It is not an everyday occurrence, but when lightning strikes, the angel Moroni statue can take the jolt — it’s designed that way.
On Sunday, May 22, 2016, at 2:12 p.m., the gold-leaf statue, which sits atop the Bountiful Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was struck by lightning, putting a hole in its head and back.
- Bountiful Moroni Holes
- Bountiful Moroni Hole
- Bountiful Moroni New
- Bountiful Temple angel Moroni onlookers
- Bountiful Moroni install
- Bountiful Moroni New
- Bountiful Moroni install
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Angel Moroni statues are more than decorations on top of temples. They serve as a lightning rod to minimize more extensive damage to the temple and its electrical system during storms. There is also religious significance.
The statue of Moroni is not a figure of worship, but rather one of respect for his role in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Moroni was a real person, an ancient prophet in the Book of Mormon who revealed the location of golden plates to the young Joseph Smith in 1823 from which the sacred book of scripture was translated.
Less than two weeks after the incident, crane operators lifted a new angel Moroni statue in place while curious onlookers watched.
Read more on the story in the Deseret News.