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An Art-Based Guide to the Resurrected Savior’s Ministry
Including artwork in our gospel study can enhance our experience and prompt new insights.
There are many ways to connect to God and feel His love. Some of us feel God’s presence through music, in nature, or through art. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Art can transmit a message of hope, light, and truth anchored in Jesus Christ, His glory, and His work for the eternal well-being of the whole human race.”
This compilation of paintings is meant to supplement your personal and family study of Come, Follow Me. As you read 3 Nephi, you can ponder on these images and have a thoughtful discussion using the questions below.
The Nephites Experience a Night without Darkness
One Day, One Night, and One Day, by Jorge Cocco
Five years before Jesus was born, Samuel the Lamanite prophesied that the night before Jesus was born would be a night with no darkness (see Helaman 14:3–4). Five years later, just when some thought Jesus would never come, there was a night with no darkness, followed by a new star appearing, marking the birth of Christ (see 3 Nephi 1:15, 21). How might a new star be symbolic of Jesus Christ?
Christ Appears to the Nephites
Christ Appears in America, by Arnold Friberg
About 33 years after the night without darkness, storms, earthquakes, fires, and a vapor of darkness struck the Nephites, signifying that the Savior had been crucified (see 3 Nephi 8:12–20). After these disasters, the people were gathered around the temple, discussing what it all could mean. It was here that Jesus descended from heaven, dressed all in white. He said to the Nephites, “I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” (3 Nephi 11:11). How has your life changed because the Savior is in it?
The Multitude Feels His Hands and Side
Illustration of Christ with the Nephites, by Ben Sowards
Jesus invited all the Nephites to come feel the wounds in His hands, feet, and side, which served as a testament of what He had suffered and accomplished for them. The Nephites went one by one to feel His wounds, until every single person was able to see and feel the prints of the nails in His hands and feet and the wound in His side (see 3 Nephi 11:13–15). How would you feel looking into the Savior’s eyes and feeling His wounds?
Jesus Confers Priesthood Authority
By Jerry Thompson
Jesus organized the same Church in the Americas that He had organized in Jerusalem. He gave Nephi priesthood authority, called twelve Apostles, taught them how to baptize, and gave them the Holy Ghost (see 3 Nephi 11:21–26; 18:36–37). The same Church, priesthood authority, and ordinances have been restored in our day. What role does the priesthood play in your life?
Jesus Teaches the People
Jesus Christ Visits the Americas, by John Scott
While visiting the Nephites, Jesus taught them many things, including teachings similar to the Sermon on the Mount, which He taught to His disciples in Jerusalem (see 3 Nephi 12–14; Matthew 5–7). He taught that the Church should be called after Him because He leads the Church and established the gospel (see 3 Nephi 27:5–9). Similarly, President Russell M. Nelson encouraged us to use the full name of the Church in our conversations to make sure we include the Savior’s name. How does focusing on the Savior change your discipleship?
Jesus Heals the Sick and Prays for the People
Christ Praying with the Nephites, by Ted Henninger
Wherever He was, Jesus went about doing good (see Acts 10:38), so it’s no surprise that He healed the Nephites. Jesus healed sickness, blindness, and many other kinds of afflictions because He loved the people (see 3 Nephi 17:7–9). Jesus can heal all wounds, both seen and unseen. How can Jesus heal you?
Jesus Blesses the Little Children
Behold Your Little Ones, by Del Parson
Jesus loved little children. While He was with the Nephites, He blessed each little child one by one. After Jesus blessed them, angels descended from heaven, encircling the children and ministering to them (see 3 Nephi 17:21–24). Jesus commanded us to become as little children by humbling ourselves (see 3 Nephi 11:38; Matthew 18:3–4). How can you be more like a little child?
Jesus Institutes the Sacrament
In Remembrance of Him, by Casey Childs
During His ministry, Jesus introduced the sacrament to the Nephites, just as He had done with His disciples in Jerusalem (see 3 Nephi 18:1–7; Luke 22:19–20). He told them to regularly partake of the sacrament in remembrance of His sacrifice. If they did so, they could always have His Spirit with them (see 3 Nephi 18:7). The same commandment has been given to us today. How can you make the sacrament a meaningful experience?