpture can have that kind of impact on the millions of people who come through here, that they will understand what Gethsemane was, what Christ did there, and what he went through there as part of the atonement alongside his crucifixion on the cross.”
The other statue, titled “Jesus Christ Carrying the Cross,” was created by sculptor Michael Hall, who also created the First Vision statue at Temple Square.
His new statue depicts Christ bearing the cross as he makes his final walk to Calvary.
“Both statues visualize transcendent moments in the life, teachings and ministry of Jesus Christ and enhance the sacred atmosphere of the renovation work underway at Temple Square,” the church’s press release states.
Other statues have been and will continue to be installed at Temple Square from now into 2027, another press release from the church states. 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.
A total of 14 statues are planned to be displayed throughout Temple Square, according to Georges Bonnet, communications director of the Salt Lake Temple renovation project.
Of these statues, six will be located near the Tabernacle west of the temple, two will stand north of the temple and five others will stand south of it, and a final statue will stand north of the reflection pool at Temple Square, he said.
See an overview from Bonnet of what’s been going on at the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square here, plus a summary of the church’s most recent temple renovation updates here.
