Sculpting a testimony with Michael Hall

Millions of individuals visit Temple Square in Salt Lake City each year. Many are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many others come from around the world to see the 10-acre site of the Salt Lake Temple and other parts of the site that is headquarters to the global Church.

The Salt Lake Temple has been undergoing significant renovations since 2019 and is scheduled to host an open house and dedication in 2027. As the grounds around the temple have been refreshed, new sculptures that represent aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the life of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of Jesus Christ’s Church have been placed around the grounds.

Two of those sculptures came from the dedicated work of sculptor Michael Hall.

“It’s humbling,” Hall said. “How do you depict God? How do you depict God in a way that will help people to feel the Spirit?”

Hall joins Church News editor Jon Ryan Jensen to discuss the testimony-refining process of creating sculptures of the Savior’s mortal life and of Joseph Smith’s First Vision.