On Friday, September 20, 2024, I stood up in front of 500 people in the main ballroom of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Salt Lake City. I announced that we (Scripture Central) were making Moroni Day into a thing around the world. Moroni Day corresponds to the Autumnal Equinox (September 20 - 22). This is the back story.
The first Moroni Day 2015 was celebrated with a BBQ in my back yard. About 15 people attended. Book of Mormon Central was just getting started and would begin digital publishing on January 1, 2016.
The second Moroni Day 2016 was a fundraising event held at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square.
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| Postcard Promoting Moroni Day 2016 |
Since the fourth quarter of each year is prime fundraising season, we determined that Moroni Day would be an ideal event to kick off our annual appeal.
We did not hold Moroni Day 2017. The spectacular Chiasmus Jubilee was on August 16, 2017 on BYU campus culminating with the evening celebration keynoted by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.
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| Elder Holland Embracing Jack Welch |
1,300 people attended the Chiasmus Jubilee which firmly established Book of Mormon Central's bona fides in the eyes of many influential Latter-day Saints.
Moroni Days 2018, 2019, and 2020 were low key affairs in Jack and Jeannie Welch's back yard. The foundation was growing, maturing, and beginning to reach large audiences. We had a lot to celebrate. We just did it internally with staff rather than putting on a large public gathering.
With COVID behind us, Moroni Day 2021 was at the Aquarium in Draper. Elder Tad R. Callister was our keynote and Elder Kevin W. Pearson an honored guest. About 250 people attended. We were gearing up for exciting things ahead as Jack and Jeannie Welch announced in a BYU Hawaii devotional.
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| Welches Announcing the Start of Something Big |
Momentum was building.
Moroni Day 2022 was back at the Aquarium with about 350 in attendance. We introduced the Martin Harris Award for major donors who give as much in modern currency as Harris gave in 1829.
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| Martin Harris Award |
2023 was the 200th Anniversary of the first visit of the Angel Moroni to the Prophet Joseph and we celebrated in style. About 400 people gathered at the Hyatt Regency in Salt Lake City and listened to Elder Ronald A. Rasband tell stories of his personal ministry sharing the Book of Mormon.
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| Elder Rasband with his Missionary Book of Mormon |
Former Governor Gary and First Lady Jeanette Herbert unveiled two heroic sized statues of Moroni that eventually will be installed at the Monument of the Americas sculpture park in Heber City.
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| Lynne Wilson, Elder Larry Y. Wilson, Jack Welch and Moroni Statue at Moroni Day 2023 |
Moroni Day 2024 was again at the Hyatt Regency with about 500 attendees. Elder Marcus B. Nash was the keynote speaker with Elder Matthew S. Holland an honored guest.
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| Postcard Promoting Moroni Day 2024 |
Moroni Day has become enough of a phenomenon that other groups besides Scripture Central are helping us celebrate. For example, several years ago Book of Mormon Central was the fiscal sponsor for Angela Johnson's magnificent Tree of Life sculpture park at Thanksgiving Point. We eventually spun that project off into its own dedicated non-profit organization. Scripture Central Board Member Trace Mayer was a key player who got that project over the finish line and the grand opening will be held on October 8, 2024.
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| Angela Johnson's Sculpture Studio with Tree of Life |
On Thursday, September 19, 2024 Sculptor Steven Neal was given the deed to 10 acres in the hills above Heber City where the Monument of the Americas will be built. That project is now moving ahead quickly enough that we should be able to unveil a permanent statue of the original Captain Moroni waving the Title of Liberty on Moroni Day 2025.
