According to Clyde Romney, chairman of the public affairs council in San Diego, the statue on the architecturally unique building adds a new landmark to the San Diego skyline.
The statue is similar to the one atop the Salt Lake Temple, and is highly visible from the adjacent I-5 freeway, which is a major artery between San Diego and Los Angeles.
"The story was widely covered in the media," said Brother Romney. "Three of four local television stations and all the major daily newspapers carried the story. And stories are still coming in from weekly newspapers in the outlying areas of the temple district."
Stanley G. Smith, the Church's project representative, said: "The placing of the statue of the Angel Moroni on the temple spire is always an exciting event in the construction of our temples. In this case it represents about the 70 percent mark in construction.
"Most of the remaining work will be on the inside where the progress will not be as noticeable," he said. "We are currently in the process of applying the white exterior covering of the building."
Completion of the temple is projected for late this year. A public open house and dedicatory sessions for members of the temple district, customary with temple completions, are planned.
The temple will serve members from San Diego County, and parts of Orange, Riverside, and Imperial counties and northern Baja California, including the cities of Tijuana and Mexicali.
The temple is located at 7474 Charmont Dr., at the intersection of I-5 and Nobel Drive, near La Jolla Village Drive, in the northern part of the city of San Diego. The 59,000-square-foot building is being constructed on an eight-acre site.
