Moonstones

Fifty moonstones encircle the Salt Lake Temple, enhancing and beautifying it. They represent the lunar month cycle—new moon, first-quarter moon, full moon, and last-quarter moon—for the year 1878. More than coincidentally, this new moon cycle places the month of April at the east side of the temple, perhaps making a correspondence between Jesus’s April birth201 and eastward direction, or the direction of the sunrise (see the following diagram).

Phases of the moon (moonstones) focus on the month of April, Salt Lake Temple.

Not only are moonstones part of the architectural structure of the Salt Lake Temple, but they belong to the original Nauvoo Temple, the newly built Nauvoo Illinois Temple, the St. Louis Missouri Temple, and other temples.

The moonstones of the Salt Lake Temple, together with sunstones and starstones, could be interpreted to signify the three degrees of glory (see 1 Cor. 15:40–42; D&C 76).202 Additionally, the moon representations of our modern temples may recall the new moon observances associated with ancient Israel and their temple (2 Chr. 2:4; see also 1 Chr. 23:31; 2 Chr. 8:13; Ezra 3:5).

Two of several moonstones, Salt Lake Temple.