Raising a Beacon

The coral rock beneath the site chosen for the construction of the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple was very hard. It took six months and huge jackhammers to excavate the site before construction could begin on the foundation. The construction project was complex, requiring one contractor for the temple construction and another for the visitors’ center and generator and utilities buildings. After four years, temple construction was complete, and all was ready for the statue of the angel Moroni to be placed on top.

The Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple.

The tallest crane available was brought in to lift and set the statue in place. Extending from the statue was a pipe that was to slide into a metal fitting located on top of the tower. To accomplish the task and to protect the statue, a stone worker rode up with the statue to guide the pipe into place.

As members looked on, workers struggled for over an hour to get the pipe to fit. The hole had become corroded and was too tight for the pipe to fit inside. With the help of oil-based solvents, it finally slid into place—to the delight of the patient crowd below.

The angel Moroni statue is not only beautiful but also acts as a lightning rod for the temple, protecting it with cables extending from the statue to the ground and around the perimeter of the property.