<![CDATA[ALLIANCE OF COVENANT ARTISTS

<![CDATA[ALLIANCE OF COVENANT ARTISTS - Resources]]>Thu, 29 Sep 2022 08:37:08 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Reflections on BYU MOA Religious Exhibitions]]>Sun, 01 Apr 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/reflections-on-byu-moa-religious-exhibitionsReflections on BYU MOA Religious Exhibitions
Dawn Pheysey
Chair of ACA Curatorial Council
From an address given Thursday, March 29, 2018
at the inaugural Fine Art & Faith Symposium in Salt Lake City, Utah

The Master’s Hand – exhibition installation view

During the October 2017 General Conference, Elder Ronald A. Rasband gave a talk titled, “By Divine Design,” in which he explained: “Significant events unfold in the gospel and in the Church that further the kingdom of God on earth.”[1] He quoted Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “[God] does not do things by ‘coincidence’ but by divine design.”

The Lord can and will direct our paths to further His work on earth. For over 23 years, I had the opportunity to curate multiple and varied exhibitions at Brigham Young University Museum of Art. But the religious exhibitions were by far the most rewarding. Miracles occurred as we mounted these exhibitions that testified of Christ.

For the complete address click here: Reflections on the BYU Museum of Art's Religious Exhibitions

]]><![CDATA[Increasing Beauty in Zion: A Countercultural Idea]]>Sat, 31 Mar 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/increasing-beauty-in-zion-a-countercultural-ideaIncreasing Beauty in Zion: A Countercultural Idea
Paul Monson
President of ICAA Utah Chapter
From an address given Thursday, March 29, 2018
at the inaugural Fine Art & Faith Symposium in Salt Lake City, Utah

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple, Robert Boyd

Good morning. I’m grateful to be here. I express my thanks to Herman du Toit and to all of you. My comments and views are my own, not positions of the church. In my off hours, in between the responsibilities of temple designer, father, and husband, I run a non-profit chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.

The ICAA is the largest national non-profit promoting the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts. Here in Utah our website is Classicistutah.org where you can find a calendar of all our events. We post beautiful and useful things regularly to social media @ classicist Utah. We teach classes in Junior High through Universities and host lectures, tours, and events for the public to reflect on and learn from the past to create a more beautiful future.

My remarks today center around that word beauty – what it meant in the past and what it means today. I've titled this talk: Increasing Beauty in Zion: A Countercultural Idea. I'll only be able to poke at the surface a little bit, but – What is beauty, and why is it a countercultural idea? I'll start with a story.

To read more, click here: Paul Monson

]]><![CDATA[Rendering the Spiritual]]>Fri, 30 Mar 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/rendering-the-spiritualRendering the Spiritual
Gary Ernest Smith
From an address given Thursday, March 29, 2018
at the inaugural Fine Art & Faith Symposium in Salt Lake City, Utah

First Vision, Gary Ernest Smith

The arts have been a vital part of LDS culture since the gospel was restored. Many of the Church's leaders have had profound things to say about the importance of art in enriching people's lives. President Kimball encouraged artists by asking the questions, “Can there never be another Michelangelo?.... and could the world produce only one Shakespeare?” His talk was intended to stimulate creative thought among the artists in the Church on how to incorporate gospel themes and ideas into their art. He stressed that this challenge must be met with utmost quality and skill. President Boyd K. Packer also encouraged artists not to climb ladders that are “leaning against the wrong wall," meaning not to sacrifice your values and talent just for the praise of the world. In 1934, President J. Ruben Clark, in an address to an MIA June Conference, said: "Music, art, literature and the drama, looked at from the point of view of the Church, are priceless to us because of the ennobling effect they have upon the spirit of man… In so far as they ennoble the spirit, and I think of nothing else that is greater in its influence upon the mind and spirit of man than are these things, they are the great instrument in the hands of the Lord in building up a spirituality among this people."

My address is to focus attention on the visual arts, primarily painting, as that is with what I am the most familiar. I have dedicated much of my life in defining what spiritual art means for me. My comments are primarily directed to the visual artists in the Church, but they can be applied to all art disciplines as we all struggle with the same issues. I will rephrase my topic by calling it "Rendering Visible the Spiritual," as that is what we as LDS visual artists attempt to do. Since being baptized into the Church in 1966, I have addressed the concept of Mormon Art throughout my adult life. I have produced many commissioned images for the Church to be used for media, temples, and displays. I was part of a movement started at BYU in the late 70s called, "Art and Belief." This happened just after my baptism and was meant to take LDS concepts in new directions and explore ways of expressing history, doctrine, and the written and spoken word through our art. It was invigorating as a student and very popular during its time and has had long-lasting implications. There was much of personal insight into interpretation that could be used by the Church but much of it was more about self-exploration and expression. The same question is still occurring today as it was then. What is Mormon art? By its very title, it has religious implications. It can be very broad in its view, even illusive, and is often indefinable in a general sense. Is it religious or spiritual art for the enrichment or betterment of the Church or is it art produced by Mormons for a narrow and yet sometimes broader secular audience? Today it is both. It may mean we need to look for a more inclusive title than Mormon Art in interpreting and seeking the meaning of a spiritual nature.

There are a lot of paintings, sculpture, and visual creations by LDS artists. But, what does it take to make art that will stand the test of time and be created by the Michelangelos of our time that President Kimball referred to? Could we produce art that not only inspires our members but also receives the praise of the world? William Whitaker, a great friend, artist and dedicated Latter-day Saint, recently passed away. He was appointed a year ago to serve on the committee to select art for temples. One of his repeated quotes was, "I've long said that the Church has an immense collection of everyone's second rate efforts.” If this statement is true, perhaps we need to step up and apply our inspiration and skills a bit better. What does it take to achieve such lofty goals? It takes training, discipline and hard work in learning your craft. This is essential. All the elements of a work of art – composition, design, color, subject, concept, execution, ability and expression – are all equally important and part of a whole. These things must be learned and practiced. There is, however, a gift given to some by God that takes art to a higher level. That is what we strive for. No matter what our abilities, we need to be the best we can be. There is a tradition in painting and sculpture that we have criteria by which we can judge the quality of a work. In today's contemporary art world, many rules have been thrown out and personal expression is often of singular importance, making art harder to judge and often leaving the viewer and society in bewilderment. Other artists, styles, and cultures influence us all. The very best style for any artist is the one that comes naturally and is perfected in their own time, by practice, inspiration and patience. This becomes the uniqueness of his or her work and is not achieved by following superficial trends or commercialism. This becomes an artist's personal signature.

Can an artist be true to their art by commercializing their work through commissions that may challenge their sense of personal expression? Obviously, yes. Great art has been done under patronage for centuries. If you are making a living with your talent, you must learn how to walk the "tight rope" in satisfying a client and yourself. When working for the Church, we must remember they have very specific needs. Often it is to illustrate an event or principle. If we are willing to meet those needs, we may contribute under those conditions. We can always give more than asked by pushing art to a higher standard of quality and still satisfy a requirement. I think that is what is asked of us. The other road is to find religious expression in your own personal pursuits that may or may not find acceptability in a church setting. This is often a more difficult road for one who produces spiritual art and is making a living from it. However, it could be honest and ennobling art and may have great consequence. Often the greatest art is done by the artist following his own dictates. We artists all would like to make a significant contribution to Church art. As much as we would like that to happen, we give our best and time becomes the judge. It takes many years for art to historically settle in its importance. The art that seems to survive says the most about an artist's time, the subject matter, the culture, and that has the greatest influence on the most people over the longest period of time. These works become the icons of history. Sometimes the most popular art, or the most popular living artists, are the first forgotten. Popularity does not always mean importance.

Time has given me a perspective on my own life and art. This perspective comes by reflecting and examining a body of work. I found a greater means of expression by following and learning basic principles of art. When learned, and I am still learning, it gives me a foundation that evolved into an even greater ability to see and interpret. Much of my career has been rooted in experimentation, finding what works for me. I have also spent a lifetime studying the great art of the world in the best museums. I have tried to put a name to what I do but, it is so rooted in so many things, it becomes very personal in interpretation. An artist's work is like a signature, a natural expression.

I have reconciled the balance between personal expression and working with clients over the years. I have also come to realize that the best I have to offer in my art is my own personal insight, talent, and vision. Having worked for many years with galleries, the Church, and in the professional art world at large, I have come to a place in my life where I can give considerable focus to paintings of a spiritual nature; and that defines what art means to me. With the publication of The Joseph Smith Papers and books like Rough Stone Rolling, and with more direct access to early Church documents and materials, my attention has been drawn to works dealing with the early founding of the Church and Church history in general. A series of important experiences in my life started with being called, along with other colleagues, to create murals for the Nauvoo Temple. That commission led to murals for other temples, other spiritual callings, and numerous paintings for the Church. These experiences have focused my attention on some important things I want to accomplish in my later years. While doing the Nauvoo Temple murals, President Hinkley made an important comment when asked, "Why put original murals in temples?" His response was, "The reason we are doing murals for the temples is because the artist puts a spirit into the paint. The original painting becomes a living thing that inspires. The same spirit does not translate in the same way in the mechanical process of print. The original painting takes on a life of its own that enhances the rooms and makes more meaningful the ceremony." Art becomes a living thing that can change and inspire hearts. We have a great responsibility to visualize in the lives of our fellow man, imagery that can inspire and touch hearts.

We look for a meaning or definition for "Mormon Art." Various regions of the country are examining "Mormon Art" concepts, and organizations are working to define it. Art and expression will not be defined or narrowed into neat categories. Art and artists are too diverse. We feel the need to educate deeper meaning and understanding of art and aesthetics at a higher level among the saints and our fellow man. We have the gospel that unites us. Artists in the Church wish to give of their talents to the Lord in fulfilling the Church's mission. How we do it is very personal. I do believe we have the tools to accomplish these things based on our personal abilities, testimonies, and gifts of the Spirit. We need to remember some important things in relationship to what is called "Mormon Art." We are rendering visual the spiritual – past present, and future. We are producing art that ennobles the spirit. We are producing a living thing that can inspire others. The definition of ennoble is to "deify, dignify, elevate, exalt, glorify, magnify." In the many years I have worked with Mormon art concepts, these words come the closest to uniting the cause of artists dedicated to giving the best of their talents to the Lord. I think of the artists called and inspired in building and furnishing the tabernacle of ancient Israel with "cunning works." In Exodus 31:6 they are referred to as "wise hearted." May we ponder, pray, and ask for guidance by the Spirit.

]]><![CDATA[The Artistic Talent]]>Thu, 29 Mar 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/the-artistic-talentThe Artistic Talent
Elder Douglas L. Callister
Emeritus General Authority Seventy
From an address given Thursday, March 29, 2018
at the inaugural Fine Art & Faith Symposium in Salt Lake City, Utah

The Last Supper, Scott Rogers

Dear honored guests:

It is a privilege to address so many gifted sons and daughters of God, whose artistic talents do so much to add richness and joy to the world. I am aware that each of you has paid a handsome price to refine and perfect your talent, and that not all of that price has been paid since the moment of your birth.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles provides us with this fine insight as to the premortal estate: "During the long expanse of time which then was, an infinite variety of talents and abilities came into being. As the ages rolled, no two spirits remained alike. Mozart became a musician; Einstein centered his interest in mathematics; Michelangelo turned his attention to painting. . . . There was as great a variety and degree of talent and ability among us there as there is among us here. Some excelled in one way, others in another."

If each of you could look behind the veil and remember your pre-mortal life you might see yourself in an artist's studio, busily engaged in producing grand art works, some of which you may be permitted to view again when your earthly journey is complete.

Birth has taken from you your memory of pre-mortal life, but it has not diminished the talents you developed there. When you by inclination take your brush and canvas in hand, you are returning to an activity which you loved and nurtured for many years before the trumpet sounded for you to come to his earth.

Perhaps Elder Neal A. Maxwell had this in mind when he wrote: "When we rejoice in beautiful music, it is but the flexing of instincts acquired in another place and another time." Art was once more a part of you than you can presently remember.

It would be revelatory to see the art which adorns Heavenly Father's home. Rembrandt died almost 350 years ago. What masterpieces has he produced since then? It is unthinkable that he has been indolent or that heaven has neglected his talent. Whatever talent Rembrandt possessed when he left this earth is greater now, especially if he paints with the light of the gospel. What has Michelangelo sculpted since his passing that would cause his statuary of David and Moses to pale in comparison? These men were poets with a brush and a chisel.

The craftsmanship of a Stradivarius violin was a work of art, in addition to being a remarkable instrument of sound. What instruments has he made in heaven? Has there been an improvement on the piano or the organ?

Are there shapes in heaven we have not imagined? Are there colors we do not know? Are there museums in heaven? If so, what magnificent works do they display from artists of this world and perhaps other worlds that have been? Do these museums include masterpieces from any of you, reflecting a talent you once nourished and are now endeavoring to remember and express?

We have no present answers for these questions and dozens of others, but we may feel comfortable in the assurance that the refined nature of God naturally inclines Him to live in an environment of artistic beauty. And that is the environment in which you, also, lived for an unimaginably long period of time before you were born. It was your real home.

Jedediah M. Grant was a counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of the Church. Just before he passed away he told Heber C. Kimball that he had been permitted to visit the spirit world on two nights in succession; only with reluctance did he return to his body. He described the great order of heaven. There was "no darkness, disorder, or confusion." He then described the beautiful buildings he saw, comparing them favorably to anything on this earth. He added: "I have seen good gardens on this earth, but I never saw any to compare with those that were there. I saw flowers of numerous kinds, and some with fifty or a hundred different colored flowers growing on one stalk."

Whoever creates a world must be an artist. God is. This varied and exquisite earth reminds us of His artistic skills. The universe with its brilliant, starry heavens, is further evidence of God's artistic attentiveness. God is an artist, just as He is a gardener, a physician, and many other things.

We will never be able to create beautiful heavens and earths ourselves if we have not paused to appreciate the artistry of our present world. Our earth is more than functional; it is stunning. Much of its beauty comes from its variety. There must be seasons and deserts and mountains and prairies and oceans and rivers and cloudy skies and sun-filled days and raindrops and hundreds of types of vegetation, just to satisfy our aesthetic urges. Innately we hunger for beauty if only we do not numb ourselves to it by failure to observe. Art and color add to the sum of human joy. If colors were taken from the world and all we saw were black and white, we would suffer a great loss. Likewise, if there were no paintings, statuary, or photographs to enrich a building, our deprivation would be very great.

President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: "It is . . . important to enhance one's appreciation of the arts and culture which are the very substance of civilization. Can anyone doubt that good music is godly or that there can be something of the essence of heaven in great art?"

President Boyd K. Packer expressed his concern that a coming generation tended to "put Levis on everything." He meant that we may be inclined in dress, manners, conversation, music and art to become so casual and indifferent to real beauty that we distance ourselves from heaven.

I once heard a story of an arrogant American who visited the Louvre in Paris where many of the great art treasures of the world are to be found. The tour eventually caused him to stand before the great painting, Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci. After a quick glance the American disdainfully said, "I don't see what is so great about that." The guide quietly whispered, "I know, but I bet you wish you could." There was nothing wanting in the magnificence of the painting, fully justifying the acclaim it has received from the noble and refined over many centuries. There was something wanting in the visitor's capacity to appreciate it. When certain music or art has won the admiration over the centuries of those who have been discerning and earnestly searching for beauty, our failure to appreciate it is not an indictment of the music or the art.

Helen Keller, an admired woman of a generation ago, was both deaf and blind. We may be impressed by her response to a girl who had just taken a walk in the woods, but said she did not see anything special. Helen answered: "Nothing much? To walk through the woods and see 'nothing much' when I, without eyes, touch the bark of the birch, feel its smoothness, and hear the quiver of a bird in song." Then she tells what she would like to see if she could have her sight for just three days.

Consistent with this story, Canon Frederic Farrar, the great Christian apologist, reminds us: "We cannot argue about color to the blind. We cannot prove the glory of music to the deaf. If a man shuts his eyes hard, we cannot make him see the sun." If we refuse to look, see, and hear the finest available, we will never remember what warmed our hearts in our pre-earthly home and our descendants will lose their vision also. It pleases God when we open our eyes and ears to appreciate.

President John Adams encouraged his children in the breadth of things they should ultimately read: "I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy. . . in order to give to their children the right to study paintings, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain." One senses that these latter subjects are the things which the gods study and that in our quest to ultimately become like them we must become acquainted with all of these subjects.

Religious art has played an important role over the centuries in sustaining the faith of the masses. This was especially true before the Bible became commonly available to a literate population. From paintings, icons, and statuary, impressions were gained of Biblical events, personalities and doctrines. Multiple images were created of Mary holding the Christ child, of the Savior upon the cross, or of one of the miracles. Without art the understanding of the people of religious events and teachings would have been even more obscure. John Stuart Blackie expressed a personal preference when he stated: "The highest art is always the most religious, and the greatest artist is always a devout person."

Carefully chosen religious art, consistent with true doctrine, is abundantly found in Latter-day Saint meetinghouses and temples. These paintings soften the walls of long corridors and suggest worshipful thoughts for the viewers. Such art may have the same influence in our homes. Its very presence may deter boisterous, irreverent voices and arguments. Uplifting art is part of the environment we create if we wish the Spirit of God to be attracted to our homes.

President Heber J. Grant sometimes invited my grandfather to drive him up onto the Avenues at night in Salt Lake City in order to view the temple lit at night. President Grant shed tears, observing "It is always makes me cry when I think our fathers, at great sacrifice, built this temple for us." The very sight of the temple at night stirred his soul. Susa Young Gates, a daughter of Brigham Young, referred to the Salt Lake temple as "that frozen poem." The architecture of that temple, and many others, has been a source of inspiration and testimony to thousands.

Years ago, when the Joseph Smith Building was still being operated as the Hotel Utah, I spent an evening there with my six-year old son. We had secured a room on the west side of hotel, facing Temple Square. Father and son knelt together for evening prayer, following which we looked up and saw that the window of our room exactly framed the spires of the temple, lit at night. My young son began to cry, exclaiming, "I sure love that temple, daddy." Since his birth my wife and I had consistently prayed that the seed of a testimony would blossom in his little heart. The first time I knew that the seed had begun to grow was when he saw the beauty of God's house on that occasion. It was a reminder that artistic beauty can draw us nearer to God. Many children have spontaneously been inspired just by walking or standing in near proximity to a temple. It is a form of art which uplifts us.

It is not Latter-day Saint buildings only which have drawn men and women nearer to God. Great cathedrals, built at sacrifice of the people, have constantly been sources of inspiration. Architecture is a profound form of art and has been admired by the refined and spiritually-sensitive since the beginning of time.

The architecture of the interior of these buildings also manifests the inspiration of God. It may be reflected in stained glass windows, magnificent stone masonry, or graceful arches. It is shown in the circular staircase of the Manti Temple and the pioneer woodwork in the Salt Lake temple. The interior of temples further inspires us by the art hung on the walls. The Bountiful temple is enriched by 259 paintings. Many of them, of course, are excellent quality prints, but there are also a significant number of original paintings, perhaps some of them created by you. When we reflect upon the number of operating temples and their need for original, inspiring art, it should be an encouragement to you to include temple appropriate art in the expression of your talent. The temple, through its art, whispers, not shouts, "This is God's house; His presence is here."

When we reflect on the order, peace, and beauty of a temple's interior, it may be an inspiration for us to further beautify the interior of our own homes. We may imagine what adorned the walls of our pre-earthly home or the walls of the temple. Sometimes when sealing a young couple in the temple I remind them that one of the great lessons of the endowment is that environment matters. Adam and Eve learned that as they left the environment of a lovely garden to enter a lone and dreary world. Even newlyweds, living under modest circumstances, can refine the environment in which they live. I invite them to look at the walls of their home and ask what would be inviting to the noble spirits yet to come to this earth if permitted to see. Often the unperfected art of their own hands will be a blessing. Sometimes inexpensive prints may bring warmth and spirituality to a modest home. I remind them that some art work may be stunning, but they might tire of it if observed many times the same day. Choices should be made with the anticipation of a long-term love affair with the object of art and the sense that the object will be unremitting in its quiet inspiration to the viewer. Great art and great music help transform a house into a home. Pablo Picasso said, "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls."

It is hard to imagine a world without music. Brigham Young said that there is no music in hell, and that the greatest music has been reserved for heaven. There could not be a Christmas without carols, a nation without an anthem, a General Conference without the choir and hymns, or an Olympics without its encouraging tones.

In like manner, there could not be a world without inspiring art. Is it possible that hell has no art, just as it has no music? We cannot imagine a temple or Church meetinghouse without grand art. We cannot imagine a world without beautiful paintings, statuary, cathedrals and gardens.

Picasso, the great visual artist, also said: "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." Children explore their world visually. A child's image of Jesus is a retained memory of a softened artistic expression of Him the child has seen. It is not enough that the Master's words express kindness and affection for little children; His face and hands must also.

In Primary, children are frequently taught through the medium of pictures, just as they are through music. They want to use their visual sense. They want to be participative by being chosen as the child to hold the picture at the front of the room for other children to see.

The creation and placement of art can have a calming influence on a child in the same way as a child's favorite storybook, songs, and a blanket. The placement in the child's bedroom of a picture of the Savior, a child praying, or a happy family gathering will be reassuring. A child's favorite book will usually have colored pictures in it.

In addition to adding to the development of a child and enhancing the beauty of a home, art may have a great therapeutic influence on those who are drawn to this outlet for inner expression. Autistic children often find great satisfaction in creative arts. They can sometimes say through art things for which they cannot find words.

Adults with Alzheimer's often cling to artistic expression as one of their last great pleasures in life. Very busy men with weighty responsibilities have found both escape and balance in their few moments available for painting. It was a necessary outlet for Winston Churchill who possessed considerable talent with a brush and palette. Some of the busiest General Authorities have found relief from the pressures of their lives in occasional moments of artistic expression.

Often the intrinsic beauty of an object, as the world measures, is not as determinative of its real worth as is the sacrifice made by the person who created it as an expression of love. Daughters of God, including those in the more advanced years of life, often donate many hours in the creation of a quilt, an altar cloth, exquisite embroidery, or some other manifestation of their handiwork. It is cherished by both the creator and also the recipient of the work because of the loving price paid to create it. Many homes are added upon by the display of a work of art not only previously owned by a cherished ancestor, but also because the object is the handiwork of the ancestor. It would be a shame if we had only bought things from our own lives to pass on to our descendants.

Ernest Hemingway, the fine American author, once said: "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." Many of you have had the same sentiment when standing before an empty canvas. However, the great composers and artists do not wait for inspiration to come. They sit down at the piano or easel each day as if in the regular performance of their duty and inspiration comes while they are already working. If they waited for inspiration to come before taking a brush in hand, they would never paint anything.

The greatest composers acknowledged their dependence on God for inspiration in their composition. Johannes Brahms said: "To realize that we are one with the Creator, as Beethoven did, is a wonderful, awe-inspiring experience. Very few human beings ever come into that realization and that is why there are so few great composers or creative geniuses. . . I always contemplate this before commencing to compose. . . When I feel the urge, I begin by appealing directly to my Maker. . .I immediately feel vibrations that thrill my whole being. These are the Spirit illuminating the soul power within."

The thoughts which underlie these fine expressions as to the composition of music apply with equal certitude as to the creation of paintings and statuary. The Light of Christ, available to every son or daughter of God, is the greatest source of inspiration in music, art, literature, and all of the fine arts.

Among the most famous artistic creations of a religious nature were the Sistine Chapel and the carved Pieta by Michelangelo and the painted Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Michelangelo said: "Good painting is nothing else but a copy of the perfection of God and a reminder of His paintings. . . Only God creates. The rest of us just copy."

Years ago, my wife and I visited the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Rome. We saw the magnificent statue of Moses sculpted by Michelangelo. There was a crack on one knee. The tour guide said, "It is rumored that after Michelangelo completed this masterpiece he stood back a few feet, then casting one of his sculpting instruments at the statue, creating the crack, exclaimed, "Why doesn't it speak?" In other ways, of course, great art and music really do speak to the inner man.

The question was once asked, "What artifact could we send out into space as evidence of human achievement?" One answered, "I would vote for Bach, all of Bach, streamed out into space, over and over again." Then he added ruefully, "We would be bragging, of course."

Could we just as well choose the Mona Lisa or Rembrandt's Night Watch?" Again, we would be bragging by this display of the advanced refinement of our civilization.

As beneficiaries of your artistic talents, many of us are grateful for the effort you have expended, both in the pre-mortal estate and during your earthly journey, to refine and perfect your artistic skills. You have chosen one of the grandest heavenly gifts through which to express your appreciation of beauty and your love of God. May He bless you for it with the certain testimony that He loves you and He loves the beautiful works you produce.

]]><![CDATA[The Matter of Beauty]]>Sat, 03 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/the-matter-of-beautyExcerpts from Chapter One: A Mighty Change of Heart
Section Three: The Matter of Beauty
Herman C. du Toit, Ph.D.
From his book, Masters of Light: Coming unto Christ through Inspired Devotional Art

The Raising of Lazarus, Carl Bloch

Ideas about art and beauty have always been closely aligned. However, there are few terms that have stirred more controversy, consternation, and contention in the modern art world than the concept of beauty. Everyone seems to know what beauty is, but there is little agreement as to its expressions, and to how it is manifest in artworks. The term is used in the scriptures candidly, unequivocally, and without qualification. The scriptures do not doubt the reader’s ability to identify, appreciate, and give expression to the notion of beauty.

There is a clear understanding about what is meant when we read in the Old Testament that Rachel, one of Laban’s daughters, was “beautiful and well favoured” (Genesis 29:17, emphasis added). We also have a uniform understanding of what was meant when Artaxerxes was inspired to “beautify the house of the Lord” (Ezra 7:27, emphasis added). Beauty is also found in the manner in which the Lord has ordered and organized the elements of His creations; in the variety with which rivers, plains, mountains, lakes, and seas, were created and distributed across the Earth.

Likewise we have a mental concept of what was meant by the commandment given to the Israelites to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (1 Chronicles 16:29, emphasis added). This usage signifies another, deeper meaning of the concept. The scripture “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who bringeth good tidings” (Isaiah 52:7, emphasis added) tells us that beauty is manifested by the righteous action of prophets who proclaim the Gospel from the mountaintops—an action that dispels fear and hopelessness. Here beauty is seen as a countervailing force exercised in the face of darkness, despair, and ungodliness. Beauty is manifest in the very act of righteousness overcomes evil, is evidenced when love overcomes hate, and is apparent when harmony, order and unity prevail over chaos, discord, and contention. This concept is exemplified in the simple words of the Church hymn: “There is beauty all around when there’s love at home.”

The problem that the modern secular world has with the concept of beauty lies in the fact that the word has attendant meanings that allude to qualities such as charm, grace, loveliness, comeliness, fairness, authenticity, attractiveness, appropriateness, nobility, harmony, and divine order, among others. For Thorvaldsen, Bloch, Hofmann, Schwartz, and other academically trained artists of their period, beauty was a function of all these qualities, rooted in finely executed pictorial realism. These positive and uplifting qualities, associated with beauty, point to universal normative values that are often reflected in righteousness. Aristotle saw this relationship between the beautiful (to kalon) on the one hand, and virtue on the other hand. He argued that: "Virtue aims at the beautiful." It is this relationship between beauty and virtue that has caused consternation in a secularized world that strives to divest beauty of its normative values, or more stridently, to denigrate the very concept of beauty because of its attendant normative values.

In modern times the academic art world in particular, appears to have taken issue with the concept of beauty, and especially the values associated with it. The term is rarely used in college art programs. It invites censure in to say something is beautiful in within a formal academic setting in a secular world that rejects universal values. Such statements are often deemed to be uniformed and unqualified value judgments based on subjective personal sentiment. Contemporary art schools would rather encourage self-expression and the cult of idiosyncratic egocentrism than risk alignment with values that are inexorably and universally linked to beauty.

Art has the capacity to transcend the mundane, providing us with a glimpse of a more perfect and beautiful reality that often lies just beyond our mortal experience. Art has the power to edify and inform us in ways that words cannot, as stated so aptly by David Cassler, a contemporary LDS artist: “Art beckons you to that which we are meant to become. Art points to a time when heart and mind will be unified. It points to humankind's ultimate spiritual potential. Art speaks of a place where we need not look through a glass darkly, where we will know as we are known. It speaks of truth, love, happiness, and beauty.”

Inspired devotional art points us to the universal values associated with beauty through the skillful representation and meaningful interpretation of supernal qualities that abound in Heavenly Father’s creations. It has the capacity to reveal the divine order of all things. Consequently, it has the power to unite Heavenly Father’s children through the commonalities of their appreciation of these things. Hence beauty becomes a handmaiden to the divine precepts of salvation that are carried into the hearts and minds of those who would receive them and who are not blinded by callous ignorance, hubris, egotism, skepticism, and the philosophies of men.

We have been instructed that “Zion must increase in beauty, and holiness” (D&C 82:14). The appreciation and promulgation of undefiled beauty as a countervailing force in the conflict between good and evil, order and disorder, harmony and chaos, cannot be underestimated. It is an antidote to the ungodliness of the unrefined carnal condition of the natural man. Inspired devotional art has the capacity to refine our sensibilities, put us in touch with the divine order of things, including our own divine nature, and facilitate our coming unto Christ.

Book published by Cedar Fort Publishing and Media, Springville, Utah (2016)

]]><![CDATA[The Power to Promote Faith and Instill New Meaning]]>Fri, 02 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/the-power-to-promote-faith-and-instill-new-meaningExcerpts from Chapter One: A Mighty Change of Heart
Section Two: The Power to Promote Faith
and Instill New Meaning
Herman C. du Toit, Ph.D.
From his book, Masters of Light: Coming unto Christ through Inspired Devotional Art

Healing the Sick at the Pool of Bethesda, Carl Bloch

The process of coming unto Christ is accompanied by a renewal of self, and of seeing others and the world around us, in a new light―the light of the eternal Gospel. “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Images can have the power to mediate between concepts of God and man. According to Colum Hourihane, former director of the Index of Christian Art at Princeton University, “One of the most important functions that an image can have is its mediation between the physical or earthly and the unseen or spiritual.” Hourihane’s observation implies that art can have an instrumental function, meaning that art can actually do something for us. And in so doing it has the capacity to effect some positive change in our disposition both in the way we see ourselves and the the world around us.

In recent years, it has been reaffirmed that good art has the capacity to edify, touch sensitive hearts, and construct new meaning in the mind of the viewers. Art often does this by non-discursive means―in ways that cannot be expressed by the spoken or written word. Elder M. Russell Ballard noted: “Inspired art speaks in the language of eternity, teaching things to the heart that the eyes and ears can never understand.”

Not only can inspired art evoke profound changes in the hearts and minds of viewers, it also has the capacity to reveal new truths and open new vistas of understanding. An artwork cannot force itself upon the viewer; we need to open ourselves to its meaning and allow its veracity to work upon us; we need to “behold” it, in the full sense of this word.

Artworks are able to communicate new knowledge and even new ways of seeing through a process often referred to by novelists and moviemakers as “the willing suspension of disbelief.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the nineteenth-century British poet, coined this phrase to describe the manner in which the challenging representations of an artwork can find acceptance in the viewer’s mind and even enlarge a person’s understanding, in spite of previously held contrary views or disbelief. We can think of the “willing suspension of disbelief” as putting aside our doubts and skepticism in order to embrace a new truth that was alien to our understanding. Coleridge also referred to our openness to accepting newfound perspectives presented by a narrative, a poem, or a work of art, as “poetic faith.” We do this willingly without duress or compulsion when we take in an artwork that is challenging to our current understanding of things, or one that is asking us to consider a truth that may be difficult for us to accept. Inspired artworks provide us with the opportunity to grasp more fully the glorious truths of Christ’s mission and of His role in our personal salvation.

No artwork can fully represent deity, or faithfully recreate the events of Christ’s mortal ministry with the details and veracity with which they must have occurred. The mortal inadequacies of the artist, along with the temporal limitations of technical virtuosity, put limitations on what can be achieved by the artist’s hand. However, when inspired art engages willing minds and hearts, these deficits can be overcome through the willing suspension of disbelief on the part of the viewer. It is then that the artist and viewer come to a unity of faith.

Inspired art has the power to invite the Spirit. When an inspired artist creates a work of art with the prayerful and sincere intention to communicate concepts of a sacred nature, as a testimony of Christ, it is highly likely that the Spirit will communicate these things to a suitably prepared and receptive viewer. Not only will the viewer recognize the truths depicted in the artwork, but the Spirit will bear witness to the viewer of its veracity. It is even possible that the viewer will be edified beyond the artist’s expectations and in ways that the artist could not previously have anticipated. Such is the power of reverently viewed art produced by an inspired artist as an act of sincere devotion.

Doubts flee as we see the wondrous truths that lie beyond the painted brush marks of an inspired painting, or as we receive the messages of eternity that lie within the impassive white marble of a finely wrought sculpture. When we are able to apprehend these things, and know they are true, by implication we are coming unto Christ.

Book published by Cedar Fort Publishing and Media, Springville, Utah (2016)

]]><![CDATA[The Power to Strengthen and Convert]]>Thu, 01 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/the-power-to-strengthen-and-convertExcerpts from Chapter One: A Mighty Change of Heart
Section One: The Power to Strengthen and Convert
Herman C. du Toit, Ph.D.
From his book, Masters of Light: Coming unto Christ through Inspired Devotional Art

Agony in the Garden, (1888) Franz Schwartz

“I watched a young elder walk into the display and view the very first painting. He was speechless and his face was soaked with tears. No words needed to be spoken between us, for I could see he was at that moment having a life-changing experience.”
Lon Nally, Mission Training Center President

The artwork that the young missionary had encountered was Frans Schwartz’s painting, Agony in the Garden. It depicts the tender moment in the Garden of Gethsemane when the Savior was ministered to by a heavenly being as the awful pangs of the Atonement took effect. “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43). The Savior is shown in an attitude of fervent prayer as the angel, having knowledge of what was about to take place, tenderly embraced Him in a gesture of love and compassion. Schwartz had fittingly chosen a female angel for the role of consoler at this crucial moment in His supernal mission. This was one of several paintings of the mortal ministry of the Savior displayed [in the exhibition, Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz, Brigham Young University Museum of Art, Provo, Utah, November 15, 2013 through May 26, 2014]. No doubt this young missionary… will always remember this very personal encounter with a truly inspired work of devotional art.

Some artworks have the capacity to instantaneously penetrate both our minds and our hearts, often leaving indelible traces that affect our thoughts and feelings for years to come.

The young missionary who had such a touching encounter with Frans Schwartz’s painting, and the many other visitors who had similar experiences were “coming unto Christ” in a very real and tangible manner. They were experiencing, or re-experiencing, in some way, and to some degree, the “mighty change” spoken of by the people of King Benjamin after he had addressed them: And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts (Mosiah 5:2).

This mighty change is brought about through a process of soul-searching introspection and empathic engagement with the subject of our faith. As we begin to exercise our faith and come unto Christ, our new understanding and commitment is confirmed by the Spirit.

A testimony of the Atonement of Christ and of His role as Savior and Redeemer is the most important knowledge that we can gain in this world and it holds eternal consequences not only for ourselves, but for our loved ones as well. As we come unto Christ and adopt His ways, obey his commandments, and receive His mind and will for us, we are moved to making sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father in accordance with this new understanding. Inspired art has the capacity to act as a facilitator, or catalyst, in this profound and personal process that leads to personal conversion and a transformation of the most fundamental kind.

Book published by Cedar Fort Publishing and Media, Springville, Utah (2016)

]]><![CDATA[I Have a Work for Thee]]>Mon, 01 Jan 2018 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/i-have-a-work-for-theeI Have a Work for Thee
Elder John C. Pingree Jr.
Of the Seventy

Touching the Sun, Susette Gertsch

To Moses, God declared, “I have a work for thee” (Moses 1:6). Have you ever wondered if Heavenly Father has a work for you? Are there important things He has prepared you—and specifically you—to accomplish? I testify the answer is yes!

God Has a Work for Each of Us

Brothers and sisters, God has important work for each of us. Speaking to sisters but teaching truths that apply to all, President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “Before we came [to earth, we] were given certain assignments. … While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to.”2 What an ennobling truth! Our Heavenly Father has specific and significant things for you and me to accomplish (see Ephesians 2:10).

These divine assignments are not reserved for a privileged few but are for all of us—regardless of gender, age, race, nationality, income level, social status, or Church calling. Every one of us has a meaningful role to play in furthering God’s work (see Moses 1:39).

Some of us question whether Heavenly Father can use us to make important contributions. But remember, He has always used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things (see 1 Corinthians 1:27–28; D&C 35:13; 124:1). “[We] are agents,” and “the power is in [us]” to “bring to pass much righteousness” (D&C 58:27–28).3

President Russell M. Nelson explained:

“The Lord has more in mind for you than you have in mind for yourself! You have been reserved and preserved for this time and place. …

“The Lord needs you to change the world. As you accept and follow His will for you, you will find yourself accomplishing the impossible!”4

So how do we come to understand and perform the work God intends for us? Let me share four principles that will help.

For the complete address click here: I Have a Work for Thee

]]><![CDATA[By Divine Design]]>Sun, 31 Dec 2017 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/december-31st-2017By Divine Design
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Children of Light, Anne Marie Oborn

Each of us is precious and loved by the Lord, who cares, who whispers, and who watches over us in ways unique to each of us. He is infinitely wiser and more powerful than mortal men and women. He knows our challenges, our triumphs, and the righteous desires of our hearts.

The Lord loves to be with us. It is no coincidence that when you are feeling His Spirit and acting on first promptings that you feel Him as He promised: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.

When we are righteous, willing, and able, when we are striving to be worthy and qualified, we progress to places we never imagined and become part of Heavenly Father’s “divine design.” Each of us has divinity within us. When we see God working through us and with us, may we be encouraged, even grateful for that guidance. When our Father in Heaven said, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,” He was talking about all of His children—you in particular.

The Lord’s hand is guiding you. By “divine design,” He is in the small details of your life as well as the major milestones. As it says in Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; … and he shall direct thy paths.”

For the complete address click here: By Divine Design

]]><![CDATA[Joy at Graduation]]>Sat, 30 Dec 2017 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.covenantartists.org/resources/joy-at-graduationJoy at Graduation
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
From an address given at Brigham Young University commencement August 13, 2015

Zion in Her Heart, Clark Kelley Price

Father Lehi taught that the children of God exist that they might have joy (see 2 Nephi 2:25). That great truth is fundamental to our philosophy of life. The kind of joy referred to in the scriptures is not the happiness we experience in temporary rushes of pleasure such as we enjoy in today’s recognitions. The joy that is the purpose of our existence is intense and enduring. We may properly say it is eternal.

Where do we find our greatest joy? I suggest that it is in creativity—the process and feeling of creating something.

Creativity in business or in the professions is the same for men and for women. I am not qualified to speak of the joys of creativity in establishing a business or in the practice of medicine or musicianship, but I have some idea of creativity in the practice of law. Much of the practice of law is repetitive drudgery, but there are moments of joy in a new insights or in producing a good piece of legal work, like a letter of opinion. I have also experienced joy in various kinds of English composition as I have tried to express a thought or explain a principle as clearly and persuasively as possible.

You will recognize similar examples of the joy of creativity in other lines of work. Surely the process of cultivating living things and seeing them come to maturity and harvest creates joy in farmers and teachers. There is also joy in writing or creating a work of art or in performance that brings one of these to life for an audience.

But all of these illustrations are only mortal or temporary examples of the joy of creativity. We have no assurance that most of the things that brings us joy in mortality will continue in the next life.

I believe that our greatest joy is found through the gospel of Jesus Christ, which explains our origin as spirits, the creation of the world, our purpose in mortality, and our destiny in eternity. Explanations of the plan of salvation often use the word joy. When the foundations of the world were laid, we spirits “shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). The announcement of the Savior’s birth was a message “of great joy” (Luke 2:10). His Atonement and Resurrection “filled [us] with great joy” (Alma 4:14). The love of God is described as “the most desirable above all things” and “the most joyous to the soul” (1 Nephi 11:22-23). Finally, the Savior Himself described the experience of returning to dwell with God as a “fulness of joy” (3 Nephi 28:10; also see D&C 93:33).

The gospel’s assurance of a continued, embodied existence after this life illuminates our understanding of the ultimate joy of creativity. A favorite illustration of that truth is the Lord’s great explanation that His work and His glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Surely our greatest eternal joy will be in the creativity that lives beyond this mortal life and gives joy after the resurrection and throughout all eternity. That is why, as God has revealed, “eternal life … is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7).

For the complete address click here: Joy at Graduation

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