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Renovation work on the Salt Lake Temple is progressing, revealing both beautiful craftsmanship and deep historical connections to faith in Jesus Christ and the sacrifices of early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Rostrum area of the Assembly Room in the Salt Lake Temple on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
“Holiness to the Lord” Panel Restored
Recently restored is the “Holiness to the Lord” (Exodus 28:36) panel, which rests above the east center tower, below the angel Moroni statue. These sacred words, found on the exterior of every temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were regilded.
Restoration work underway on the “Holiness to the Lord” panel on the Salt Lake Temple on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
Anne Domenech, an artist with Evergreen, oversaw the delicate work.
“The technical process was to clean the plaque because it had been destroyed by the weather,” she said.
Domenech had to prepare the surface carefully before applying the gold — a complicated process because the climate changes continually and the sun interferes with the drying process.
For Domenech, the assignment carried deep personal meaning.
“I was told about the story of the sculptor, and that moved me to the bottom of my soul,” she said. “I was there, putting gold leaf on what [John Rowe Moyle] had touched and engraved and sculpted in the wall of the temple. From that moment, everything became almost holy.”
In the 1800s, Moyle, an English convert and accomplished stonecutter, made the long journey to the Salt Lake Valley with a handcart company. On Monday mornings, Moyle would leave his home 22 miles (35 kilometers) away in Alpine to work on the Salt Lake Temple. He would not return until late Friday evening.
After suffering a severe leg injury, which ultimately required amputation, Moyle carved out his own wooden leg. He later returned to the temple site and engraved the words “Holiness to the Lord,” which still grace the temple today.
Chandelier installed in a large sealing room in the north addition of the Salt Lake Temple on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
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