91 flags raised at Temple Square as part of new art installation

Derick Fox
·2 min read

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The first 91 flags of nations worldwide have been raised as part of the new art installation at Temple Square.

The art installation was completed as part of the ongoing renovations at Temple Square. Earlier this year, renovations on several plazas, including the one near the Church Office Building where the flags have been raised, were completed and reopened to the public.

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According to the Church, the flags are a symbol of the “global nature” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its commitment to be a friend to all.

The flag oval begins at the plaza’s northwest corner with the flag of the United States. From there, 90 additional flags of officially recognized United Nations countries will be displayed as part of a regular three-month rotation. The flags will fly in alphabetical order according to the English name of the country and all 91 flag posts will always be illuminated.

Every flag will fly at full-staff year-round, even on days of mourning, as the flags are intended to be an art piece. The flags flown at the Church Administration Building, the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and in front of the Conference Center will continue to be lowered at half-staff on days of mourning.

The Church said the flags are just one of several art installations that will be part of the temple grounds when the renovations are completed.

The renovations, which began in 2019, are part of a years-long infrastructure upgrade to the Salt Lake Temple and the surrounding grounds. Once completed, the extensive renovations will provide several quality-of-life updates such as heated sidewalks for easy snow removal as well as protect the temple from potentially damaging earthquakes.

Originally scheduled for a 2025 completion date, some “unexpected challenges” pushed back the timeline of completion to 2026.

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