The Salt Lake City Utah Temple is one of the earliest temples to be constructed. As the fourth operating temple, it is also one of the largest with a floor area of 253,000 square feet. The temple took nearly half a decade to complete. The walls measure nine feet thick and the temple is the first to feature a standing statue of the angel Moroni, which is 14 feet in height. The Salt Lake City Temple was dedicated years before Utah officially became a state.