‘An angel from on high:’ Red Cliffs Temple receives a heavenly addition

Written by Ammon Teare
May 25, 2022

ST. GEORGE — Installation of a towering, gilded statue of Angel Moroni drew dozens of onlookers to the Red Cliffs Temple construction site on Tuesday morning.

The Red Cliffs Temple construction site captured at sunset by an aerial drone, St. George, Utah, May 25, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Gailen Call, St. George News

Crane operators and construction workers collaborated to hoist and secure the statue to a central spire that rises above the three-story building. Other workers, local residents and even visitors snapped photos and recorded videos of the statue’s progress to its eventual resting place atop the pink-hued edifice.

Temples built and maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are considered sacred spaces for members of the faith, and the rate of new temple construction has accelerated significantly in the past decade.

Moroni, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, is not a figure of worship but rather a symbol of the church’s doctrine of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to church history, Moroni appeared as an angel to Joseph Smith to reveal lost truth and has subsequently been immortalized atop many (but not all) church temples.

In fact, while some temples currently under construction or announced will include an Angel Moroni statue, an increasing number seem to forego the iconic figure.

Construction workers stand beneath the Angel Moroni statue prior to its installation atop the central spire of the Red Cliffs Temple, St. George, Utah, May 24, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Jorge Santos, St. George News

However, the church has built temples without Angel Moroni throughout its history. The St. George Temple, for example, has never hosted an angel statue on its spire.

After the Red Cliffs Temple was announced in October 2018, it has been under construction since a public groundbreaking in November 2020 presided over by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and St. George native.

The 96,000-square-foot structure will be the 20th temple built in Utah, and it’s completion will make St. George just the fourth city in the world to host two temples of the faith, joining Provo, South Jordan and Lima, Peru.

Much of the exterior work has been completed to date, with the bulk of remaining construction involving landscaping and interior work. According to the church website tracking the temple’s progress, it is estimated that the building will be completed in late 2023.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ammon Teare has always considered Southern Utah his home away from home, having spent summers and holidays visiting family in Cedar City and St. George. With a love of the wilderness and a passion for writing, he’s dreamt of becoming a reporter since his elementary school days. After moving from Texas to New Mexico to Utah as he grew up, Ammon wound up studying journalism at Utah State University, where he graduated in May 2020. In his free time, you’ll find him watching the Utah Jazz or playing a board game with his wife, hiking in the great outdoors, or sprawled someplace comfortable reading a fantasy novel.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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