New sculpture recognizing women unveiled at Temple Square

SALT LAKE CITY – There’s a new addition to Temple Square. Wednesday morning, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unveiled a new sculpture on its Main Street Plaza.

The sculpture shows five women of different ages and ethnicities supporting each other. The message it’s meant to depict is one Christ taught himself, as recorded in the Bible. It’s the church’s first sculpture on the east side of Temple Square.

Faith and wisdom are now on display in a new way at Temple Square.

“It is glorious. Everything we hoped and expected,” Camille N. Johnson, the General Relief Society president, said.

On Wednesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unveiled a new sculpture titled ‘The Five Wise Virgins,’ depicting part of the parable of the 10 virginswith their oil lamps that Jesus taught about preparing for his return, as recorded in Matthew.

The Five Wise Virgins sculpture was unveiled Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. (Brian Carlson, KSL TV)

“They’re letting their light shine, and so they’re holding their lamps up and letting that light shine for the whole world. And I think that’s reflective of the work of the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and women all over the world,” Johnson said.

Part of the ongoing renovations at Temple Square, the statue stands 10 feet tall outside the church’s Relief Society Building, cast in bronze, and created by American Fork sculptor Ben Hammond.

“My job is to create something beautiful that hopefully has life into it that hopefully draws people in,” Hammond said. “Hopefully it’s an uplifting, positive piece. It’s aiming toward the temple for a reason that’s more about the narrative of the story of the wise virgins.”

There’ll be plenty of eyes to see it this weekend. Wednesday’s unveiling comes just ahead of the church’s annual General Conference, bringing more than 100,000 visitors to Temple Square, something the church didn’t actually plan for.

Related: April 2025 general conference: How to watch, listen and follow

“Heaven kind of coordinates things and works things out. Heaven figured this one out before we did, knowing that this one here, right now, at this moment, and we’re thrilled that it worked out this way. I’d love to say we planned it this way, but that really wouldn’t be true,” said W. Christopher Waddell, Presiding Bishopric First Counselor.

The sculpture is the first of at least seven more to come.

“Our hope is that as you see this statue and the ones that will be placed afterwards, it will draw you to Christ and your hearts to him,” Waddell said.

The church plans to unveil the seven remaining sculptures between now and the start of the Salt Lake Temple Open House in 2027. Meanwhile, construction at Temple Square as a whole expected to wrap up sometime next year.