Story Behind the Sunstone:
This stone once adorned the original Nauvoo Temple, built between 1841 and 1846. Thirty pilasters (columns built into the wall) encircled the temple exterior, each featuring a starstone, sunstone, and moonstone. This unique design has caused many to wonder about the stones' meaning, but sources from the 1840s do not offer a clear explanation.
After the Nauvoo Temple was damaged by fire in 1848 and destroyed by a wind storm in 1850, any surviving construction materials were scattered. Only three of the original sunstones and three moonstones are known to exist today.
The sunstone was hand carved from limestone and weighs approximately two tons.
This stone once adorned the original Nauvoo Temple, built between 1841 and 1846. Thirty pilasters (columns built into the wall) encircled the temple exterior, each featuring a starstone, sunstone, and moonstone. This unique design has caused many to wonder about the stones' meaning, but sources from the 1840s do not offer a clear explanation.
After the Nauvoo Temple was damaged by fire in 1848 and destroyed by a wind storm in 1850, any surviving construction materials were scattered. Only three of the original sunstones and three moonstones are known to exist today.
The sunstone was hand carved from limestone and weighs approximately two tons.
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Location of the Object
On exhibit at the Joseph Smith Historic Site located in Nauvoo, Illinois |
Date of the Object
Sometime between 1841 and 1846 |
Photos & Information Shared By
Staff at the Joseph Smith Historic Site |