Mormon Artists
Mormon artists use paint, drawing and other mediums to convey the deep spirituality and timeless truths found in scripture. Each brushstroke and color choice is carefully considered when creating work that inspires and uplifts its viewers.
Mormon art has been developing for decades, and we now seem to have reached critical mass for its continued growth and sustainability.
Heavenly Mother
One parable in the Bible depicts the church as a bride being lovingly cared for by her Father, yet there is no mention of an earthly mother or spiritual guide within its pages. One Korean group known as World Mission Society Church of God believes otherwise and maintains that its leadership comes from spiritual mothers of Jesus Christ who lead its members as shepherds.
Mormons of both orthodox and feminist viewpoints often lament why divine feminine is almost completely absent in our theology. Some fear that emphasizing Heavenly Mother as an eternal mother might trap women in an immortis harem where male offspring continue to produce offspring; on the other hand, denying her motherly role might weaken female divinity’s significance and power.
But Bethany Brady Spalding and McArthur Krishna challenge the notion that Mother God should remain sacred. Both hope to see more emphasis placed on divine feminine in Latter-day Saint preaching, teaching, and art; women’s (and men’s) visions of Heavenly Mother can aid this effort.
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon has become the foundation for millions of individuals on a spiritual path and service journey. Its influence can be felt daily in many lives while it remains controversial among some who do not comprehend its message and purpose.
This book’s style resembles that of the Bible, so readers of both will recognize certain word usages and be familiar with certain passages. At first, some may find the book difficult, but with continued study and contemplation they will discover many themes, meaningful nuances, interesting details and profound spiritual expressions within its pages.
The Book of Mormon has received numerous Broadway and international productions that have won accolades like Drama Desk, Olivier and Helpmann awards. Furthermore, multiple national tours and performances across the globe have taken place as audiences experience this musical. Most recently, London’s West End production opened in 2013 to great acclaim receiving four Olivier awards, in addition to Grammy and Tony nominations.
The Holy Ghost
The Holy Ghost is God’s power granted to humanity from Heaven that allows them to display unique spiritual abilities. Common examples include healing, prophecy and speaking in tongues (glossolalia), making the Holy Ghost both the Comforter and Spirit of Truth.
In the writings of the Fathers, love and charity are most frequently associated with the Holy Ghost as He emanates from a principle of holiness; just as power and wisdom belong to Father and Son respectively, so too holiness resides within this Third Divine Person.
Christian believers generally accept that the Holy Ghost inspired the authors of the Bible so they would write what was desired by God; this process is known as verbal plenary inspiration and allows members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to experience this presence as they study scripture, pray and attend church services. If they deem themselves worthy to invite the Spirit’s presence into their lives through following God’s commands, repenting regularly and performing confirmation, an ordinance performed after baptism, they can invite it in.
Music
Latter-day Saint musicians hold a special place in the music industry. Their efforts strive to uphold and inspire listeners; whether singing about worldly matters or their beliefs, their songs reach many. Visit our musician bio pages for more details about each artist.
Teichert, who is a member of the Church, began her art career by creating a mural for Manti Temple in Utah. Since then she has also painted Book of Mormon stories large format in order to reflect both spirituality and history of her Church in her work.
Richards finds inspiration in poetic verse from scriptures, devotional objects and architecture, the beauty of nature, as well as his mission experience in Rome where he observed great religious art. After graduating BYU with a BA in visual studio arts he worked both as ceramicist and painter exploring Mormon scripture and Christ through paintings that explore both fields.
