“A Spiritual Impression of Creation,” Liahona, Sept. 2024.
Portraits of Faith
A Spiritual Impression of Creation
The Atonement of Jesus Christ took on a deeper meaning for me as I sculpted the story of Abraham and Isaac.
Photographs by Christina Smith
Painting and sculpting is one way I express my appreciation for the beauty of the earth. For me, art begins with a spiritual impression of creation.
“The Covenant Child”
When a friend retired and prepared to move away, I made a piece for him called The Covenant Child. It was a sculpture of Abraham holding baby Isaac. Since then, I have done a series of other sculptures featuring Abraham and Isaac. They are my favorites and some of my most important pieces.
Stephan Seable’s sculptures featuring Abraham and Isaac are his favorites. They remind him of the Father’s love for His Only Begotten Son. At far right is his sculpture called The Covenant Child.
The most powerful one to me is of Abraham instructing his son from scrolls. Abraham is gripping his own thigh and looking up with a pained expression on his face with an impression from the Lord that he must sacrifice his only son. Isaac is hugging Abraham but cannot understand why his father will not respond to him.
In this sculpture by Brother Seable called Take Thy Son, Thine Only Son, Abraham receives an impression from the Lord that he must sacrifice his son Isaac.
Another piece in process shows the two of them building an altar. Isaac asks where the sacrifice is, and Abraham replies that the Lord will provide. In a previous piece, Abraham is provided a ram in the thicket and told that he does not need to sacrifice his son. Abraham is embracing Isaac, holding him tightly. (See Genesis 22:1–13.)
Abraham embraces Isaac in this sculpture by Brother Seable called After the Test.
What’s so precious about this story is that it is a type, or symbol, of the sacrifice of the Son of God. Our Father in Heaven, who loves His Only Begotten Son, also chose to sacrifice Him but did not spare Him at the last moment. In the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “There was no ram in the thicket at Calvary to spare Him, this Friend of Abraham and Isaac” (“O, Divine Redeemer,” Ensign, Nov. 1981, 8).
Rather, the Father allowed His chosen Son (see Moses 4:2) to perform the Atonement in our behalf so that we can all return home to live with Them again if we so desire and live worthy of that blessing (see John 3:16–17).
My experience tells me that God is involved in our lives. We are that we “might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25), but we gain experience by the things we suffer. As sure as good things happen, there is, nevertheless, “an opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11). God, however, is there for us, and we can overcome whatever we have to, no matter what comes at us. We will find that we can weather our tests as we continue trying to love, serve, and become more charitable— like our Savior.
I am grateful for the gospel, my family, and all the beautiful people in the Church. No matter where my wife, Kathleen, and I went on missions throughout the world, we found Saints who love each other and serve, bless, and sacrifice for each other. Heavenly Father loves us, and we are His children. There is nothing more important than being faithful to Him and His Son, who are so faithful to us.
No matter where Brother Seable and his wife, Kathleen, served missions throughout the world, they found Latter-day Saints “who love each other and serve, bless, and sacrifice for each other.”