Appendix 3 | Other Notable Moroni Statues
Appendix 3
Other Notable Moroni Statues
Hill Cumorah Moroni
This statue of Moroni features a set of gold plates held to the chest with the left hand, the right hand being raised in a sign of priesthood authority. More on this monument can be found on Torleif Knaphus’s page earlier in this book.
Knaphus is famous for having sculpted the 10’ Moroni statue on the Cumorah Monument. The whole monument was, in truth, Brother Knaphus’s idea once he heard the church had acquired the Cumorah property. The drive behind the statue was Torlief’s own firm testimony of the restoration of the gospel and the visitation of the Angel Moroni to Joseph Smith Jr. Torlief felt the design of the monument was guided from on high. He once described to a friend a moment of prayer, where he was shown which
of his seven created designs was to be used for the monument. Additionally, he was told during that prayer that he should go to the Brethren at the administration building to propose the monument on the following day and that the Brethren would be waiting for him. He found that not only were the Brethren expecting his visit, but they unanimously selected the same design he had been shown.
Moroni Delivers the Plates
This statue was originally sculpted for use on Temple Square. It is not known at this time if this statue ever made it onto the grounds there. Currently it is at the Wilford C. Wood Museum in Bountiful Utah.
Mortal Moroni
This statue was created to be exhibited at a park near the Manti Temple. The statue was made using funds donated to the pageant upon the death of R. Clair Anderson. Family members along with Avard T. Fairbanks approached stake and pageant leaders and proposed the statue as an appropriate monument to compliment both the temple and the pageant.
In 2012, the owners of the statue made the unpopular decision to not place the statue in the appointed place. They had concerns over the authenticity of the story that Moroni had dedicated the hill in ancient times for a modern-day temple. As the statue commemorates Moroni, they feared that placing the statue would help perpetuate what they concluded was an unfounded story. In 2014 the statue was put into storage, though there has been and continues to be pressure for them to place the statue where it was originally intended.
World’s Fair Moroni
The Mormon Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair shaped programs for visitors Centers at historical sites and temples around the world. The pavilion’s central point was a replica of the east spires of the Salt Lake Temple complete with an 8’ 3”, 200-pound Angel Moroni Statue sculpted by Elbert Porter.
Elbert Porter studied art at BYU and the University of Michigan. He was a faculty member at the University of Utah as well. He had had experience making fiberglass replicas of prehistoric animals for museums prior to sculpting the World’s Fair statue.
Elbert’s statue was a replica of the 12’ 5” Cyrus Dallin Statue. His guide in the project was Dallin’s original model he sculpted for the Salt Lake Statue, and which had been stored in the Salt Lake Temple up to that point. Elbert’s statue stood on a sphere, which in turn stood on a pinnacle and small square base. The entire assembly was cast in fiberglass, with the statue itself being gilded. After the 1964 world’s fair, it was shipped around the world and used in front of the Mormon Pavilion at other World’s Fairs, including; San Antonio, 1968; Montreal, 1969; Osaka, 1970; and Spokane, 1974 after which it was put in storage until it would be needed again.
An inquiry to the Church History Library returned the answer that this statue was not ever used on a temple. Its current whereabouts are not known, but staff at the Library believe that the statue was fragile and likely destroyed after it was removed from the Spokane World’s Fair. This would explain why it was not seen at any further fairs or expositions.[1]Email from CHL to Brian Olson, 2015
Recently however, in 2019, I received information that descendants of Elbert Porter had held a tradition that the statue had been given to the LDS motion picture studio after it was no longer needed for the World’s Fairs and Expos.[2]Porter Descendants via Marvin Quist, email, 23 September 2019
Contacting the Motion Picture studio returned the result that at one time they had 2 Salt Lake style Angel Moroni Statues, one shorter, matching the height of the Porter statue, and a taller one, matching the height of the Knaphus Statue. Both statues have apparently been used on productions featuring the placement of the statue on the Salt Lake Temple, but the taller statue has been lost after having been loaned out. Currently it is believed the shorter statue is likely the Elbert Porter Statue.[3]Dave Neyman via Quinn Or, email to Brian Olson, 27 August 2019
Cape Coast Chapel Moroni
Long before missionaries were first sent to Africa, one man, Joseph William Billy Johnson, discovered the Book of Mormon and shared it with everyone he met. One copy of the Book of Mormon was shared among hundreds, as those converted through Brother Johnson’s efforts prayed for missionaries to come.
After the 1978 announcement extended the Priesthood to everyone, Missionaries were sent to Accra, Ghana to Baptize Brother Johnson and those converted through his efforts.
When missionaries finally arrived a few months later, they were directed to Johnson’s chapel in Cape Coast, Ghana, where they found “a large statue of the Angel Moroni standing on a ball and blowing a trumpet. There were also pictures of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, the Tabernacle Choir, and other Latter-day Saint scenes.”
The cement Angel Moroni statue was patterned after the cover photo on older editions of the Book of Mormon. It is currently in the possession of the Church History Museum.
The Statue was begun at the urging of Johnson in 1969, and was finished around a year later. The Statue was moved to Brother Johnson’s home in 1978 after the Church was officially established in Ghana. It was then donated by Johnson to the Church in early April 1993.
The statue is made out of cement, rather than Concrete, meaning there is no gravel in the mix. Cement is a common material in Africa for these types of projects. The cement is poured into a box or cube to create a block. The Cement is allowed to set up, but not cure. The lack of gravel in the mix allows for the still somewhat wet and soft cement to be carved and shaped before it sets up completely.
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