This week in Church history
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
50 years ago
With President David O. McKay and his wife, Emma, looking on, the "huge aluminum-cast statue of the Angel Moroni was lifted to the top of the tower of the Los Angeles Temple" on Tuesday, Oct. 19, according to the Oct. 23, 1954, Church News.
The article stated: "The statue of the Angel Moroni was delivered to the Los Angeles Temple 10 days ago. Cast in New York City, the large figure was delivered via a truck after an eight-day transcontinental trip. The statue arrived at the temple site in perfect condition and suffered no marring or defects in transit."
The statue was hoisted to the roof of the temple. The article continued, "The aluminum figure was then set upright, scaffolding was built around it and the gold leafing began. Covering the complete figure took three days. . . . In applying the 23-carat gold leaf, the statue was first sized with zinc oxide and then white lead. It is expected to last for many years."
The one-ton statue was raised to the top of the tower in approximately an hour by the same masonry crew that lifted the stones into place on the exterior of the temple.
At the time the statue was raised, it was announced that pledges and contributions to pay for the construction of the temple had passed $1 million.
Now named the Los Angeles California Temple, it was dedicated by President McKay in March 1956.
