- Scaffolding removal begins at Salt Lake Temple, marking a visual sign multiyear project is ending.
- The renovation project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
- A new statue installation by Ben Hammond adds more to ongoing Temple Square work.
SALT LAKE CITY — The scaffolding outside of the Salt Lake Temple is set to slowly come down in the coming months, as a multiyear effort to renovate the historic temple enters its final full year.
Construction crews last week began taking down some of the scaffolding that had wrapped around the Salt Lake Temple, according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While some scaffolding remains, especially on its southern end, the last of it is expected to be removed by mid-March, which officials say will mark a visual milestone in the project.
"(It) signals a shift from the heavy construction on the exterior of the temple to a more detailed finish of the interior," church officials added in a statement Friday.
Full renovation of the temple is expected to be complete by the end of this year, before next year's six-month open house. The church expects that the event will draw in at least 3 million visitors, which it and Salt Lake City officials are planning for.
The temple, which first opened in 1893, has been closed since late 2019 because of the project to seismically retrofit it, along with other important renovations to preserve it. What was initially supposed to be a four-year project was ultimately extended even longer after the 2020 earthquake, as well as other challenges and additions to the massive undertaking.
It also included a complete transformation of Temple Square's plazas, as well as renovations to other buildings, most of which have been completed over the last few years.
Meanwhile, crews also installed Restoration of the Sealing Keys, a new statue near the Salt Lake Tabernacle at Temple Square, on Thursday as part of the ongoing work.
Utah artist Ben Hammond was hired to craft the sculpture, which depicts Elijah, a prophet in the Old Testament of the Bible, restoring sealing keys to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. It's based on passages from the Doctrine and Covenants, a text that's considered sacred to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It's a pivotal moment in the faith, signaling the start of binding families together. In an interview with the church, Hammond explained that he used photos and other documents from the Church History Museum to complete his design.
"This was an amazing challenge, and I really loved doing the portrait of (Smith)," Hammond said.
