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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The gold statue on top of the Mormon temple in Bountiful that was struck by lightning is designed for that very purpose.
The Deseret News (http://bit.ly/25jSvYZ) reports that the angel Moroni statues are built with lightning rods, meant to draw lightning strikes away from other areas of the temples.
The gold statue lost part of its head and back in the Sunday afternoon lightning strike.
Spires topped with sculptures depicting the angel Moroni with a trumpet are a signature of temples built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world.
Most of these statues are constructed of fiberglass covered in gold leaf, and weigh about 300 pounds.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
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