“Contents,” Ensign, July 1983, 1
Ensign
July 1983
Volume 13 Number 7
On the cover: The Resurrected Christ at the Sea of Tiberias, by David Lindsley, oil on canvas, 5′ by 4′, 1983.
Inside front cover: Family Gardening, by Judith Mehr, oil on canvas, 50″ by 65″, 1982.
Inside back cover: The Understanding of Man. Photography and commentary by Anselm Spring of Landsberg, Germany.
“In the above photograph we see the silhouette of a modern city of man. I find it important to observe that mankind tries again and again—as did ancient Babel—to reach unto heaven, to replace God with himself and his own understanding. This photograph, this scene, is but a symbolic idea to me of man’s limited understanding. Thus, with such obviously limited understanding in our minds, the clouds—veils of our confused minds—are dark in aspect. Fortunately, the light of the sun is breaking upon the scene. Against this powerful light, symbol of the gospel, the institutions and learning of man stand out darkly. Compared to the light that we may obtain from God, everything in mortality appears as a silhouette of the real thing. As I contemplate this scene, I am reminded that although I may ascend very high in man’s towers of understanding, there is still a much brighter light against which all human glory stands out darkly. I can see very clearly that at some point man’s understanding simply stops. It tops out. I see that there is really no way to get from the top on mankind’s towers of understanding to the heavenly light, even though my ascension in learning and knowledge should have given me an excellent vantage point from which I could have seen life. Notice how powerful the light of the sun is. It simply bursts through the darkness and shows everything in its true perspective. For these and other truths that I find symbolized here, I have appreciated and loved this photograph.”