SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Crews working at Temple Square have begun the process of removing the Angel Moroni statue from atop the Salt Lake Temple.

The statue and capstone will be preserved and refurbished before being reinstalled at a later date, according to a statement from Daniel Woodruff, spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Removing the statue has long been planned as part of a renovation that will include seismic upgrades to the temple’s foundation. Woodruff said the timeline was accelerated when the angel Moroni was damaged during a magnitude 5.7 earthquake in March.

Crews are also removing stones from the upper spires of the temple for preservation during the project. The stones will also be re-installed in the future.