Unveiling Ceremony Foiled
The Church News of 16 May 1981 showed a picture of a bronze, unleafed statue at the Jordan River Temple. The statue was being lifted into the flagpole spot, much as had been done at Seattle, so the statue could be sandblasted and covered in gold leaf.[1]“Statue awaits Installation,” Church News, 16 May 1981. The temple was making rapid progress.
An August 8 article in the Church News announced that the cornerstone ceremony for the temple would be held on 15 August, 7 days hence. At the Ceremony the statue, which the article specified would be lifted to the top of the spire in advance and covered in canvas (it had, in fact, been lifted to the spire the day prior to publishing) would be dramatically revealed as part of the cornerstone ceremony.
“At a tug of a rope, the canvas will fall from the statue, displaying it atop the finished temple for the first time.”
-Church News Article[2]“Temple statue to be unveiled,” Church News, 8 August 1981, p. 3. “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men,” as Robert Burns said. On the night of 9-10 August, high winds in the Salt Lake valley tore away the canvas draping. Some minor damage was incurred on the leafing, which was quickly repaired. The decision was made not to cover the statue again, according to a Church News article published on the day of the cornerstone ceremony (The Church News was only printed weekly, and articles were often not as timely as one could hope.)
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