I Saw A Mighty Angel Fly!

On Tuesday July 12, 2011 the Angel Moroni was put on top of the east spire of the Brigham City Temple.  Because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity I left work early so I could watch.

When I got home it started raining, so instead of walking I drove and parked as close to the Tabernacle as I could. Here is a picture of the Temple as I was walking down 2nd South.

It was raining pretty steady by the time I came around the corner of the Tabernacle.  There I ran into my friend Trina and her boys.  They had been there for a while and they didn't bring an umbrellas because it wasn't even cloudy when they got there.  So I sat with them and shared mine.  Here is Trina, Isaac (in front) who I taught in Primary last year, her youngest son Garrett, and Steven was taking the picture.   

We had the best seats right on the Tabernacle front steps, here is our view of the Temple.

They say "The Heavens weep when the Saints meet".  I say they were tears of joy. A little rain never dampened our spirits. Everyone that could came to watch.  If they didn't have umbrellas they didn't seem to mind a little water and everyone was happy and enjoying each others company and the spirit that was there while we waited.  The Tabernacle had their speakers outside and had music playing.  Here's a picture of the sea of umbrellas in front of us.

I told Trina the the weather would clear up in time for the raising.  About 10 til noon the rain stopped and we could see the clouds starting to break up.

It was suppose to start at noon, so a few minutes after the basket with a few men went up.  It was so funny because the guys in the basket were taking pictures of the crowd as they went up.

They got to the top and had to hold on to the spire as the crane lifted them up the last few feet to the top so the basket wouldn't hit the spire.  They were up there for a little bit and then they came back down. 

We all of a sudden saw the big crane start to come done.  We waited for a while and then it started going back up.  It took the basket of men up again and then it brought them down.  We didn't know what was going on.  We all just waited.  At about 12:30 they announce that they couldn't raise the Angel at the time because of the wind that had picked up. We had a group prayer for the winds to stop and then we waited.

The skies kept clearing up and I kept watching the trees and waiting.  I guess to be honest at first I thought we would see a instant calming of the winds.  Then I kept thinking that is not how the Lord works.  I kept remembering things like, it's not our will but the Lords,  nothing can stop the work of the Lord, and that we just need to have faith.  So while others were getting discouraged and leaving, thinking it wouldn't happen today, I just sat there patiently watching the winds blow and waiting.

At about 1:34 I notice that the back crane (the one that was going to lift the Angel) started moving again, and then the driver of the front crane got back in.  For the third time the men went up in the basket, this time they started doing things to the top of the spire. Then the sun came out all the way and the winds died down.   Here is the second attempt.

Then we heard the signal, the air horn blasted twice, a cheer went through the crowd.  Next thing I saw was this sight.  If you stand at the front of the Temple there is a window above the doorway and right now it looks all they way through the building and out a matching window at the back.  There hanging in the window was the Angel...this is the best picture I could get of that.

As the Angel came up over the Temple, the Tabernacle started playing the song "High On The Mountain Top".  It was worth the wait. 

Then came the process of hooking all the cables from inside the spire to the Angel.  This took a little while and because the sun had come all the way out it went from about 70 to 90+ degrees in a half hour.  The umbrellas started going back up for shade. 

Here they are turning the Angel so he faces east

Lowering him onto the spire 

Unhooking the cables 

The Angel Moroni is in place, the air horn blasted three time to signal it was done.  Another cheer went up through the crowd. 

It was well worth the wait, an awesome afternoon.