Millard Fillmore Malin Jr (1891–1974) was an American sculptor most noted for his statues of the Angel Moroni such as the one on the Los Angeles Temple.
Malin was born and raised in Salt Lake City. He was the son of Millard Fillmore Malin Sr (1851-1937) and Annie Pinnock Malin (1863-1935). Malin's mother, Annie, was a Latter-day Saint composer. He served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in New Zealand. After returning from his mission he studied at the University of Utah where he became acquainted with Edward O. Anderson. One of Malin's teachers at the University of Utah was Edwin Evans. Malin's main course of study at this point was medicine, specifically human anatomy.
Malin later went to New York City where he studied under Hermon A. MacNeil at the National Academy of Design. After returning to Salt Lake City, Malin established a studio with Edward Anderson. They jointly did the Sugarhouse Pioneer Monument and Malin did statues for several of the LDS temples designed by Anderson. Besides the angel Moroni on the Los Angeles Temple, Malin also designed the oxen that hold up the baptismal font of the Bern Switzerland Temple.[1] The Utah State capital also houses two busts of Native Americans sculpted by Malin in 1935: Chief John Duncan (1849-1941) and Unca Sam (1832-1938). They are considered to be in the realist style.
Malin was also a founding member of the group Utah Modern Artists. He was also sent by the Federal Art Project of the WPA to document groups of Utes on reservations in eastern Utah.[2] In addition to his work as a sculptor, Malin had at least one poem that was published.
