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Check out renovation progress at the iconic Salt Lake Temple

(Photo courtesy The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) In this July 2020 photo, crews dismantle the 1960s additions to the Salt Lake Temple.

The Salt Lake Temple looks a lot different after nine months of renovation work.

Crews have demolished the parts constructed in the 1960s — the sealing addition, north entrance and chapel — and will soon begin the work of excavating about 40 feet below ground to strengthen the foundation against earthquakes, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently announced.

During the work, crews have discovered some of the building’s historic foundation stones.

“It’s special to see those stones. It makes me think of the times in which the stones were laid, the resources that the Saints had during those times and the struggles they were going through,” said Andy Kirby, director of historic temple renovations for the church. “Compare it to our days when, yeah, we may be struggling with worldwide pandemics and things like that, but our resources are very different and our technology is different.”

Here are some photos of the renovations so far:

(Photo courtesy The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The cables photographed here are stretched with tension by a machine to provide additional stability to this retaining wall of four-inch-thick wood lagging. The wall will eventually span the entire perimeter of the temple grounds at a depth of 40 feet once excavation is complete.