Since that time, the statues have remained in this general area, with minor reconfigurations during building and landscaping projects on Temple Square.

Both men are shown standing, with Joseph's hands extended in front of him, clasping a copy of the Book of Mormon.

[2] The statues were created using the death masks of the two brothers along with an old painting which showed the profiles of both men, thus ensuring some degree of likeness.

When the statues were removed from the niches and placed on high granite pedestals, it changed the viewing angles and no longer showed the works at their best advantage or with their original intent.

[3] Following his artistic training, Mahonri Young returned to his native Salt Lake City and began to seek out work.

However, at the time, leaders decided to only commission Young to create a bust of Smith, after which a decision on a full-sized statue would be made.

[7][5] On November 5, 1909, the Deseret Evening News reported that the completed statues of Joseph and Hyrum Smith had been placed in niches next to the doors of the Salt Lake Temple.

Since 1911, the two statues of the Smith brothers had sat between the temple and the bureau building and their placement was slightly reconfigured during the construction of the new visitors center.

[13][14] A few years later, a plaster model of the original statue was created and sent to Italy where artist Enzo Pasquini carved a full-sized, 1,800 pounds (820 kg) replica out of white Carrara marble.