LDS Art - Religion

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	Under His Wing (See options...)


	Virtue "To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue." -Buddha In the tradition of Saint with White Sleeves, The Beggar Princess and the Magic Rose and Sleeper Lost in Dreams comes Virtue, a beautiful and inspirational message of hope. The graceful young woman depicted may walk a dark path, but with determination and focus on her guiding principles she will surely find her way. Incorporating one of James C. Christensen’s most popular recurring themes, Virtue serves as a classic and elegant reminder to stay true to your beliefs, that faith and strength will see you through the dark times. “The candle is a symbol of light in the spirit,” says Christensen. “The candle is about being an example to others, but it’s also about keeping that light shining for yourself. Be true to yourself and to the things you know are important and don’t let the world taint you.” (See options...)


	Virtue Words (See options...)


	Visitation/Preoccupation How often do we find ourselves too preoccupied within our own little worlds to realize when something truly momentous is happening outside of them? Are we paying enough attention to those around us to really hear what they are saying? Jim Christensen created this series “Winged Words” to poke fun at people (using barbed wire) and get them to realize, “Yeah, I do that, too.” In this extreme example, a very self-important individual, in all his pomp and finery, fails to realize the heavenly nature of his visitor because he’s just not listening. In Latin, the angel says, “I am dead.” The man’s response to his rather uncommon occurrence, “How do you like my clothes?” underscores how little he is paying attention. The pear in the man’s hand, one bite taken—bordering on the over-ripe, is a reminder that we may not have all the time we think we do to amend these failures in communication. (See options...)


	Walk Of Faith (See options...)


	Walk With Me ""Walk with me,"" I heard him say, ""Walk with me awhile today."" ""Talk with me,"" I heard him speak, ""Talk with me of the things you think."" Share with me the things you feel, Share with me so you can heal. Cry with me through your heartbreaks, Cry with me when your soul aches. Look with me a new sunrise! Look with me through opened eyes. See with me the world anew, See with me my point of view. Laugh with me in pure delight, Laugh with me it's all alright! Sing with me as we stroll along, Sing with me I love your song. Learn with me your wondrous story, Learn with me your prior glory. Know with me just who you are, Know with me we've traveled far. Create with me and dreams come true, Create with me I create through you! Walk with me on Heaven's shore, Walk with me forever more! (See options...)


	Walking With God (See options...)


	Watch And Pray (See options...)


	Water To Wine The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. –John 1:14 The transformation of water into wine by Christ is the first miracle in the Gospel of John, revealing his glory to his disciples. When wine ran out at a wedding, Christ asked the urns to be filled with water, which then became the very finest wine. The Biblical story also can be read as a metaphor for the blessing of Christ’s arrival and for his teachings. “My main focus was to make the viewer feel like an eyewitness to the biblical account of Christ's first miracle,” says artist Morgan Weistling, “changing water to wine at the wedding feast of Cana. To convey the sense of awe one would feel, I depicted the astonished face of the servant as he pours the water and watches as it is transformed into wine.” (See options...)


	Water To Wine (See options...)


	We Three Kings... “We have seen his star in the east…” - Matthew 2:2 The sudden appearance of a new and brilliant star set the kings of the East on one of the Bible’s better-known journeys. Through the centuries, paintings have shown as many as eight kings. Some debate whether the magi were actual kings or a group of scholars, astronomers and priests. The Western tradition of three kings most likely arose from the three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that they brought to “the newborn King.” James C. Christensen provides us with a gift to treasure the whole year through. In his original painting, the star and the three gifts of the kings are gold leaf. For both the print and canvas editions, we were able to recreate this radiant effect, in fact, the canvas is hand-crafted with 22-karat gold leaf. Each new Christensen offering this year has sold out at the Publisher, and we’re certain this will follow. So be sure to contact your local Greenwich Workshop dealer before this gift disappears. (See options...)


	What Is Truth? (See options...)


	What Profiteth It A Man: The Rich Young Ruler (Modern) Parable And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is agood, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. - Luke 18:18-25 What Profiteth It a Man: The Rich Young Ruler (Modern) In this story, a rich young ruler asks Jesus what he must do to obtain eternal life. Jesus tells him that he must keep the commandments to which the young ruler replies, "All these have I kept from my youth up." Jesus then tells him to sell all that he has and give it to the poor if he would have treasures in heaven. When the young ruler heard this he went away sorrowful, "...for he was very rich." - Luke 18:23 Jesus was not concerned with the amount of money that the rich young ruler had, but that he had set his heart upon his riches instead of giving it to God. Today, we are so caught up in accumulating that we seldom stop to think if what we are doing will really make us happy. I included a heart in the pattern on the tie of this modern-day "rich young ruler," to remind us that just as the rich young ruler was faced with a decision 2000 years ago, we are each faced with choose what we will give our hearts to and whether we want treasures on earth or in heaven. (See options...)


	When Did He Know Parenthood is truly a miracle. Tiny souls are sent down forgetting everything and we, as parents, are given the responsibility to teach them who they really are. n many respects, it was the same for the Lord. He came to the Earth as each of us do. Though His Father and angels would tutor Him, it was likely His earthly parents who taught Him that He was the Son of God. Perhaps the greatest gift parents can give their children is to teach them through love and example who they really are. When I think of the Savior I wonder, “When did He know who He was?” Then I think of myself and wonder, “Do I really know who I am?” This painting reminds me that we are never too young or too old to remember who we are. (See options...)


	When The Angels Come The story behind this painting is referenced from the Relief Society Magazine "Pioneer Women" pg. 8 January 1948. See also the devotional address given in the de Jong Concert Hall at Brigham Young University on 11 August, 1981 by Vaughn J. Featherstone, "Go and Bring In Those People Now on the Plains" (We Are Our Brother's Keepers). "The Cart Began Pushing Me" President David O. McKay, in an address given at an annual Relief Society Conference in 1947, the centennial year of the Saints' arrival in the valley, talked of the criticism given by a teacher conducting a class, who commented that it was very unwise to have even permitted the Saints to cross the plains under such circumstances, and they were talking about the Willie and Martin handcart companies who left later then they should have. President McKay said: Some sharp criticism of the Church and its leaders was being indulged in for permitting any company of converts to venture across the plains with no more supplies of protection than a handcart caravan afforded. An old man in the corner [and this was written by President William Palmer, who was present] sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it, then he arose and said things that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion, yet he spike calmly, deliberately, but with great earnestness and sincerity. In substance the father above mentioned said, "I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife was in it and Sister Nellie Unthank whom you have cited was there, too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? Not one of that company ever apostatized of left the Church, because everyone of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities." "I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it." [And a wife with a baby in her arms by his side]. "I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there." "Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then no any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company." (See options...)


	Where Are The Nine I remember a time I worked on a school project for one of my children. At its conclusion they grabbed the project and ran from the house to catch the bus. There was no time for thanks, no time for gratitude. When Christ healed the ten lepers, only one came back to give thanks. He asked of the leper, "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" In a society that grows increasingly hectic, how often do we run from the house without stopping to thank Him? This one leper reminds me that there is always time for thanks, always time for gratitude. (See options...)


	Whereas I Was Blind In John, chapter 9, We read of the man who was born blind. After he was healed by the Savior, he was brought before the Pharisees, who questioned how this was possible and who it was that performed the miracle. In reply, the man said, “He is a prophet” (John 9:17). This painting depicts the man, not in the act of being healed or even while being questioned by the Pharisees, but perhaps years after the miracle took place. This formal portrait shows the man sitting and, with increasing emotion, recounting his experience and testimony of the Savior. With this artwork, I wanted to express the lasting effect of being touched by Christ in some way. (See options...)


	Wherever He Leads Me Choosing to follow our Lord has never been the easiest path that one can take, in this or in any age. It means forgiving when we are tempted to be unkind, helping when it would be easier to turn away, and sometimes going it alone rather than going along with the crowd. Jesus realized this, and when a scribe (a teacher of the law) said to Him, ""Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest,"" Jesus forewarned him. ""The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head"" (Matthew 8:19-20). History is filled with examples of those brave souls who sacrificed much for their beliefs. And while the true believer might not always find favor with his fellow man, he will find it in heaven, for our Lord also promised, ""If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servants be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour"" (John 12:26). (See options...)


	While Emma Sleeps The adopted twins of Joseph and Emma, Joseph & Julia Murdock, were now eleven months old and had been suffering with a difficult case of the measles. Shortly before midnight on March 24, 1832, Joseph sent his exhausted wife to bed with their daughter Julia. Joseph stayed up to care for his infant son, Joseph Murdock, and it wasn’t long before they were both asleep. Suddenly a vicious mob of more than 25 men burst through the door awakening all within and dragging Joseph outside by his hair. Emma ran behind screaming, but was powerless to stop the mob. Amidst the confusion, the front door to the home was left open and the twins were exposed to the frigid night air. This was too much for the already sick Joseph Murdock, and five days later he died. As I read this story, I was touched by the human side of Joseph Smith. He treated the responsibility to his family with the same feeling and passion that he did for his calling as a prophet of God. I wanted to capture in this painting the love Joseph had for his young family and the responsibility he felt to care for them along with Emma. I found that love in a quiet moment where Joseph walks the floors While Emma Sleeps. (See options...)


	White As Snow ""White as Snow"" is the sequel to the previously released image, ""Forgiven"". Both paintings were inspired by Isaiah 1:18, ""...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."" In ""Forgiven"" a woman kneels in sorrow and humility as she petitions the Lord for forgiveness. She wears a scarlet garment symbolizing the burden of her sins. Jesus assures her that there is hope indeed that her sins can be forgiven. ""White as Snow"" shows the woman now seated beside the Savior. Now cleansed, she is dressed in pure white. Her attitude is one of joy and appreciation for His merciful gift. In His hand Jesus holds the scarlet garment which once she wore, a garment now to be forgotten and remembered no more. (See options...)