Church historians have opened the time capsule that sat at the top of the Salt Lake Temple for 128 years. The time capsule was cemented within the 3,800-pound circular granite capstone at the feet of the Moroni statue. Although most items within the temple capstone are in poor condition, they present an interesting look back to the time the temple was completed.

The angel Moroni statue and the capstone were temporarily removed from the Salt Lake Temple on May 18, 2020, for preservation and refurbishing during the temple’s seismic upgrade that began in January 2020. Two days after the capstone’s removal from the temple, the First Presidency joined a small group in the loading dock of the Church History Library to witness the initial opening of the time capsule.

Some materials, such as a copper plate, coins, and medallions are in good condition. On the other hand, books, photos, letters and notes found inside suffered significant water damage because they were surrounded by cement.

Watch the video of the opening of the time capsule from the Salt Lake Temple:

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